Chapter 6: The Woman Behind the Mask
For a moment, nobody moved.
The photograph slipped slightly between my fingers.
I looked at Lorraine.
She looked back at me.
And for the first time since I met her, I saw something I had never seen before.
Not judgment.
Not disappointment.
Not that carefully controlled smile.
Fear.
Real fear.
"You wrote this.""
My voice sounded distant.
Lorraine's face remained still.
"Mara, you don't know what you're looking at.""
I held up the photograph.
"You wrote this.""
"No.""
The answer came too quickly.
Too smoothly.
I almost admired it.
Almost.
"Then why does Savannah recognize your handwriting?""
Lorraine looked at Savannah.
A warning passed between them.
I saw it.
A silent conversation.
One they had probably had many times before.
Savannah shook her head.
"Don't look at me like that anymore.""
Lorraine's eyes narrowed.
"You have no idea what you're doing.""
"I know exactly what I'm doing.""
Savannah stood.
"I'm finally telling her the truth.""
The tension in the room changed.
For years, these two women had been connected by something I didn't understand.
But now I saw it.
They weren't enemies.
Not completely.
They were survivors of the same person.
Lorraine.
I looked at Owen.
"Did you know?""
His face tightened.
"Know what?""
"That your mother wrote this.""
"No.""
The answer was immediate.
But unlike before, I believed him.
Because Owen looked genuinely shocked.
I turned back to Lorraine.
"Why would you send me this?""
She didn't answer.
That was becoming her favorite response.
Silence.
Control.
Make everyone else uncomfortable until they gave up.
But I was done giving up.
"Why?""
Her expression hardened.
"Because I wanted you to find the truth.""
I laughed.
"The truth?""
I waved the photograph.
"You forged my signature. You manipulated my marriage. You threatened Savannah's family.""
"I did what was necessary.""
The words came out calmly.
No hesitation.
No regret.
I stared at her.
"Necessary for what?""
She looked at Owen.
Then at me.
"For survival.""
I didn't understand.
Not yet.
But I would.
That night was the first time I realized something important about Lorraine Mercer.
She didn't think she was the villain.
Villains knew they were hurting people.
Lorraine thought she was saving something.
And that made her more dangerous.
"What happened to my father?"" I asked.
Her expression changed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
"You already know.""
"No.""
I stepped closer.
"I know what everyone has told me.""
My voice shook.
"I know he died. I know he left secrets. I know people are chasing something he hid.""
I held the photograph tighter.
"But nobody has told me what happened to him.""
Silence.
Then Lorraine said:
"Your father disappeared.""
The words landed harder than I expected.
I blinked.
"What?""
"Seven years ago, Thomas Bennett vanished.""
I looked at Owen.
"But we had a funeral.""
"Yes.""
"Then why?""
Lorraine looked away.
"Because sometimes a funeral is easier than admitting someone left.""
My heart sank.
My father didn't die.
He left.
Or someone made him leave.
Either possibility hurt.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?""
My voice cracked.
Nobody answered.
So I looked at Owen.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
He looked destroyed.
"Because I didn't know how.""
"Try.""
He swallowed.
"At first, I was supposed to get close to you because of your father.""
The words were exactly what I feared.
I stared at him.
He continued quickly.
"But then I actually knew you.""
I looked away.
"That's supposed to make it better?""
"No.""
His voice broke.
"No, it doesn't.""
For once, he wasn't defending himself.
He wasn't explaining.
He was admitting.
"I was wrong.""
The honesty hurt more than a lie.
"I should have told you before we got married.""
"Yes.""
"I should have told you before I told you I loved you.""
"Yes.""
"I should have walked away.""
I looked at him.
"But you didn't.""
"No.""
"Why?""
He looked at me.
And the answer was almost painful because it sounded real.
"Because somewhere between the plan and the lies, I fell in love with you.""
I wanted to hate him.
It would have been easier.
But the worst betrayals are the ones where the person still has pieces of truth.
Savannah reached into her bag.
"I need to show you something.""
She placed a small flash drive on the table.
I looked at it.
"What is that?""
"Something your father left.""
Owen frowned.
"You found it?""
"No.""
Savannah looked at me.
"He found me.""
My breathing stopped.
"What?""
"Thomas.""
Nobody spoke.
Then I whispered:
"My father contacted you?""
She nodded.
"Three months ago.""
Owen stood.
"What?""
Savannah looked at him.
"You didn't know?""
"No.""
She looked back at me.
"He was afraid Lorraine had already found the evidence.""
My eyes moved to Lorraine.
She didn't deny it.
"You talked to my father.""
It wasn't a question.
Lorraine looked tired.
For the first time, she looked old.
Older than she had ever looked.
"Yes.""
"When?""
"Recently.""
"Why?""
Her lips pressed together.
"Because he asked me to protect you.""
That shocked everyone.
Even Owen.
I laughed softly.
"This is unbelievable.""
I pointed around the room.
"My husband was sent to investigate my father. My mother-in-law was secretly communicating with him. My ex-husband's—"
I stopped.
I wasn't sure what Savannah was.
I wasn't sure what Owen was.
I wasn't sure what I was anymore.
"I don't even know what any of you are to me.""
Nobody answered.
Because nobody knew.
I picked up the flash drive.
"What is on this?""
Savannah looked nervous.
"Watch it.""
"Where?""
"Somewhere private.""
I looked at Owen.
The old instinct inside me wanted to trust him.
The woman I had been yesterday would have reached for his hand.
The woman I was tonight didn't know if she could.
"I'll watch it alone.""
Owen looked hurt.
But he nodded.
"I understand.""
That surprised me.
No argument.
No pressure.
Maybe guilt had finally made him honest.
I went back to the hotel room.
The same room where I had hidden under the bed.
The same room where I learned my marriage was a lie.
I plugged the flash drive into my laptop.
A single video file appeared.
No title.
No date.
Just one word.
*MARA.*
My hands shook as I clicked it.
The screen went black.
Then my father's face appeared.
Older.
Tired.
But alive.
I covered my mouth.
"Dad...""
He looked directly into the camera.
Like he knew exactly who would watch this.
"My sweet Mara.""
Tears filled my eyes.
I couldn't remember the last time I heard his voice.
"If you're seeing this, then something happened.""
He paused.
"I hoped you would never need to see this.""
I leaned closer.
My father looked afraid.
Not nervous.
Afraid.
"There are people who will tell you I betrayed them.""
A pause.
"Some will tell you I was a criminal.""
Another pause.
"Some will tell you I abandoned you.""
My throat tightened.
"But before you believe anyone...""
He looked directly into the camera.
"...you need to know the truth about your mother.""
I froze.
My mother?
My father continued.
"Your mother didn't die from an accident.""
The room went silent.
I stopped breathing.
My mother.
The woman I lost when I was twelve.
The woman everyone said died because of a drunk driver.
My father's voice became quieter.
"She was killed because she found out what Lorraine Mercer and Victor Hale were doing.""
The laptop screen blurred through my tears.
No.
No.
That wasn't possible.
My entire life had been built on things I believed.
And one by one...
They were collapsing.
Then my father said the sentence that made my blood run cold.
"Mara, the reason Owen was sent to you...""
I leaned closer.
"...was because Lorraine knew you were the only person who could lead her to the evidence.""
The video paused.
A loading symbol appeared.
Then the screen went black.
A notification appeared.
*FILE INTERRUPTED.*
My phone rang.
I looked down.
Unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
Almost.
Then a message appeared.
One sentence.
May you like
One warning.
*DON'T TRUST THE MAN YOU MARRIED. HE WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO LET YOU SEE THIS.*
