Chapter 9: The Secret Between Sisters
I stared at Vanessa’s message for several minutes.
Not because I believed her.
Because I was starting to understand how she worked.
She didn’t need people to believe her immediately.
She only needed to create doubt.
A small crack.
A question.
Something she could use later.
And she had spent years doing it.
I went upstairs.
Maya was sitting on her bed, holding one of Claire’s old sweaters.
She looked up.
“Is she really my grandmother?””
I sat beside her.
“I don’t know.””
Maya frowned.
“You don’t know?””
I hated admitting that.
Because I was supposed to be the person who had answers.
“I’m trying to find the truth.””
She looked down.
“Is the truth bad?””
I took her hand.
“No.””
She looked at me.
“Are you sure?””
I nodded.
“Because one thing I know is that your mother loved you.””
Maya leaned against me.
“But everyone keeps saying things about Mom.””
“I know.””
“What if they’re true?””
I turned toward her.
“Then we find out together.””
She nodded slowly.
That night, I met Rachel again.
She brought old documents.
“I should have told you years ago,” she said.
I looked at her.
“Why didn’t you?””
“Because Claire made me promise.””
I frowned.
“Why?””
“Because she wanted Maya to have a normal childhood.””
Rachel opened a folder.
Inside was a newspaper clipping.
The headline was old.
Local Woman Injured in House Fire.
I read the article.
Then I saw the name.
Vanessa.
“She caused a fire?””
Rachel shook her head.
“No one could prove it.””
I looked closer.
The article mentioned a child.
A pregnancy.
A loss.
My chest tightened.
“What happened?””
Rachel closed her eyes.
“Claire and Vanessa were friends in high school. They both became pregnant around the same time.””
I listened carefully.
“Claire had Maya. Vanessa lost her baby.””
I looked at her.
“And she blamed Claire?””
“Not at first.””
Rachel paused.
“Then Vanessa started saying Claire was lucky. She said Claire got everything she wanted.””
My hands clenched.
“She became obsessed.””
Rachel nodded.
“Years later, when Claire got sick, Vanessa came back into her life.””
“To help?””
Rachel looked at me.
“No.””
The word was heavy.
“To replace her.””
Everything suddenly made sense.
The friendship.
The marriage.
The cruelty toward Maya.
Vanessa wasn’t just jealous.
She had built her entire life around a wound she refused to heal.
But there was one thing I didn’t understand.
“Why did Claire never tell me?””
Rachel looked at me.
“Because she found out something worse.””
“What?””
Rachel handed me another envelope.
This one was sealed.
Claire’s handwriting was on it.
My name.
Again.
I opened it carefully.
Inside was a single page.
Marcus, if you are reading this, Vanessa has probably told you about her loss. She will make you believe she suffered because of me.
I kept reading.
But the truth is, Vanessa didn’t lose her child because of an accident.
My heart raced.
She lost her child because she made a choice.
I looked at Rachel.
“What choice?””
Rachel looked terrified.
“I don’t know.””
I continued.
The night Vanessa’s baby died, she was supposed to be with me. She was supposed to help me get to the hospital.
My hands shook.
Instead, she left me alone.
I stopped.
Because I remembered.
The night Claire went into labor early with Maya.
She had always told me she was alone until help arrived.
I thought it was because of bad timing.
I thought it was because of a storm.
I thought it was because of circumstances.
But maybe it wasn’t.
I turned the page.
There was only one final sentence.
Marcus, Vanessa didn’t hate Maya because she reminded her of what she lost.
I swallowed.
The next words were written darker.
She hated Maya because Maya survived.
My phone rang.
I looked at the screen.
Vanessa.
I almost didn’t answer.
But I did.
“Why are you calling?””
Her voice was calm.
Almost peaceful.
“You found Claire’s letters.””
I said nothing.
“She always made me the villain.””
“You are.””
A pause.
Then she laughed softly.
“You still don’t understand.””
“What don’t I understand?””
Her voice dropped.
“That night Claire went to the hospital… she wasn’t alone.””
My heart stopped.
“What are you talking about?””
Vanessa whispered:
“Someone else was there.””
The line went silent.
May you like
Then she added:
“Someone who knows the real reason Maya’s mother died.””
