Chapter 8: The Secret My Mother Buried For Years
I stayed on the phone with Daniel Cross for almost twenty minutes.
Twenty minutes that felt like an entire lifetime.
Because every answer he gave created another question.
Every piece of information changed the way I saw my mother.
The woman who taught me how to ride a bike.
The woman who sat beside my hospital bed when I broke my arm as a child.
The woman I defended whenever anyone criticized her.
She was also the woman who had been quietly rewriting other people's lives.
And I had spent years calling it love.
"Connor?""
Daniel's voice pulled me back.
I was still standing in the nursery.
Amy was sitting across from me, watching my face.
"Are you still there?""
"Yes.""
I looked at my wife.
"Tell me everything.""
Daniel was quiet for a moment.
Then he said:
"I don't know where to start.""
"Start with my mother.""
A long pause.
Then:
"Teresa was different when she was younger.""
I almost smiled.
"That's what everyone says when someone does terrible things.""
Daniel sighed.
"I'm not trying to excuse her.""
"Then explain.""
He took a breath.
"When I met Amy's mother, Teresa was her closest friend.""
I froze.
"What?""
Amy looked at me.
She didn't know that.
Daniel continued.
"They grew up together. They worked together. They trusted each other.""
"Then what happened?""
"Jealousy.""
The word sounded too simple.
Too small.
For the damage it caused.
"Teresa wanted the life Amy's mother had.""
I frowned.
"What life?""
"Love. A family. Stability.""
I looked at Amy.
Daniel continued.
"When Amy's mother became pregnant, Teresa was around constantly.""
"Why?""
"Because she wanted to be.""
Something about that sentence bothered me.
"Daniel, what are you saying?""
"I am saying Teresa inserted herself into their lives.""
The room felt colder.
"After Amy was born, things changed.""
"How?""
"Teresa started telling people Amy's mother wasn't responsible enough.""
My stomach tightened.
The pattern was familiar.
The same way she talked about Amy.
The same way she convinced people someone else needed her.
"She made herself the hero.""
Daniel's voice became heavier.
"She convinced everyone she was the only person who could fix things.""
I looked at Amy.
My wife was listening now.
Her face was pale.
"Why didn't anyone stop her?""
"Because people believed her.""
That answer hurt.
Because it was exactly what happened to me.
My mother didn't control people by force.
She controlled them by making herself indispensable.
"What happened to Amy's mother?""
Daniel was silent.
Then:
"She died.""
Amy lowered her eyes.
I reached for her hand.
"After that, Teresa took over.""
Daniel continued.
"She became the person making decisions.""
"About Amy?""
"Yes.""
I felt anger rising.
"She wasn't even her daughter.""
"No.""
Daniel's voice softened.
"That's why it was so strange.""
"What do you mean?""
"Teresa acted like she was.""
I looked at Amy.
The sadness in her eyes told me she had felt that for years.
My phone buzzed.
A message.
From Caroline.
*"Do not confront Teresa alone. She knows how to manipulate conversations.""*
I ignored it.
Not because it wasn't good advice.
Because I needed to hear the truth directly.
I turned to Amy.
"Did you know any of this?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
Daniel heard.
"Is Amy there?""
"Yes.""
There was a pause.
Then Daniel said:
"Amy, I'm sorry.""
My wife's eyes filled with tears.
She put the phone on speaker.
For the first time, they spoke directly.
"Why did you leave?""
Amy's voice was barely audible.
Daniel took a deep breath.
"Because Teresa told me your mother didn't want me involved.""
Amy froze.
"What?""
"She told me your mother hated me. She said I would only make things worse.""
"She lied.""
"Yes.""
Silence.
"I was young," Daniel continued.
"I was stupid. I believed her.""
Amy looked away.
"She told me you were better without me.""
A tear rolled down Amy's cheek.
"And you believed that?""
"I regret it every day.""
The nursery became quiet.
Only Frederick's breathing could be heard.
Then Daniel said something that changed the entire story.
"Connor, there is something else you need to know.""
"What?""
"Teresa didn't just separate me from Amy.""
I waited.
"She tried to separate Amy from you.""
My heart stopped.
"What are you talking about?""
"Before you met Amy.""
I looked at my wife.
Daniel continued.
"Teresa knew about you.""
I frowned.
"How?""
"Because she followed Amy's life.""
That made no sense.
"Why?""
"Because she was afraid.""
"Afraid of what?""
Daniel answered:
"That Amy would find out the truth about her mother.""
The words hung there.
"The truth about her mother?""
I looked at Amy.
She looked confused.
"What truth?""
Daniel hesitated.
"I don't know everything.""
"Then what do you know?""
"I know Teresa kept a box of letters.""
My chest tightened.
"Letters?""
"From Amy's mother.""
"Where?""
"I don't know.""
I stood.
"Why does that matter?""
Daniel's voice lowered.
"Because one of those letters was supposed to explain why Teresa became involved in Amy's life.""
I looked at my wife.
"And?""
"And Teresa never wanted Amy to read it.""
A cold feeling moved through me.
My mother had hidden documents.
Forged signatures.
Manipulated money.
But now we were talking about something older.
Something personal.
Something that started before I existed in this story.
My phone rang.
This time, it wasn't unknown.
It was my mother.
I stared at the screen.
Teresa Bradley.
Amy looked at me.
"Don't answer.""
I hesitated.
Then I did.
"Hello.""
My mother's voice was calm.
Too calm.
"Connor.""
I said nothing.
"I know you're talking to Daniel.""
Of course she knew.
"How?""
She ignored the question.
"You need to stop.""
"Why?""
"Because he is manipulating you.""
I laughed quietly.
"That's exactly what you said about Amy.""
Silence.
A dangerous silence.
Then my mother said:
"I can prove everything.""
I looked at Amy.
"How?""
"Come home.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"Come home alone.""
"No.""
Her voice changed.
"Connor.""
A warning.
The same one she had used my entire life.
But it didn't work anymore.
"Tell me now.""
"No.""
"Why?""
"Because if Amy is there, she will never admit what happened.""
I closed my eyes.
Still trying to separate truth from manipulation.
"What happened?""
My mother whispered:
"The reason I never trusted Amy.""
I waited.
"She knows what happened to her mother.""
My grip tightened around the phone.
"What does that mean?""
"It means Amy has been lying to you since the day you met.""
I looked at my wife.
She looked hurt.
Not angry.
Hurt.
Because even after everything, my mother was still trying to make me doubt her.
Then my mother said the one thing I didn't expect.
"The letter from Amy's mother was never about me.""
A pause.
"It was about Amy.""
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
My mind was racing.
Because now there was a question I couldn't ignore.
Was my mother hiding the truth...
Or was she hiding something that would finally explain why she had spent years destroying everyone around her?
I looked at Amy.
"There's something we need to find.""
"What?""
"The letters.""
She went pale.
"Connor...""
"I need to know what your mother wrote.""
Amy nodded slowly.
Then she whispered:
"There is only one place Teresa would have hidden them.""
"Where?""
Amy looked toward the hallway.
Toward the room where my mother had stayed whenever she visited.
"The old bedroom.""
My heart sank.
Because that was the same room where I found the folder.
The same room where my mother kept her secrets.
And this time...
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I wasn't going there to discover what she planned.
I was going there to uncover what she had already done.
