Chapter 10: The Man Who Pretended to Be Family
I kept the phone against my ear, unable to speak.
The voice on the other end belonged to someone who had sat at my dinner table.
Someone who had held my baby shower gifts.
Someone who had called my unborn daughter “his little niece.””
Mark.
My cousin.
My family.
The word felt different now.
“You’re insane,” I whispered.
A quiet laugh came through the phone.
“No, Claire. I’m patient.””
My stomach tightened.
“Where are you?””
“That’s not important.””
“It is to me.””
“You always were emotional.””
The casual cruelty in his voice made my hands shake.
I looked at my father.
He was already reaching for his phone.
Recording.
Listening.
Mark continued.
“You’ve spent your whole life thinking your parents protected you.””
“They did.””
“No.””
His voice became colder.
“They controlled the story.””
I said nothing.
Because somewhere deep inside, I knew he was trying to do exactly what Ryan had done.
Confuse me.
Make me question what was real.
Mark continued.
“Your mother ruined my uncle’s life.””
“No.””
“She took everything from him.””
“You don’t know what happened.””
“I know enough.””
I looked at my father.
His face was unreadable.
“Then why do you want my house?””
A pause.
Finally, honesty.
“Because your house is the last piece.””
My heart sank.
“Piece of what?””
“Everything your family took.””
I almost laughed.
“You’re blaming me for something that happened before I was born?””
“No.””
His voice sharpened.
“I’m blaming you because you’re the easiest person to control.””
The words hurt because they sounded familiar.
Too familiar.
Like every moment Ryan made me doubt myself.
Like every time Diane made me feel small.
Mark wasn’t angry.
He was confident.
He believed he had already won.
“You married Ryan because you wanted a normal life,” he said.
I froze.
“How do you know that?””
“Because I knew Ryan before you did.””
The room went quiet.
My father stopped typing.
“What?””
Mark continued.
“Ryan didn’t meet you by accident.””
My chest tightened.
“What are you talking about?””
“He knew who you were.””
“I know that.””
“No.””
Mark laughed softly.
“You know he found out later.””
My blood turned cold.
“He didn’t.””
“He did.””
My mother covered her mouth.
I looked at her.
Even she looked shocked.
Mark continued.
“Ryan approached you because of your family.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
I wanted to deny it.
I needed to deny it.
But too many pieces suddenly fit together.
The way Ryan asked about my parents.
The way he was always curious about my mother’s career.
The way he pushed me to talk about family money.
The way he hated when I refused to involve my parents.
“Why are you telling me this?””
“Because I’m offering you a choice.””
I felt disgusted.
“A choice?””
“Walk away from Ryan. Give me the house documents. Keep your baby. Start over.””
My father’s eyes narrowed.
“What did he say?””
I put the phone on speaker.
Mark heard.
“Ah. Colonel Bennett.””
My father stepped closer.
“Mark.””
A pause.
Then Mark laughed.
“So you finally told her.””
My father’s voice was controlled.
“You have no idea what you’ve started.””
“I know exactly what I started.””
“You’re destroying your own family.””
“No.””
Mark’s voice became bitter.
“You destroyed mine first.””
The call ended.
Just like that.
I stared at the blank screen.
Nobody spoke.
Then my mother whispered:
“He’s been planning this for years.””
My father nodded.
“I think so.””
I looked at him.
“What do we do?””
He answered immediately.
“We protect you.””
But I shook my head.
“No.””
Everyone looked at me.
I wiped my tears.
“We don’t just protect me.””
I looked at the folder.
The documents.
The evidence.
“We expose him.””
My father studied my face.
Then he nodded.
Because he knew.
I wasn’t the frightened woman from the kitchen anymore.
That woman had been waiting for someone to save her.
This woman wanted the truth.
The next morning, we met with attorneys.
The evidence grew larger.
Messages.
Financial records.
Fake agreements.
Everything connected Ryan and Mark.
But one thing bothered me.
One thing didn’t make sense.
Ryan had lied.
Ryan had planned.
Ryan had betrayed me.
But he also looked terrified when Mark’s name was mentioned.
And that meant one thing.
Ryan wasn’t the person controlling this.
He was being controlled.
That afternoon, I received another message.
Not from Mark.
From Ryan.
*Please meet me alone. I know who Mark is working for.*
I stared at the screen.
My father immediately shook his head.
“No.””
My mother looked at me.
“Claire.””
I knew what they were thinking.
They were afraid I would forgive him.
But forgiveness wasn’t why I wanted to go.
I needed answers.
Because if Ryan knew who was behind all of this…
Then the real enemy was still hidden.
I typed back.
*Where?*
His response came seconds later.
*The old Bennett property.*
I froze.
Because that place had been abandoned for twenty years.
And nobody should have known it existed.
May you like
Except my family.
And Mark.
