Chapter 5: The Memory I Tried To Forget
The moment Richard said my name, the entire world seemed to stop.
Daniel looked at me like he had never seen me before.
Malik stared between us, confused and frightened.
And Vanessa?
Vanessa smiled.
Not because she was happy.
Because she thought she had finally found a way to break us apart.
“Tell them, Renee,” Vanessa said softly.
I felt my hands become cold.
“Tell them what happened that night.””
Daniel stepped toward me.
“What is he talking about?””
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
Because some memories don’t disappear.
They wait.
They hide.
And then one day, someone forces you to open the door again.
I looked at Malik.
The little boy who had trusted me enough to hold onto my hand in the pool.
The little boy who had already lost his mother.
I couldn’t let him lose the truth too.
“Years ago,” I said quietly, “before your father married Vanessa, I worked for your family.””
Daniel nodded slowly.
“I know.””
“No,” I said.
“You don’t know everything.””
The silence became unbearable.
Richard crossed his arms.
“Finally.””
I ignored him.
“Your mother, Elena, was one of the kindest people I ever met.””
Malik’s eyes filled with emotion.
“She loved you more than anything.””
Daniel looked away.
“Renee…”
“I was there the night she died.””
The words landed heavily.
Malik grabbed his father’s hand.
“My mom died in an accident.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“That’s what we were told.””
Richard smiled.
“Exactly.””
I looked at him.
“You don’t get to pretend you care about the truth.””
His smile faded.
Because he knew I remembered.
I remembered Elena running through the hallway that night.
I remembered the argument.
I remembered the sound of a door slamming.
And I remembered the person standing near the staircase.
Vanessa.
But I also remembered something else.
Something nobody knew.
“She wasn’t alone that night,” I said.
Daniel looked at me.
“Who was with her?””
I swallowed.
“Vanessa.””
The entire room changed.
Vanessa immediately shook her head.
“That’s a lie.””
“No.””
“You’re blaming me because you hate me.””
“I don’t hate you.””
I looked directly at her.
“I watched you smile at Elena’s funeral.””
Her expression tightened.
“You have no idea what you saw.””
“I saw enough.””
Daniel’s voice was quiet.
“Renee, why didn’t you tell me?””
That question hurt more than Vanessa’s insults.
Because I had asked myself the same thing for years.
“I tried.””
Daniel looked surprised.
“What?””
“After Elena died, I went to your father. I told him I saw Vanessa leaving the upstairs hallway.””
Richard’s expression changed.
Daniel noticed.
“What happened?””
I looked down.
“He told me to stay quiet.””
Nobody spoke.
“He said the family couldn’t survive another scandal.””
Daniel shook his head.
“My father knew?””
I nodded.
“And he paid me to forget.””
Malik stepped closer.
“Miss Renee…”
I turned toward him.
“I’m sorry.””
“For what?””
“For not telling you sooner.””
His eyes became watery.
“You protected me today.””
I smiled sadly.
“But I should have protected the truth too.””
Suddenly, Richard laughed.
A cold, empty laugh.
“You see? This is why everything had to happen now.””
Daniel looked at him.
“What do you mean?””
Richard stepped closer.
“Your father changed the inheritance documents before he died.””
Daniel froze.
“What?””
Richard looked at Malik.
“He left the estate and the majority of his fortune to his grandson.””
Everyone became silent.
Malik.
The boy.
The target.
Vanessa looked at Richard angrily.
“You said you would handle it.””
Richard ignored her.
“And when Malik turned eighteen, everything would legally become his.””
Daniel stared at Vanessa.
“So you tried to get rid of him.””
Vanessa’s face changed.
“No.””
But her voice was weaker.
Richard looked at her.
“You failed.””
That sentence made her furious.
“You’re the one who told me what to do!””
Daniel turned.
“What?””
Vanessa looked trapped.
Richard remained calm.
“She made her choices.””
“No!””
Vanessa pointed at him.
“You promised me protection!””
Richard stepped backward.
“You’re on your own now.””
I felt a chill.
Because suddenly I understood.
Vanessa wasn’t the person controlling everything.
She was just another piece on the board.
Then Daniel’s phone buzzed.
He looked down.
His face turned pale.
“What is it?”” I asked.
He slowly showed me the screen.
A message.
No name.
Only four words.
“Check the old basement.””
Then another message appeared.
“Before they find it.””
May you like
Daniel looked toward the dark house.
And for the first time that night, even he looked afraid.
