Chapter 6: The Last Conversation
Marcus insisted on meeting Renata.
I tried to stop him.
Not because I was afraid of what she would say.
Because I was afraid he would hear only what he wanted to believe.
Old habits die slowly.
A person who has been manipulated for a long time doesn’t suddenly become immune to manipulation.
“You shouldn’t go alone,” I told him.
We stood in my kitchen.
The same kitchen where I had packed his lunches.
The same kitchen where he once sat on the counter and told me about his first crush.
Now he was an adult man holding car keys and carrying a lifetime of confusion.
“I need answers,” he said.
“I know.””
“What if she’s telling the truth?””
I looked at him.
“Then we face the truth.””
He nodded.
That was the difference.
The old Marcus would have defended Renata before asking questions.
The new Marcus was finally learning to listen.
He met her at a small café across town.
Renata was already there.
She looked exhausted.
But Marcus noticed something else.
She looked angry.
Not hurt.
Angry.
“You came,” she said.
“You said you knew something about my father.””
She smiled slightly.
“There he is.””
Marcus frowned.
“What?””
“The version of you who asks questions.””
He sat down.
“Talk.””
Renata leaned forward.
“Your mother wants you to believe she’s protecting you.””
“She was.””
Renata’s eyes sharpened.
“No. She’s protecting herself.””
Marcus stayed silent.
“She knew about your father’s condition before anyone.””
His expression changed.
“What?””
Renata continued.
“She knew Walter was dying.””
“So did the doctors.””
“But she knew how serious it was.””
Marcus stared.
“What are you saying?””
“I’m saying she hid things from you.””
He wanted to believe it.
That was the dangerous part.
A small piece of him still wanted his mother to be wrong.
Because admitting she was right meant admitting he had destroyed the person who loved him most.
“Why would she do that?”” he asked.
Renata lowered her voice.
“Because Walter changed his will after he became sick.””
Marcus froze.
“Changed it how?””
“She knows.””
The café suddenly felt colder.
“Why would she tell me about the money but hide the will?””
Marcus stared at her.
“Because you would ask questions.””
Renata smiled.
“There’s the truth.””
But Marcus didn’t respond.
Because something bothered him.
If Renata knew all this…
Why had she waited until after the wedding?
Why reveal it now?
He leaned forward.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?””
Her expression shifted.
“I tried.””
“No, you didn’t.””
“Yes, I did.””
“You told me my mother was difficult. You told me she was controlling. You never mentioned my father’s will.””
Silence.
Just for a second.
But Marcus saw it.
The hesitation.
The calculation.
Then his phone buzzed.
A message from Mr. Ellis.
*Marcus, do not believe any claims regarding your father’s final days without reviewing the official records. Your father left a sealed letter specifically addressing this situation.*
Marcus looked up.
Renata noticed.
“Who was that?””
He stood.
“I have to go.””
Her face hardened.
“Marcus.””
He stopped.
“You’re making a mistake.””
He looked at her.
“No.””
His voice was quiet.
“I already made one.””
He walked away.
That evening, Marcus returned to my house.
He stood outside the front door for almost a minute before knocking.
When I opened it, he looked like the little boy who used to come home after making a mistake and not knowing how to apologize.
“Mom.””
I waited.
“I need to ask you something.””
“Come in.””
He stepped inside.
May you like
Then he said the question that changed everything.
“Did Renata have anything to do with Dad’s final night?””
