Chapter 8: The Person Behind The Lies
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Not Derek.
Not Linda.
Not even my father.
The words hung in the air like smoke.
*Someone inside your own family.*
I looked at Linda first.
She looked terrified.
Not surprised.
Terrified.
That told me more than any confession could have.
“Mom?””
Derek’s voice cracked.
Linda slowly looked at him.
And I saw something I had never seen between them before.
Fear.
Not the fear of being caught.
The fear of losing control.
My father stepped toward her.
“Who?””
Linda shook her head.
“I can explain.””
“No.””
Dad’s voice was calm.
“I’m done hearing explanations that come after damage.””
Linda looked at me.
“Emily…”
I stepped back.
“Don’t.””
The word came out colder than I expected.
Because for years, I had called her Mom.
Not because she earned it.
Because I wanted to believe I had gained another family.
I wanted to believe Derek’s family cared about me.
But now I wondered if every kind gesture had been part of the same performance.
The officer looked at Linda.
“Ma’am, you need to answer the question.””
She looked around.
At the police.
At my father.
At Derek.
Then she started crying.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.””
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?””
Linda covered her face.
“I was trying to protect him.””
Derek’s expression changed.
“Mom.””
She ignored him.
“I knew Derek had problems.””
My father stared at her.
“What problems?””
“The company.””
She swallowed.
“He didn’t just lose his job.””
The officer stepped closer.
“What happened?””
Linda looked at the ground.
“He was going to be arrested.””
The words hit everyone at once.
My father’s face hardened.
“Why?””
“Because of the money he took.””
I closed my eyes.
There it was.
The truth.
Not hidden anymore.
Not softened.
Not explained away.
Derek had stolen.
He had lied.
He had manipulated.
And somehow, everyone around him had spent years trying to protect him from consequences.
My father looked at Derek.
“You knew.””
Derek didn’t answer.
“You knew you were facing charges.””
Still nothing.
“And you married my daughter anyway.””
Derek’s eyes moved to me.
“Emily, I was scared.””
I laughed softly.
The sound surprised everyone.
“You were scared?””
He looked at me.
“Yes.””
I nodded.
“So you decided to make me your escape plan.””
His face tightened.
“No.””
“But that’s what happened.””
I pointed toward Linda.
“She just admitted it.””
Derek looked desperate.
“I fell in love with you.””
I stared at him.
“Maybe you did.””
The words surprised him.
“But that doesn’t erase what you did.””
He looked away.
Because he knew.
Love did not erase betrayal.
It did not erase fear.
It did not erase the nights I cried quietly because I didn’t understand why my husband seemed to hate me.
My father turned back to Linda.
“What did you do?””
Linda wiped her tears.
“I contacted Richard.””
My father frowned.
“What?””
“I found out Derek was investigating your family.””
My blood ran cold.
“Investigating?””
Linda nodded.
“Before he met Emily, he was looking for someone who could help him.””
My father’s jaw tightened.
“He researched me.””
“Yes.””
“And you helped him approach my daughter.””
Linda closed her eyes.
“Yes.””
The honesty was almost worse.
I felt sick.
My father looked away.
For a moment, he seemed older.
Not weak.
Just hurt.
Because he wasn’t only dealing with someone hurting his daughter.
He was realizing someone had used his trust too.
The officer asked:
“What was your role?””
Linda hesitated.
“I encouraged the marriage.””
I stared at her.
“You encouraged it?””
She cried harder.
“I thought if Derek had a stable life, he would stop making mistakes.””
I shook my head.
“You knew he was using me.””
“I thought he would fall in love.””
My voice broke.
“But you didn’t care if he didn’t.””
Linda had no answer.
Because there wasn’t one.
A silence settled over us.
Then my father’s phone buzzed.
He checked it.
His expression changed.
“What?””
I looked at him.
“What is it?””
He turned the screen toward me.
It was a message from the hospital.
*Samantha Reed has requested Emily Bennett return immediately. She says she remembered something important.*
My heart sank.
“Something important?””
My father nodded.
“We need to go.””
The officer looked at Derek.
“He stays here.””
Derek stepped forward.
“Wait.””
Nobody moved.
He looked at me.
“Emily.””
I looked at him.
There were so many things I wanted to say.
So many questions.
But only one came out.
“Was anything real?””
His face changed.
For the first time, he looked completely broken.
“Yes.””
A tear fell down his cheek.
“The part where I loved you was real.””
I looked at him.
“Then why did you hurt me?””
He had no answer.
And that was the answer.
My father and I left.
The entire drive to the hospital, I watched the world outside the window.
I expected to feel angry.
But mostly, I felt tired.
Tired of discovering new versions of the same betrayal.
When we arrived, Samantha was sitting up in bed.
She looked nervous.
“I remembered something.””
My father closed the door behind us.
“What?””
Samantha looked at me.
“I need to tell you about the night before your wedding.””
I sat down.
“What about it?””
She took a deep breath.
“Derek wasn’t only trying to destroy company records.””
My father frowned.
“Then what else?””
Samantha looked at me.
“He was looking for something else.””
“What?””
“Your father’s documents.””
I froze.
“What documents?””
Samantha’s hands shook.
“Financial records. Property records. Anything connected to your family.””
My father’s face went pale.
“Why?””
Samantha looked at him.
“Because Derek thought there was something hidden.””
“Hidden where?””
She hesitated.
Then said:
“He believed your father had an account overseas.””
My father stared at her.
“That’s impossible.””
Samantha shook her head.
“That’s what I told him.””
My heart started racing.
“Why would he believe that?””
Samantha looked at me.
“Because someone told him.””
“Who?””
She swallowed.
“The person who gave him information about your family.””
My father leaned forward.
“Who?””
Samantha reached into her bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“I found this in Derek’s old files.””
She handed it to him.
He opened it.
His face changed instantly.
I had never seen my father look that way.
Not angry.
Not scared.
Betrayed.
“Dad?””
He didn’t answer.
“What is it?””
Slowly, he handed me the paper.
At the top was a name.
A name I recognized.
A name I never expected.
My hands began shaking.
Because the person who had been feeding Derek information…
the person who had helped him plan everything…
was not Linda.
Not Samantha.
Not even someone connected to Derek.
It was someone I had trusted my entire life.
Under the name was a note written in Derek’s handwriting.
*She knows where the documents are. She’ll help us get them.*
I looked at my father.
“Who is she?””
He didn’t speak.
I looked back at the paper.
And then I saw the name.
May you like
*Claire Bennett.*
My mother.
