Chapter 9: The Truth About My Father
“My father’s death?””
The words barely came out.
My mother looked through the windshield at Evelyn, Victor, and Diane standing in the street.
Then she turned toward me.
“I didn't know when you were younger how much to tell you.””
Ryan stared at her.
“What does her father’s death have to do with this?””
My mother’s eyes filled with tears.
“Everything.””
A knock struck my window.
Evelyn.
I flinched.
She lifted the folder containing the original trust certificate.
“Sarah,” she called through the glass.
“Open the door.””
My mother grabbed my hand.
“No.””
Diane shouted from outside.
“Sarah, don't listen to her! She lied to you!””
Victor stood beside Diane, keeping her restrained.
Ryan looked from them to my mother.
“Who do we believe?””
Nobody answered.
Then Victor raised his voice.
“Sarah, open the window, but keep the doors locked.””
My mother shook her head.
“No.””
Victor looked directly at her.
“You know why she’s here.””
My mother closed her eyes.
“Sarah,” she whispered, “your father didn't die the way I told you.””
The world seemed to tilt.
I turned toward her.
“What did you tell me?””
“That he had a heart attack.””
Ryan's face changed.
“You said he collapsed at work.””
“He did.””
“Then what isn't true?””
My mother looked at me.
“He was poisoned.””
Silence.
Even the traffic seemed to disappear.
I stared at her.
“No.””
“I’m sorry.””
“You said he had a heart attack.””
“That’s what the police believed at first.””
“At first?””
She nodded.
“Your father had been receiving threats.””
“From who?””
She looked toward the woman outside.
“Evelyn.””
Evelyn knocked again.
My mother whispered, “She was working with someone else.””
I felt my stomach turn.
“Who?””
My mother looked at Ryan.
He stiffened.
“You're looking at him?””
“No.””
She shook her head.
“Not Ryan.””
Ryan exhaled.
“Then who?””
My mother looked toward Victor.
The man lifted a hand.
“I’m not the person you need to fear.””
Diane suddenly shouted from the street.
“Liar!””
Victor ignored her.
He looked at me.
“Sarah, your father hired me two weeks before he died.””
My chest tightened.
“You knew him?””
“Yes.””
“Then why have you been working with Ryan?””
“Because Ryan came to me.””
Ryan frowned.
“I told you I hired him.””
“You did,” Victor said.
“But I wasn't investigating your mother.””
He looked at me.
“I was investigating Evelyn.””
My mother whispered, “How did you find her?””
“I didn't.””
Victor looked at the woman beside him.
“She found us.””
Evelyn smiled.
I couldn't stop looking at her.
She looked almost exactly like the version of my mother from old family photographs.
Same dark hair.
Similar eyes.
Same sharp jaw.
Enough resemblance to explain the confusion.
But not enough to explain the voice.
“I can explain that,” Evelyn said.
My mother’s face hardened.
“Stay away from my daughter.””
Evelyn shook her head.
“You've been lying to her for twenty years.””
“I protected her.””
“You buried the truth.””
“I was trying to keep her alive.””
The words silenced everyone.
I looked at my mother.
“Alive?””
She nodded.
“Your father discovered that Evelyn had been using his accounts to move money.””
Evelyn laughed bitterly.
“He discovered half the truth.””
My mother looked at her.
“You stole from him.””
“No.””
“You forged documents.””
“No.””
“You disappeared.””
“Because your husband tried to have me killed.””
The street went silent.
Ryan whispered, “What?””
Evelyn looked at me.
“Your father discovered a network of people transferring assets out of his company. Evelyn wasn't the mastermind, Sarah.””
She pointed at herself.
“I was the person who found it.””
My mother said nothing.
I looked between them.
“Then who was?””
Evelyn's eyes moved to Ryan.
Then to Diane.
Then back to me.
“Your father's business partner.””
Ryan frowned.
“Who?””
Evelyn replied, “James Carter.””
My heart stopped.
My mother's maiden name was Carter.
Ryan noticed.
“James Carter?””
“My brother,” my mother whispered.
I looked at her.
“My uncle?””
She nodded.
“My father’s business partner was your brother?””
“Yes.””
“And you never told me?””
“Because he disappeared after your father died.””
Evelyn stepped closer to the car.
“He didn't disappear.””
Victor nodded.
“He changed his identity.””
I felt dizzy.
“Where is he?””
Evelyn looked at Ryan.
“He's been closer than you think.””
Ryan's face hardened.
“Stop playing games.””
Evelyn reached into her coat.
She pulled out a photograph.
Then she pressed it against my window.
I took it.
It showed a younger man standing beside my father.
I recognized my father.
The other man looked older than I remembered.
But the face—
I stared.
Then I looked at Ryan.
He was staring too.
“What?”” I asked.
Ryan shook his head.
“No.””
I held the photograph closer.
The man's face was not completely unfamiliar.
I had seen him before.
At Ryan's office.
On a framed photograph behind his desk.
I looked at my husband.
“The man in this picture…”
Ryan's voice was barely audible.
“That’s my father.””
I stopped breathing.
“What?””
“My dad.””
Evelyn nodded.
“James Carter became Daniel Reed after your father died.””
My mother covered her mouth.
“You knew,” I said to her.
She looked at me.
“I knew the name had changed.””
“And Ryan?””
Ryan shook his head.
“I didn't know.””
“You never wondered why your father hated mine?””
“He told me they had a business disagreement.””
Evelyn laughed.
“It was much worse than that.””
Victor stepped closer.
“James and your father had built the company together. Your father discovered James was diverting money through shell companies.””
“And Diane?”” I asked.
Victor looked at her.
“Diane knew.””
Diane screamed from behind him.
“No!””
Victor turned.
“You knew enough.””
Diane shook her head.
“I didn't know about the murder.””
My mother whispered, “Murder?””
Victor said nothing.
Evelyn did.
“Your father was poisoned because he was going to expose James.””
My hands started shaking.
“And my mother?””
“She found out.””
I looked at Mom.
“You knew who killed him.””
“I suspected.””
“You suspected my uncle.””
“Yes.””
“Then why did you let me marry Ryan?””
My mother began to cry.
“Because I thought James was gone.””
“That isn't an answer.””
“No.””
She wiped her face.
“It isn't.””
My voice broke.
“You watched me marry the son of the man you believed murdered my father.””
“I didn't know Ryan was involved.””
“I wasn't!”” Ryan said.
He sounded desperate now.
“I swear I never knew.””
I looked at him.
“I believe you.””
His eyes filled with relief.
Then I added, “But your mother did.””
He turned toward Diane.
“Mom?””
Diane wouldn't look at him.
“Tell me.””
She remained silent.
Ryan stepped forward.
“Tell me!””
Diane finally raised her head.
“I was trying to protect you.””
“From what?””
“Your father.””
Ryan froze.
“My father?””
“Yes.””
Diane looked broken now.
“I knew what he had done.””
My mother stared at her.
“You knew?””
Diane nodded.
“After Sarah's father died, James gave me money to keep quiet.””
Ryan stumbled backward.
“You took money from him?””
“I had no choice.””
“You always had a choice.””
“I was afraid.””
“And Sarah?””
“I didn't know how much she knew.””
I stared at her.
“So you stayed close to me.””
“Yes.””
“You became my mother-in-law.””
“Yes.””
“You manipulated Ryan.””
“Yes.””
“You wanted control of the house.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Diane looked at the documents.
“Because the trust contained evidence.””
My heart stopped.
“What evidence?””
“The original financial records.””
Evelyn stepped forward.
“And the proof that James ordered the poisoning.””
I looked at the certificate in her hand.
“What does the trust have to do with that?””
Evelyn opened the folder.
Behind the original trust certificate was a sealed envelope.
She held it up.
“Your father hid the evidence inside the trust documents.””
My mother whispered, “I thought it was destroyed.””
“No,” Evelyn said.
“He hid it where James could never legally access it.””
My hands trembled.
“Inside my trust.””
“Yes.””
That was why they had wanted the house.
Not for the house.
Not for the money.
For what was hidden inside it.
The black box.
The trust certificate.
The old records.
Everything my father had been protecting.
Ryan slowly turned toward me.
“Sarah.””
I looked at him.
“I need you to believe me.””
“What?””
“I didn't know about any of this.””
“I believe you.””
He stared at me.
“But I don't know whether I can stay married to you.””
His face fell.
“I understand.””
Diane suddenly shouted.
“Sarah!””
We all turned.
She was crying.
“I can tell you where James is.””
My mother went rigid.
“Don't.””
Diane looked directly at me.
“You want the truth?””
“Yes.””
“Then listen.””
Victor released his grip on her.
She stepped forward.
“He changed his name.””
“We know.””
“No.””
She shook her head.
“You know about Daniel Reed.””
My blood went cold.
“That isn't his real identity.””
Evelyn looked at her sharply.
“Diane.””
Diane continued.
“He isn't living as Daniel anymore.””
Ryan asked, “Then who is he?””
Diane looked at me.
“He's using another name.””
She gave it.
And my heart stopped.
Because it was the name on the guardianship petition.
The name that had been haunting my phone all night.
Evelyn Carter.
Ryan looked at the woman standing beside Victor.
Then at Diane.
Then at me.
“That’s impossible.””
Evelyn's expression changed.
She slowly lowered the folder.
Diane smiled through her tears.
“You finally understand.””
I looked at Evelyn.
“Who are you?””
The woman outside said nothing.
Then she reached up.
And slowly removed the small prosthetic piece covering the scar along her jaw.
My mother gasped.
Ryan stumbled backward.
Because underneath the disguise was the face from my father's old photographs.
The face of the person I had been told was dead.
My uncle.
James Carter.
May you like
And he looked directly at me.
“Hello, Sarah.””
