Chapter 5: The Person We Never Suspected
For a moment, nobody moved.
The three of us stood frozen in my living room, staring at the front door.
My mother’s voice came from the hallway again.
"Ryan? Emily? I know you're both inside.""
Ryan looked at me.
The fear on his face wasn't the same fear I had seen when he realized the money was gone.
This was different.
This was the fear of someone who had just discovered another piece of a puzzle he didn't want to complete.
"Why is Mom here?"" I whispered.
Ryan didn't answer.
Daniel looked between us.
"Your mother knows about this?""
I shook my head.
"She can't.""
But even as I said it, I felt something shift inside me.
Because I remembered the barbecue.
The way Mom had stared into her cup.
The way she avoided looking at me.
Not because she was confused.
Because she knew something.
Ryan slowly walked toward the door.
I grabbed his arm.
"Wait.""
He looked at me.
"What?""
"Don't just open it.""
"Emily, it's Mom.""
"Exactly.""
His expression changed.
Because he understood.
After everything we had discovered, trusting anyone blindly was no longer an option.
Ryan looked through the peephole.
His face went pale.
"What?""
He stepped back.
"She’s alone.""
Daniel moved closer.
"Are you sure?""
Ryan nodded.
I walked toward the door.
My hand hovered over the lock.
A thousand thoughts ran through my head.
Mom was the person who raised us.
The person who stayed when Dad left.
The person who worked double shifts so Ryan and I could have everything we needed.
But she was also the person who watched Brianna humiliate me and stayed silent.
The person who knew something was wrong and said nothing.
I opened the door.
Mom stood there holding her purse tightly against her chest.
She looked exhausted.
Older.
Like she hadn't slept.
The moment she saw Ryan, her eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, thank God.""
Ryan stepped aside.
"Mom, what are you doing here?""
She walked in quickly.
Then she stopped when she saw Daniel.
Her face changed.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
Daniel noticed too.
"You know me.""
Mom looked away.
My heart dropped.
"Mom.""
She didn't answer.
"Mom, how do you know him?""
She placed her purse on the table.
"Because I’ve seen this before.""
Nobody spoke.
The words hung there.
I've seen this before.
Ryan stared at her.
"What does that mean?""
Mom sat down slowly.
Her hands shook.
"I didn't want you kids involved.""
I felt anger rise immediately.
"Kids?""
She looked at me.
"You are my children.""
"No, Mom.""
My voice cracked.
"You don't get to say that after standing there yesterday and watching her hit me.""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I was wrong.""
The apology surprised me.
Because I wasn't prepared for it.
Mom looked down.
"I was wrong.""
Ryan sat across from her.
"Tell us everything.""
Mom looked at Daniel.
He nodded once.
Like he already knew.
She took a deep breath.
"Three years ago, before Brianna married you, she came to me.""
Ryan frowned.
"What?""
Mom looked at him.
"She said she wanted to understand our family.""
I felt a cold feeling.
"Understand?""
Mom nodded.
"She asked questions.""
"What kind of questions?"" I asked.
Mom looked uncomfortable.
"About money.""
The room went silent.
"What?""
Mom swallowed.
"She asked about your inheritance from Grandma.""
My stomach tightened.
Grandma.
The money I had received after she passed away.
The money I used to help Ryan.
The money nobody outside the family knew about.
"How did she know?"" Ryan asked.
Mom closed her eyes.
"I told her.""
I stared.
"You told her?""
"I thought she was going to marry my son.""
Her voice cracked.
"I wanted to trust her.""
I looked away.
There it was again.
The same mistake everyone made.
Trusting Brianna because she knew exactly how to earn it.
"What did she ask?"" Ryan said.
Mom wiped her eyes.
"She asked whether Emily handled her money responsibly.""
My head snapped toward her.
"What?""
Mom looked ashamed.
"She said she was worried about you.""
I almost laughed.
"Worried about me?""
"She made it sound like you were impulsive. Like you made emotional decisions.""
I looked at Ryan.
The irony was painful.
That was exactly what everyone thought now.
Because Brianna had planted it years ago.
"She was building a story," Daniel said quietly.
Mom nodded.
"Yes.""
Ryan stood.
"So you knew?""
Mom looked at him.
"I knew something was wrong.""
"How long?""
She didn't answer.
"How long, Mom?""
"Six months.""
Ryan stepped back.
The same number.
Again.
Six months.
"You knew for six months?""
Mom started crying.
"I was scared.""
I stared at her.
"Of what?""
She looked at me.
"Of losing my family.""
I shook my head.
"Mom, we were already losing it.""
Nobody spoke.
Because everyone knew it was true.
Mom reached into her purse.
She pulled out an envelope.
"I found this yesterday.""
She placed it on the table.
Ryan picked it up.
"What is it?""
"A letter.""
"From who?""
Mom looked at me.
"Brianna.""
My body went cold.
"Why would she write you a letter?""
Mom's hands trembled.
"Because she knew I would keep quiet.""
Ryan opened the envelope.
Inside was a single piece of paper.
He read the first few lines.
Then his expression changed.
"What?""
He handed it to me.
I read.
*Margaret,*
*You always said family protects family. I need you to remember that when this gets complicated.*
My eyes moved lower.
*Ryan doesn't need to know everything. Not yet.*
I stopped.
My heart started pounding.
The next sentence was worse.
*If Emily starts asking questions, remind her what happens when she destroys the people trying to help her.*
I looked up.
Mom was crying.
"I thought she was threatening you.""
"She was.""
"I didn't know what to do.""
"You should have told me.""
"I was ashamed.""
I stared at her.
"Of what?""
She looked at Ryan.
"Because she had something on me.""
Ryan frowned.
"What?""
Mom looked down.
"She knew about your father.""
The room went silent.
I felt the air leave my lungs.
Dad.
Nobody talked about Dad.
Not anymore.
"What about him?"" Ryan asked.
Mom's eyes filled with fear.
"Brianna found out why he left.""
Ryan went still.
"What are you talking about?""
Mom looked at him.
"I lied to you.""
The silence that followed felt endless.
Ryan stepped back.
"About what?""
Mom closed her eyes.
"Your father didn't just leave.""
My heart pounded.
"Mom...""
She whispered:
"He left because he owed people money.""
Ryan stared at her.
"And?""
"And Brianna found the records.""
Daniel’s expression changed.
"That’s what she was looking for.""
Mom nodded.
"She said if I didn't cooperate, she would tell Ryan and Emily everything.""
I looked at Ryan.
His face was completely blank.
The kind of blank people get when their entire understanding of their life starts collapsing.
"Cooperate with what?"" he asked.
Mom looked at the floor.
"I helped her.""
The words were barely audible.
Ryan whispered:
"Helped her do what?""
Mom couldn't answer.
So Daniel did.
"She helped Brianna access family information.""
Ryan looked at him.
"What information?""
Daniel looked at the envelope.
"Information about Emily.""
My blood ran cold.
Mom looked at me.
"I'm sorry.""
I couldn't speak.
Because suddenly everything made sense.
The questions.
The comments.
The way Brianna always knew exactly what to say.
She hadn't been guessing.
She had been collecting information.
About my money.
My habits.
My weaknesses.
My family.
My life.
Ryan looked at Mom.
"You helped her target Emily?""
Mom cried.
"I didn't know what she was planning.""
"But you helped her.""
The pain in his voice was worse than anger.
Mom looked at me.
"I thought I was protecting everyone.""
I picked up the letter.
My hands shook.
"No.""
I looked at her.
"You were protecting yourself.""
The words hurt her.
I saw it.
But they were true.
Before anyone could respond, Daniel’s phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
"What's wrong?"" I asked.
He answered.
"Hello?""
A few seconds passed.
Then his face drained of color.
"What do you mean she's there?""
Ryan stood.
"Who?""
Daniel looked directly at me.
Then he said:
"The police.""
My stomach tightened.
"Why would the police be looking for Brianna?""
Daniel ended the call slowly.
Then he looked at Ryan.
"Because Brianna just reported a crime.""
Ryan frowned.
"What crime?""
Daniel looked at me.
"Theft.""
I felt my heart stop.
"What?""
Daniel's voice was quiet.
"She reported that Emily stole company money.""
Ryan looked at me.
And for the first time, I saw something I never thought I would see in my brother's eyes.
Doubt.
Not about Brianna.
May you like
About me.
And that hurt more than the slap ever could.
