Chapter 3: The Letter in the Attic
I spent the entire night searching through old boxes.
Not because I doubted Maya.
Not because I doubted Claire.
Because a part of me was terrified that I had missed something.
The attic smelled like dust and old memories.
Every box carried a piece of a life I thought I understood.
Claire’s winter coat.
Maya’s first birthday decorations.
Old photographs.
I found myself sitting on the floor, staring at a picture of Claire holding Maya as a baby.
Claire was smiling.
Not pretending.
Not struggling.
Smiling.
“She loved you,” I whispered.
Behind me, a voice answered.
“She did.””
I turned around.
Maya stood at the attic entrance.
I quickly stood.
“What are you doing awake?””
She shrugged.
“I heard you moving.””
I walked toward her.
“You shouldn’t be up here.””
She looked around.
“Are you looking for something?””
I hesitated.
“A letter from your mom.””
Her eyes widened.
“Mom wrote me a letter?””
I nodded.
“I think so.””
Maya stepped closer.
“Did she know she was leaving?””
That question hurt.
“Yes.””
“Did she say goodbye?””
I swallowed.
“I don’t know yet.””
Maya touched the photograph in my hand.
“I miss her.””
“I do too.””
She looked at me.
“Do you think Vanessa is telling the truth?””
I immediately answered.
“No.””
Maya looked surprised.
“Why?””
“Because your mother loved you.””
A small tear rolled down her cheek.
“I wish I remembered more.””
I hugged her.
“You don’t need to remember everything. I remember enough for both of us.””
Then we heard a noise.
A box falling downstairs.
Maya pulled away.
“Was that Vanessa?””
I walked toward the attic door.
“Stay here.””
I went downstairs.
And there she was.
Vanessa stood beside the cabinet where I kept Claire’s belongings.
A small envelope was in her hand.
My heart stopped.
“What are you doing?””
She turned around slowly.
For the first time, she didn’t pretend.
She didn’t smile.
She didn’t explain.
She simply looked angry.
“You shouldn’t have looked for this.””
I stared at the envelope.
“You found it.””
Vanessa tightened her grip.
“You don’t understand what’s inside.””
“Then let me see.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
I stepped closer.
“Give me the letter.””
Vanessa laughed quietly.
“You really think this changes anything?””
I looked at her.
“My daughter’s mother wrote something before she died, and you hid it.””
Her face changed.
“It wasn’t like that.””
“Then what was it like?””
Vanessa looked toward the stairs.
Toward where Maya was standing.
“Maya shouldn’t read this.””
I felt my anger rise.
“Why?””
Vanessa said nothing.
“Why shouldn’t my daughter read a letter from her own mother?””
She finally whispered:
“Because Claire blamed herself.””
I froze.
“What?””
Vanessa looked at the envelope.
“She knew Maya suffered because of her choices.””
“That’s a lie.””
“You don’t know that.””
“I knew Claire.””
Vanessa stepped closer.
“No, Marcus. You knew the version of Claire she showed you.””
The words hit hard.
But then I noticed something.
The envelope.
There was writing on the front.
Claire’s handwriting.
And only one sentence.
My hands shook as I reached for it.
Vanessa pulled back.
“You’re going to regret opening that.””
I looked her directly in the eyes.
“No.””
I took the envelope.
“I’m going to regret not opening it sooner.””
I carefully opened the letter.
The first line was enough to make my entire world stop.
Because Claire had not written the letter to Maya.
She had written it to me.
May you like
And the first sentence said:
“Marcus, if you are reading this, it means Vanessa finally found a way to hurt our daughter the way she always planned.””
