Chapter 5: The Truth Buried Eleven Years Ago
The door exploded inward.
Wood splintered across the floor.
Lily screamed.
I pulled both girls behind me as Ethan grabbed a nearby lamp and held it like a weapon.
Three people entered.
Not police.
Not neighbors.
Strangers.
They moved with purpose.
The kind of purpose that told me this wasn’t their first time doing something like this.
The man in front wore a gray suit.
He looked completely calm.
“Ryan Carter.””
My blood went cold.
“Who are you?””
He ignored my question.
His eyes moved around the room.
Then stopped on Emma.
“There she is.””
Emma grabbed Ethan’s hand.
“No.””
The man smiled.
“You’ve made things difficult.””
Ethan stepped forward.
“Stay away from her.””
The man sighed.
“Ethan, you were always emotional.””
“You’re not taking her.””
The stranger looked at Daniel.
“You failed.””
Daniel’s face hardened.
“I changed my mind.””
The man laughed.
“You don’t get to change your mind.””
I looked at Daniel.
“You work with them?””
Daniel didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
I felt betrayed all over again.
Megan grabbed my arm.
“Ryan, listen to me.””
I pulled away.
“No.””
“Please.””
“You knew about Emma.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Yes.””
“You knew about Daniel.””
“Yes.””
“You knew my memories were fake.””
She closed her eyes.
“Yes.””
Every answer felt like another wound.
“How could you?””
She whispered:
“Because I was trying to keep you alive.””
The man in the suit interrupted.
“Enough.””
He looked at me.
“Ryan, you don’t understand the situation.””
I laughed bitterly.
“I think I understand plenty.””
“No, you don’t.””
He took a step forward.
“You think this is about a family secret. It isn’t.””
“Then what is it about?””
He looked at Emma.
“It’s about what she knows.””
Emma’s face went pale.
I looked at her.
“What does that mean?””
Nobody answered.
The man continued.
“Your daughter witnessed something eleven years ago.””
Megan immediately moved in front of Emma.
“She was a baby.””
“She was old enough.””
“That’s impossible.””
The man smiled.
“You’d be surprised what children remember.””
I looked at Emma.
“What did you see?””
The little girl shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
Daniel looked away.
But I noticed.
He knew.
I stepped toward him.
“You do.””
Daniel stayed silent.
“Tell me.””
He finally spoke.
“Your accident wasn’t an accident.””
The words hit me.
Again.
And somehow, I knew this was only the beginning.
“What happened?””
Daniel looked at Megan.
She nodded slowly.
Like she knew there was no hiding anymore.
“You discovered something.””
I waited.
“Something about the company you worked for.””
My eyebrows tightened.
“I don’t remember.””
“I know.””
Daniel swallowed.
“You were investigating them.””
The man in the suit laughed.
“Careful.””
Daniel ignored him.
“You found evidence.””
“What evidence?””
Megan answered quietly.
“Proof that they were stealing medical research.””
The room went silent.
I stared at her.
“That makes no sense.””
“It does.””
“No, it doesn’t. I worked in software.””
“You were helping someone.””
“Who?””
Megan looked at Daniel.
My stomach dropped.
Him.
Daniel.
The man I had never remembered.
“You were friends,” Megan said.
“He came to you because he trusted you.””
Daniel looked at the floor.
“And then they found out.””
The man in the suit stepped forward.
“You’re making this dramatic.””
Ethan laughed.
“You’re threatening a man who doesn’t even remember why he should hate you.””
The stranger’s expression changed.
“That memory problem won’t last forever.””
I froze.
“What?””
He smiled.
“Because the treatment is wearing off.””
Megan went pale.
“What did you say?””
The man looked at me.
“Your memories are returning.””
My head began hurting.
Suddenly, flashes appeared.
A hospital room.
Daniel shouting.
Megan crying.
A baby in my arms.
A folder.
A name.
The same name written over and over.
I grabbed my head.
“Stop.””
Nobody moved.
The man smiled.
“You remember now.””
“No.””
“You do.””
Another memory hit.
A dark road.
A car following us.
A gunshot.
Megan screaming.
Emma crying.
And my own voice saying:
“Take care of her.””
I fell to my knees.
Because I remembered one more thing.
The last thing I had said before everything went black.
I had not said goodbye to Megan.
I had not said goodbye to Daniel.
I had looked at my newborn daughter.
And whispered:
“Protect Emma from me.””
Everyone stared.
Megan’s face turned white.
“Ryan…”
I looked up at her.
“Why did I say that?””
Nobody answered.
Then Emma slowly stepped forward.
Tears running down her face.
“Because Daddy…”
May you like
She whispered:
“You were the one they were afraid of.””
