Chapter 5: The Room Upstairs
I returned home after sunset.
The house looked different.
Same walls.
Same floors.
Same expensive kitchen I had chosen.
But now every corner felt like it was hiding something.
Ryan was sitting on the front steps when I arrived.
He looked exhausted.
“You know.””
It wasn’t a question.
I stopped walking.
“You knew something?””
He shook his head.
“Not everything.””
“That’s not an answer.””
Ryan looked down.
“I knew Dad had some connection to this house.””
My chest tightened.
“How?””
“When we were planning the move, Dad told me there might be paperwork problems.””
“Paperwork problems?””
Ryan rubbed his face.
“He said it would all be handled.””
I stared at him.
“And you still moved in?””
He didn’t defend himself.
That told me enough.
“I thought it was just another thing Dad fixed.””
“Fixed.””
I repeated the word.
“That’s what you call taking things from people?””
Ryan looked up.
“I didn’t know.””
“No. You didn’t ask.””
That hurt him.
I could see it.
But I was tired of protecting everyone’s feelings except my own.
I walked inside.
My mother was waiting in the living room.
“Jenna.””
I ignored her.
I walked upstairs.
“Where are you going?””
I stopped.
“To find what else you hid.””
At the end of the hallway was a bedroom I hadn’t opened since moving in.
The door was slightly different from the others.
Older.
The paint was faded.
I tried the handle.
Locked.
I turned around.
“Why is this room locked?””
My mother froze.
That was all the answer I needed.
“Mom.””
She stepped closer.
“Jenna, please.””
“No.””
My voice cracked.
“I need one person in this family to tell me the truth.””
She looked down.
“The previous owner’s daughter lived there.””
“Claire’s daughter?””
She nodded.
“What happened to her?””
My mother didn’t answer.
I grabbed my phone.
“Then I’ll find out myself.””
“Jenna.””
She finally broke.
“Her name was Lily.””
The hallway went quiet.
“What happened to Lily?””
My mother’s eyes filled with tears.
“She blamed your father.””
“For what?””
She looked toward the locked door.
“For destroying their family.””
I felt a chill.
“What does that mean?””
Before she could answer, my phone buzzed.
A text message.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
My hands went cold.
*You finally found the room.*
I stared at the screen.
Another message appeared.
*Your parents told you the story they wanted you to hear.*
Then a third.
*Ask them what happened the night Lily Bennett disappeared.*
I looked at my mother.
She had seen the messages.
Her face went pale.
“Who is Lily?””
I whispered.
My mother covered her mouth.
May you like
And then she said the one thing I never expected.
“She was your sister.””
