Chapter 4: The Truth Claire Left Behind
The letter shook in my hands.
For several seconds, I couldn’t breathe.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
Claire’s handwriting.
The same handwriting that had filled birthday cards, grocery lists, and little notes she used to leave beside my coffee every morning.
But the words on the page felt impossible.
“Marcus, if you are reading this, it means Vanessa finally found a way to hurt our daughter the way she always planned.””
I looked up.
Vanessa was standing across from me.
Her face had lost all color.
“You shouldn’t read that,” she said.
I stared at her.
“Why?””
She didn’t answer.
I unfolded the paper completely.
“Because Claire knew you?””
Vanessa’s jaw tightened.
“Marcus…”
“No. I want the truth.””
I looked back at the letter.
The first few lines were written carefully, but the handwriting became messier as I continued.
Marcus, I don’t know how much time I have left. I don’t want you to spend the rest of your life blaming yourself. But there is something you need to know.
My eyes burned.
Claire had written this while she was dying.
And I hadn’t known.
I kept reading.
Vanessa has been pretending to be my friend, but she has never been happy about Maya. She told me once that some women were born to be mothers, and some were not.
My fingers tightened around the paper.
I looked at Vanessa.
“She was your friend?””
Vanessa looked away.
“Claire misunderstood me.””
I laughed quietly.
“Did she?””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“She was sick, Marcus. She wasn’t thinking clearly.””
That sentence made my blood run cold.
Because it was the same excuse people used when they wanted to erase someone’s voice.
I kept reading.
She has convinced herself that Maya took everything from her. She told me that if I wasn’t around, things would be different.
I looked up.
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa stayed silent.
“What does that mean, Vanessa?””
Her eyes narrowed.
“She was paranoid.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
I looked down at the letter again.
Marcus, I need you to protect Maya. She is too young to understand why someone would resent a child. Please don’t let anyone make her believe she was a mistake.
My vision blurred.
Because that was exactly what had been happening.
For months, my daughter had been made to feel unwanted.
I folded the letter carefully.
Then I looked at Vanessa.
“How long?””
She frowned.
“What?””
“How long have you been trying to turn Maya against herself?””
Her expression hardened.
“I have done nothing but take care of her.””
“Taking care of her doesn’t mean making her feel like a burden.””
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“She’s always been difficult.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“She’s been hurting.””
The sound of footsteps came from the stairs.
Maya appeared, holding onto the railing.
She looked terrified.
“Daddy…”
I immediately walked toward her.
“Sweetheart, you shouldn’t be listening to this.””
Her eyes moved toward Vanessa.
“Is it true?””
Nobody answered.
Maya’s voice became smaller.
“Did she hate me?””
My heart broke.
I knelt down.
“Your mother loved you more than anything.””
“But Vanessa said…”
“I don’t care what Vanessa said.””
Maya wiped her eyes.
“Then why did she keep saying I ruined everything?””
The room went silent.
Vanessa looked uncomfortable for the first time.
I stood up slowly.
“Because she was wrong.””
Vanessa grabbed her purse.
“I’m leaving.””
I turned.
“Where are you going?””
She looked at me.
“Somewhere I’m appreciated.””
I almost couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
After everything, she was still making herself the victim.
Before she reached the door, she stopped.
“You think this letter changes everything?””
I said nothing.
She smiled coldly.
“It doesn’t.””
Then she opened the door.
“Because you still don’t know the whole story about Claire.””
The door slammed shut.
Maya grabbed my hand.
“Daddy?””
I looked at her.
“What if there’s more?””
I looked at the letter again.
The last sentence was hidden beneath the fold.
A sentence I hadn’t noticed before.
I opened it slowly.
May you like
And my heart stopped.
Marcus, if Vanessa tells you I was the problem, ask her why she was at the hospital the night I died.
