Chapter 5: The Woman My Mother Was Before
I read the message three times.
Then a fourth.
Ask your father who your real mother was.
The words were simple.
But they felt like a blade pressed against my chest.
I looked at my father.
The man who had raised me.
The man who had taught me how to ride a bicycle, how to negotiate, how to stand tall when the world tried to make me feel small.
The man who had always told me that honesty was the foundation of everything.
And yet, here he stood.
Silent.
Again.
“Dad.””
My voice barely came out.
“Who is my real mother?””
His face changed.
Not shock.
Not confusion.
Fear.
That was the moment I knew.
The person who sent the message wasn’t lying.
My father knew.
“Emma, you need to understand something.””
I laughed quietly.
“No.””
I shook my head.
“I don’t need another explanation. I don’t need another person telling me they were protecting me.””
His eyes softened.
“Emma…”
“I need the truth.””
The silence stretched.
Downstairs, I could hear footsteps.
Alexander.
Even now, I could recognize the sound of him walking.
Five years of marriage had taught me things I never realized I had memorized.
The way he sighed when he was stressed.
The way he tapped his fingers when he was thinking.
The way he said my name when he was afraid.
But now every familiar thing felt like a stranger wearing a familiar face.
My father walked toward the window.
“When your mother died, I thought I had lost everything.””
I stared at him.
“But now you’re telling me she wasn’t my mother?””
He closed his eyes.
“She was.””
The answer confused me.
“What does that mean?””
He turned around.
“Your mother raised you. She loved you. She was your mother in every way that mattered.””
“Then why did someone send me that message?””
He looked at the phone in my hand.
“Because someone wants to destroy this family.””
I looked at him.
“This family?””
I held up the phone.
“My husband betrayed me.””
I pointed downstairs.
“Your company has secrets.””
Then I touched my stomach.
“And my child is growing up inside a disaster I didn’t create.””
My voice broke.
“So don’t tell me someone wants to destroy this family. It already happened.””
My father had no answer.
That hurt.
Because Richard Bennett always had answers.
But not tonight.
Not when it mattered.
“Tell me about my mother.””
He hesitated.
Then he sat down.
And for the first time in my life, I saw my father look old.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Like he had been carrying something too heavy for too long.
“Her name was Evelyn.””
I frowned.
“My mother’s name was Sarah.””
He nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
The room went cold.
“What?””
“Your mother changed her name.””
My heart started racing.
“Why?””
My father looked at the photograph on my phone.
“Because Evelyn Hawthorne was supposed to inherit the Hawthorne family empire.””
I stopped breathing.
Hawthorne.
Again.
The name that had followed me everywhere.
The name attached to my husband.
The name attached to my father’s greatest enemy.
The name attached to my mother.
“My mother was a Hawthorne?””
“Yes.””
I sat down slowly.
Everything became too much.
“My whole life…”
My father nodded.
“I wanted you away from that world.””
“What world?””
He looked toward the door.
“The world where people marry for power.””
The words hit harder than he intended.
Because suddenly I remembered.
The first time Alexander met my father.
The way they looked at each other.
Not like strangers.
Like enemies who had finally found each other again.
I stood.
“Did you know?””
My father looked at me.
“Know what?””
“That Alexander was Thomas Hawthorne’s son.””
A pause.
“Yes.””
My chest tightened.
“When?””
“After you were already married.””
“You’re lying.””
The words came out before I could stop them.
My father looked hurt.
“I would never lie to you.””
I stared at him.
“You just said you spent years hiding my mother’s identity.””
He had no response.
A knock came from the door.
Neither of us moved.
Then Alexander entered.
His face was pale.
“I heard everything.””
My father immediately stood.
“You shouldn’t be here.””
Alexander ignored him.
“Emma.””
I looked at him.
“Did you know?””
He froze.
“Know what?””
“About my mother.””
His expression changed.
That was enough.
My stomach dropped.
“You did.””
“No.””
“Don’t.””
My voice became sharp.
“Not another lie.””
Alexander ran a hand through his hair.
“I knew there was a connection.””
“A connection?””
I laughed.
“You knew my mother was a Hawthorne?””
“I suspected.””
“That word again.””
He looked frustrated.
“Because I didn’t have proof.””
“But you looked.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
The question hung between us.
Alexander’s eyes filled with regret.
“Because my father left behind journals.””
My father’s expression changed.
“Journals?””
Alexander nodded.
“He wrote about Richard Bennett.””
My father stepped forward.
“What did they say?””
Alexander looked at him.
“That he didn’t steal your company.””
The room became silent.
My father froze.
“What?””
Alexander continued.
“My father claimed he was protecting something.””
I stared.
“Protecting what?””
Alexander looked at me.
“You.””
Nobody moved.
“What?””
“My father believed there was a reason Evelyn left the Hawthorne family.””
My father’s face became pale.
“Where are the journals?””
Alexander looked away.
“I don’t have them.””
“Where are they?””
“Victoria took them.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Victoria?””
Alexander nodded.
“She wasn’t just my mistress.””
The pain of hearing that word barely registered anymore.
There were too many secrets.
“She worked for someone.””
“Who?””
Alexander didn’t answer.
My father stepped closer.
“Alexander.””
His voice was dangerous.
“Who?””
Alexander swallowed.
Then he said:
“The person who sent the message.””
My blood went cold.
“Who is it?””
Alexander looked at me.
And I knew from his expression that the answer would hurt.
“Your uncle.””
I stared.
“My uncle?””
Alexander nodded.
“Your mother’s brother.””
I shook my head.
“That’s impossible.””
“No.””
Alexander’s voice was quiet.
“It’s the truth.””
My father moved toward the door.
“I need to make a call.””
“Dad.””
He stopped.
I saw something in his eyes.
Something I had never seen before.
Fear.
“Who is my uncle?””
My father didn’t turn around.
Because he already knew.
“Charles Hawthorne.””
The name meant nothing to me.
But it meant everything to Alexander.
His face went completely white.
Because he knew exactly who Charles Hawthorne was.
And that scared me more than anything.
“Who is he?”” I asked.
Nobody answered.
Then Alexander whispered:
“He’s the man who killed my father.””
The room went silent.
And before I could process those words, every light in the mansion suddenly went out.
The darkness swallowed us.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I looked at the screen.
My father reached for me.
“Don’t answer.””
But I already had.
A woman’s voice came through the speaker.
A voice I had never heard before.
But the first sentence made my entire body freeze.
“Emma Bennett…”
A pause.
Then:
“You need to know the baby you’re carrying belongs to the only person who can destroy Charles Hawthorne.””
I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t speak.
May you like
Because she continued with the words that changed everything.
“And that person is not your husband.””
