Chapter 14: The Last Betrayal
Nobody spoke.
My mother’s words hung in the room.
The person protecting me.
My mind raced through every face.
Every person who had offered help.
Every person who had stood beside me.
Claire.
Daniel.
Ethan.
Mrs. Patterson.
But then I saw it.
The way my mother looked at one person.
Not fear.
Regret.
I turned slowly.
Toward Ethan.
My brother went pale.
“No.””
I shook my head.
“No what?””
He stepped back.
“Renee, don’t.””
My heart broke.
Because his reaction told me everything.
“You knew.””
Ethan closed his eyes.
“I knew part of it.””
“Part?””
“I knew Mom was alive.””
The room spun.
Maya stared at him.
“Uncle Ethan?””
“I was trying to protect you.””
Everyone said that.
Everyone.
The same words.
Different mouths.
Different lies.
“You all keep saying that.””
My voice cracked.
“But nobody protected me.””
Ethan looked devastated.
“I was wrong.””
“Yes.””
I stepped closer.
“You were.””
My mother stood.
“Ethan was manipulated.””
“So was I.””
Silence.
Then Daniel spoke.
“Wait.””
Everyone looked at him.
“The person who killed Thomas wasn’t Ethan.””
I turned.
“Then who?””
Daniel looked toward my mother.
She closed her eyes.
And whispered:
“It was me.””
The room froze.
“What?””
My mother cried.
“I didn’t mean to.””
I couldn’t understand.
“No.””
She looked at me.
“Thomas confronted me.””
“Why?””
“Because he found out I had been moving money.””
The betrayal hurt differently.
Not like Claire.
Not like Daniel.
This was my mother.
“My whole life…”
She shook her head.
“I was trying to fix what your father started.””
“What did my father start?””
She looked at the floor.
“A criminal network.””
I felt numb.
“My father?””
“He used businesses to hide money. When I found out, I tried to expose him.””
“And Thomas?””
“Thomas helped me.””
I stared.
“Then why did he die?””
Her tears fell.
“Because during the argument… I pushed him.””
Nobody moved.
“He fell.””
My hand covered my mouth.
“Mom…”
“I didn’t mean to kill him.””
The truth was worse than any lie.
Because it wasn’t a stranger.
It wasn’t a criminal.
It was an accident caused by someone I loved.
“What happened after?””
She looked at Ethan.
“Ethan helped me hide what happened.””
I looked at my brother.
He cried silently.
“I thought I could fix it.””
“No,” I whispered.
“You buried it.””
“Yes.””
A long silence followed.
Then Maya spoke.
“Dad knew.””
Everyone looked at her.
She held the flash drive.
“There’s another file.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
She opened the laptop.
A video appeared.
Thomas.
But this time, he looked calm.
Like he knew exactly what was coming.
“Renee,” he said.
I held my breath.
“If you’re watching this, it means the truth finally came out.””
Tears filled my eyes.
Thomas continued.
“I know who caused everything.””
The room went silent.
“And I know why.””
He looked directly into the camera.
“But there is one thing everyone got wrong.””
A pause.
“I wasn’t trying to expose them.””
The video glitched.
May you like
Then Thomas said:
“I was trying to save them.””
