Chapter 4: The Man Who Was Never Gone
The video ended.
But Eric’s voice stayed in the room.
I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t speak.
For eight months, I had mourned a dead man.
I had cried beside his grave.
I had told Maya that sometimes people leave us before we’re ready.
But he hadn’t left.
He had hidden.
“Maya,” I whispered.
She looked at me.
“I’m sorry.””
Those two words broke me.
Not because she had lied.
Because she was apologizing for something that was never her responsibility.
I pulled her into my arms.
“You should have told me.””
“I tried.””
“Why didn’t you?””
“Because every time I looked at you, I remembered how much you loved him.””
I closed my eyes.
She was right.
I had spent months defending Eric.
Finding excuses.
Telling myself he was flawed but good.
Maybe because accepting the truth meant admitting I had trusted the wrong person.
Daniel sat across from us.
“I found Eric after the accident.””
I looked at him.
“You knew he was alive?””
“Yes.””
“And you said nothing?””
His face tightened.
“I tried.””
The anger returned.
“You tried?””
“Eric threatened my family.””
The room went quiet.
“He knew I had proof against him.””
“What proof?””
Daniel looked at the flash drive.
“The accident wasn’t an accident.””
I felt sick.
“What are you saying?””
Eric’s video had shown him confessing.
But why?
Daniel explained.
“Eric had been stealing money from clients for years. When he realized he was going to be exposed, he planned to disappear.””
“And the accident?””
“He staged it.””
Maya whispered:
“He wanted everyone to think he was dead.””
Daniel nodded.
“But someone else got hurt.””
I looked at him.
“Who?””
Daniel didn’t answer.
He didn’t have to.
I already knew.
The accident report.
The other vehicle.
The driver who survived but spent months in recovery.
I remembered the news.
A young woman.
A mother.
I felt nauseous.
“My God.””
Daniel looked down.
“Eric ruined a lot of lives.””
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone froze.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A voice spoke.
A voice I recognized immediately.
A voice I had buried.
“Renee.””
My knees almost gave out.
Eric.
Alive.
“Maya found the files, didn’t she?””
I couldn’t speak.
“How did you get this number?””
He laughed.
“You still don’t understand.””
My blood ran cold.
“What?””
“I never stopped watching you.””
The room went silent.
Daniel stood.
“Hang up.””
But Eric continued.
“Your daughter was always smarter than you gave her credit for.””
I gripped the phone.
“Where are you?””
A pause.
Then:
“Close.””
The call ended.
A minute later, Mrs. Patterson looked out the window.
Her face changed.
“Renee…”
I followed her gaze.
Across the street.
A car was parked under a tree.
The engine was running.
May you like
And someone was sitting inside.
Watching our house.
