Chapter 9: The Friend Who Watched Me Fall
The image on the screen remained frozen.
A single face.
A single betrayal.
A person who had stood beside me when I was grieving.
A person who held my hand at Richard’s funeral.
A person who told me I would survive.
My best friend.
Victoria Hale.
Claire stared at me.
“Who is she?””
I couldn’t answer.
Because the name felt impossible coming out of my mouth.
“Victoria.””
Charles looked shocked.
“Your Victoria?””
I nodded slowly.
For thirty years, Victoria had been more than a friend.
She was family.
She knew my fears.
My dreams.
My weaknesses.
She knew every detail of my marriage.
Every argument.
Every struggle.
Every moment when I felt lost.
And now she was standing beside Richard in a video recorded before his death.
Helping Daniel.
“I don’t understand,” I whispered.
Claire looked at me.
“Mom, what did she know?””
I sat down.
“Everything.””
The word sounded like a confession.
Charles frowned.
“Eleanor, think carefully.””
“I am.””
My voice hardened.
“Victoria knew about the company. She knew about the trust. She knew about Claire’s adoption.””
Charles looked at me.
“She knew about Claire?””
I nodded.
“She was there the day we brought Claire home.””
The room went quiet.
That was when I realized something.
Victoria had been there from the beginning.
Not after the betrayal.
Before it.
My phone buzzed.
A message.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
A photograph.
Victoria entering a restaurant.
With Daniel Cross.
Taken that morning.
My stomach tightened.
Claire saw it.
“She’s with him.””
I nodded.
The woman who brought me soup after Richard died.
The woman who cried with me.
The woman who promised she would help me find peace.
She had been working with the man who destroyed my family.
I stood.
“I need to talk to her.””
Charles immediately shook his head.
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because if she knows you found out, she will run.””
I looked at him.
“Maybe.””
I picked up my coat.
“But maybe she will tell me why.””
Claire stood.
“I’m coming.””
“No.””
She looked hurt.
“I’m not losing you again.””
That sentence stopped me.
I looked at my daughter.
Ten years ago, she walked away because she thought I pushed her aside.
I wasn’t going to make the same mistake.
“Okay.””
She nodded.
“We do this together.””
Charles grabbed his coat.
“Then we all go.””
An hour later, we arrived at Victoria’s home.
The house looked exactly like I remembered.
Beautiful.
Warm.
Safe.
That was the cruelest part.
I rang the doorbell.
No answer.
I knocked.
“Victoria?””
Silence.
I knocked again.
The door slowly opened.
Unlocked.
My instincts screamed.
Something was wrong.
We entered carefully.
“Victoria?””
The living room was empty.
But the table was covered with documents.
Company documents.
Whitmore Holdings files.
Claire picked one up.
“Mom.””
I walked over.
The papers showed transfers.
Money moved through hidden accounts.
Millions of dollars.
My eyes followed the signatures.
Daniel Cross.
Faith Delano.
Victoria Hale.
All connected.
All working together.
Then I noticed something else.
A folder.
Separate from the others.
My name was written on it.
I opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Of me.
At the club.
At my house.
Walking alone.
Sleeping.
Living my life.
Someone had been watching me.
For years.
Claire looked horrified.
“How long?””
I couldn’t answer.
Then a voice came from behind us.
“You should have left the past buried.””
We turned.
Victoria stood in the doorway.
Older than I remembered.
But calm.
Almost peaceful.
My best friend.
My betrayer.
“Victoria…”
She looked at me sadly.
“I hoped you would never find this.””
Charles stepped forward.
“Why?””
Victoria smiled faintly.
“Because Eleanor always believed people loved her.””
The words cut deeper than I expected.
I stared at her.
“Did you?””
For a moment, her expression changed.
Something like regret appeared.
Then disappeared.
“I did.””
“Then why?””
Victoria looked toward the documents.
“Because Richard took everything from me.””
I frowned.
“What are you talking about?””
She stepped closer.
“Ask him.””
My heart stopped.
“Ask who?””
Victoria smiled.
May you like
Then she said the one thing I never expected.
“Ask your dead husband why he stole my child.””
