Chapter 9: The Storage Unit
I read Julian’s message twice before I could move.
*The nursery door was open.*
Then another line:
*And the envelope from the storage unit is gone.*
I looked up at Claire.
“What envelope?””
Her face had gone pale.
“I didn’t know there was an envelope there.””
“You just told me Julian kept documents there.””
“I said I knew about the unit. I didn’t know what was inside.””
I held up my phone.
“He says someone took an envelope.””
Claire stared at the screen.
Then she whispered, “We have to go.””
I grabbed my keys.
“My babies are at home.””
“I know.””
“And Julian is alone with them.””
Claire followed me to the door.
“Emma.””
I stopped.
“What?””
She hesitated.
“Don’t trust anyone at that house.””
I turned around.
“Not Julian?””
“Not anyone.””
The words stayed with me all the way home.
When I pulled into my driveway, the front door was wide open.
Julian was standing just inside.
His shirt was wrinkled.
His hair was still damp.
He looked frightened.
Not angry.
Not defensive.
Frightened.
I ran inside.
“Where are the girls?””
He pointed upstairs.
“They’re sleeping.””
I rushed to the nursery.
Both cribs were exactly where they had been.
Lily was asleep on her back.
Mia had her tiny hand curled around the edge of her blanket.
I stood there watching them breathe.
My knees almost gave out.
Julian appeared in the doorway.
“They’re okay.””
I nodded.
“What happened?””
He looked over his shoulder.
“When I got back from the shower, I heard the nursery door moving.””
“Did you see anyone?””
“No.””
“Did you hear anything?””
“Just footsteps.””
I walked past him.
“Where’s the envelope?””
“In the bedroom.””
We went downstairs.
Julian opened the bedroom drawer.
The papers were still there.
Then he pulled out the last document.
A storage-unit receipt.
At the bottom was a handwritten number.
I looked at him.
“Did you know about this?””
“Yes.””
“When did you get it?””
“A few weeks after the twins were born.””
“Why?””
“I rented the unit before they were born.””
My eyes narrowed.
“You told me you were getting rid of old furniture.””
“I was.””
“What else did you put there?””
He looked away.
“Some personal things.””
“Your escape plan?””
He flinched.
“I was scared.””
“Stop using that word.””
He looked at me.
“What word?””
“Scared.””
I pointed at him.
“You've been scared every time you needed an excuse.””
He said nothing.
Claire stepped into the room.
Julian looked at her.
“Why is she here?””
“Because she knows about the storage unit.””
Claire looked at him.
“I know enough.””
His expression hardened.
“This is between Emma and me.””
Claire laughed bitterly.
“No. It stopped being just between you two a long time ago.””
I looked at both of them.
“Enough.””
I picked up the receipt.
“Where is it?””
Julian answered.
“Across town.””
“Keys.””
He hesitated.
“Emma, maybe we should call the police.””
“For what?””
“I don’t know who was in the house.””
“You said nothing was stolen except an envelope.””
“Exactly.””
“Then we find out what was in it.””
He stared at me.
“I’m coming.””
“No.””
“Emma—”
“I’m not asking.””
His jaw tightened.
“I’m the one who rented it.””
“And I’m the one who has to live with whatever is inside.””
That ended the argument.
We left Claire with the girls.
The drive was silent.
The storage facility sat behind an industrial park, hidden between a tire warehouse and an abandoned building.
Rows of metal doors stretched under harsh white lights.
Julian unlocked Unit 214.
The door rolled upward with a grinding sound.
Inside were boxes.
Old furniture.
Suitcases.
A crib still in its original packaging.
And one wooden filing cabinet.
I walked inside.
“Is this everything?””
“Yes.””
I opened the first box.
Baby clothes.
Hospital bracelets.
Photos.
A pregnancy journal.
My pregnancy journal.
I froze.
“Why is this here?””
Julian looked at the box.
“I don't remember putting that there.””
I turned.
“You don’t remember?””
“No.””
I opened another box.
There were copies of our mortgage papers.
Insurance documents.
Our wedding certificate.
And several bank statements.
Then I found another folder.
Across the front was written:
*AFTER THE TWINS*
My hands went numb.
I opened it.
The first page was a list.
A house.
A car.
A savings account.
A separate bank account I had never heard of.
And beside each item, a number.
A calculation.
A plan.
I looked at Julian.
“You were preparing to divide everything.””
He swallowed.
“Yes.””
“Before they were born.””
“Yes.””
I turned another page.
There was a handwritten note.
*Move slowly. Emma cannot know until after delivery.*
I stared at the sentence.
“Did you write this?””
Julian stepped closer.
“No.””
I looked at the handwriting.
It wasn’t his.
It wasn’t mine.
It looked familiar.
Too familiar.
I turned the page.
Another note.
*Rachel knows the plan. Claire will keep Emma calm.*
My chest tightened.
I looked at Julian.
“You said Claire didn’t know.””
“I thought she only knew about the affair.””
Claire’s name being written there changed the entire story.
She wasn’t just someone who discovered the secret.
She had been mentioned inside the plan.
I turned another page.
There was a photograph.
Rachel was pregnant.
Standing outside a house.
A house I recognized.
My house.
Or rather, the house Julian and I had nearly bought before deciding to stay where we were.
On the back was written:
*Our future place.*
I looked at Julian.
“You were going to move her here?””
“No.””
His face went pale.
“I never bought that house.””
I pointed at the photograph.
“Then why does she have a picture there?””
He stepped closer.
“I don’t know.””
“You keep saying that.””
“Because I don't.””
I opened the next folder.
Inside was a medical document.
Rachel’s name.
Pregnancy records.
Estimated due date.
Then another page.
A handwritten statement.
*If Julian is the father, he will pay.*
My breath caught.
“What does that mean?””
Julian took the page.
“I don’t know.””
I looked at the dates.
Something didn’t fit.
Rachel’s pregnancy had been discovered after we had already brought the twins home.
But the first appointment date was months earlier.
Before she told me she was pregnant.
Before Julian claimed he had ended things.
I pointed at it.
“She knew before.””
Julian read the document again.
“Yes.””
“Then why wait?””
He shook his head.
“I don’t know.””
A sound came from outside.
Metal scraping against concrete.
We both turned.
Someone was standing at the end of the row.
A hood.
Dark jacket.
Face hidden.
Julian stepped forward.
“Hey!””
The figure ran.
Julian took off after them.
“Julian!””
He disappeared around the corner.
I stood frozen for a second.
Then I saw something on the floor.
A black envelope.
I picked it up.
My name was written on the front.
*EMMA*
My hands trembled as I opened it.
Inside was one photograph.
One document.
And a flash drive.
The photograph showed me asleep in a hospital bed.
My twins were beside me.
Julian was standing near the window.
And Rachel was in the room.
I stared.
“That’s impossible.””
Rachel had never told me she was there.
Julian had never told me.
I looked at the document.
It was a hospital visitor log.
Rachel’s name was recorded.
The date was the day our daughters were born.
My blood went cold.
She had been there.
She had seen my babies on the day they were born.
Then I looked at the flash drive.
A note was taped to it.
*Watch before you confront Claire.*
My heart pounded.
Julian came running back.
“Did you see them?””
I held up the envelope.
He stopped.
“What is that?””
I looked at him.
“I think someone wanted me to find this.””
“Emma, put it down.””
“Why?””
“Because we don't know who left it.””
I looked at the note.
Then at the photograph.
Then at Julian.
“Maybe it's time we stop asking who is lying.””
His expression changed.
“What do you mean?””
“We need to know what happened in that hospital.””
I plugged the flash drive into my phone using an adapter from my bag.
One video file appeared.
*JANUARY_14_02_17AM*
The date our daughters were born.
I pressed play.
The video began with a hospital hallway.
The camera was positioned near the nurses’ station.
A woman walked into view.
Rachel.
She was carrying a folder.
Then Julian appeared.
They spoke briefly.
I could not hear the audio at first.
Then the recording sharpened.
Julian said:
“She can never know.””
Rachel answered:
“She will when she sees the records.””
Julian looked toward the maternity ward.
“She won’t see them.””
Then Rachel asked:
“What about the money?””
My heart stopped.
Julian replied:
“Claire will handle it.””
The video ended.
I stared at the black screen.
Julian was standing beside me.
I slowly turned toward him.
“What money?””
He didn’t speak.
“What did Claire handle?””
He shook his head.
“I never said that.””
“The video did.””
“I don’t remember that conversation.””
I stepped back.
“Then maybe you should stop telling me what you remember.””
He looked terrified.
I opened the folder again.
There was one final page.
A bank transfer.
The amount was large enough to make my hands shake.
The recipient was listed as *Claire Mercer*.
Julian’s mother.
Not my sister.
I looked at the name again.
Then at the date.
It was transferred three days before our daughters were born.
Julian stared at the paper.
“That isn't my mother's account.””
I looked closer.
The account number was unfamiliar.
But the name was unmistakable.
*Claire Mercer.*
“Then whose account is it?””
Before he could answer, my phone rang.
The caller ID made both of us freeze.
*Claire.*
I answered.
My sister was crying.
“Emma,” she whispered.
I said nothing.
“I know what you found.””
My stomach dropped.
“How?””
“Because I was the one who put the envelope there.””
I looked at Julian.
May you like
Then Claire said something that made the blood drain from my face.
“Your daughters weren’t supposed to be the only twins in that story.””
