Chapter 8: The Father Who Stayed Silent
I stared at Richard Prescott’s name until the ink seemed to blur.
Not Vivian.
Not Brooke.
Richard.
The man who had apologized.
The man who had admitted he failed.
The man who claimed he wanted the truth revealed.
The man who had just spent the last few days helping me uncover every lie.
And now his name was on a photograph accusing him of being part of it.
I read the sentence again.
*“You were never abandoned by Julian. You were separated from him.””*
Then the second line.
*“But Vivian wasn’t the only person who wanted you gone.””*
My hands felt numb.
Because the worst part wasn’t the accusation.
The worst part was that some part of me already knew it was possible.
Richard had been there.
At the dinner.
At the mansion.
During the years of silence.
He had known something was wrong.
And he had done nothing.
I placed the photograph on the table.
Julian was sitting across from me.
He had been helping Noah build a toy airplane when I received the envelope.
The moment he saw my face, he knew something was wrong.
“What happened?””
I handed him the picture.
He studied it.
Then his expression changed.
“Where did you get this?””
“It was delivered.””
He looked at the back.
His face became unreadable.
“My father’s name.””
I nodded.
“Explain.””
Julian didn’t answer immediately.
And that scared me more than anything.
“Julian.””
“I don’t know.””
I laughed quietly.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
His eyes lifted.
“I’m not lying.””
“I know.””
I sat down.
“But your family has spent four years making me believe things that weren’t true.””
He looked at the photograph again.
“Then we find out the truth.””
The way he said it was different.
Not a promise.
A decision.
We went to the Prescott mansion the next morning.
For the first time, I entered through the front doors without feeling like I needed permission.
That mattered.
Four years earlier, I had walked out carrying a suitcase and a broken heart.
Now I walked in carrying evidence.
Richard was in his office.
When he saw the photograph, all the color disappeared from his face.
“I wondered when this would surface.””
The words made Julian step forward.
“You knew about this?””
Richard closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
The silence afterward was brutal.
I looked at him.
“You knew?””
He nodded.
“About the photograph.””
“About what happened that night.””
Another pause.
“Yes.””
Julian’s voice became cold.
“Tell us everything.””
Richard sat down.
For once, he didn’t look like the powerful man whose company controlled thousands of lives.
He looked like someone finally facing consequences.
“After you left the mansion, Vivian called me.””
I crossed my arms.
“Why?””
“She was afraid.””
“Of what?””
“That Julian would choose you.””
The answer was immediate.
Richard continued.
“She knew if you two talked again, the entire plan would fail.””
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“What plan?””
Richard looked at his son.
“To separate you.””
The words hung there.
“I thought it was temporary,” Richard admitted.
I stared at him.
“Temporary?””
He looked ashamed.
“I believed you would both calm down.””
I almost laughed.
“You believed your wife’s manipulation would just disappear?””
“No.””
He looked at me.
“I was wrong.””
Julian walked closer.
“What did you do?””
Richard looked at the floor.
“That night, when Vivian stopped you from following Clara, I helped her.””
The room went silent.
Julian froze.
“What?””
Richard’s voice became quieter.
“I told you to give Clara space.””
“You told me she didn’t want to see me.””
“Yes.””
The pain on Julian’s face was immediate.
“You lied.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Richard looked at him.
“Because Vivian convinced me.””
Julian laughed bitterly.
“My entire family decided my life for me.””
Richard didn’t argue.
Because it was true.
I looked at Richard.
“You said you wanted to tell me the truth.””
“I do.””
“Then why now?””
His eyes moved toward the window.
“Because I saw what I had done.””
“When?””
“When I met your children.””
That answer surprised me.
Richard continued.
“I spent four years believing I was protecting my son.””
His voice broke.
“But when I saw those children, I realized I wasn’t protecting anyone.””
He looked at Julian.
“I helped steal his life.””
Julian looked away.
The room was full of things that should have been said years ago.
Apologies.
Confessions.
Regret.
But none of them could bring back time.
I picked up the photograph.
“Who sent this?””
Richard hesitated.
That hesitation was enough.
“You know.””
“Yes.””
“Who?””
He looked at Julian.
Then at me.
“Vivian.””
My eyebrows lifted.
“Why would she send evidence against herself?””
“Because she doesn’t believe it hurts her.””
Richard sighed.
“She thinks it proves she was right.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“Vivian believes she saved the Prescott family.””
“From what?””
Richard looked at the photograph.
“From you.””
The answer was cruel.
But not surprising.
I had heard it before.
A woman who wasn’t suitable.
A woman who couldn’t secure the future.
A woman who didn’t belong.
Except now I understood something.
Vivian’s problem was never my ability to have children.
It was that I could change the Prescott family.
And she was terrified of losing control.
That afternoon, Vivian appeared.
She walked into the office like she owned it.
Maybe she did.
Maybe she always had.
She looked at me.
Then at Julian.
Then at Richard.
“I assume you found the photograph.””
Julian stared at her.
“You sent it.””
“Yes.””
The honesty surprised everyone.
“Why?””
Vivian smiled slightly.
“Because you deserve the whole truth.””
I almost laughed.
“You?””
She ignored me.
“Richard wants you to believe he is innocent.””
Richard looked away.
“I never said that.””
Vivian smiled.
“Good.””
Then she looked at Julian.
“Because he isn’t.””
Julian’s expression hardened.
“What are you talking about?””
Vivian walked closer.
“Your father knew everything.””
Richard closed his eyes.
“Vivian.””
“No.””
She looked at Julian.
“He knew Clara was pregnant.””
The room froze.
Julian turned slowly.
“What?””
I looked at Richard.
His silence answered before his words did.
“Is that true?””
Richard didn’t respond.
Julian’s voice rose.
“Is that true?””
Finally, Richard whispered:
“Yes.””
My heart dropped.
“You knew?””
Richard looked at me.
“Yes.””
“How?””
“The letter.””
I stepped back.
“The letter?””
“The certified letter Clara sent.””
Julian went still.
“You received it?””
Richard nodded.
“I intercepted it.””
The words were devastating.
I stared at him.
“You intercepted the letter telling Julian about his children?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Richard looked broken.
“Because I was afraid.””
I shook my head.
“Everyone is always afraid.””
He looked at me.
“I thought if Julian knew, he would destroy himself trying to fix everything.””
“That was his choice.””
“I know.””
“No.””
My voice became sharper.
“You don’t get to decide someone’s life because you think you know better.””
Richard lowered his head.
“You’re right.””
Julian looked at his father.
“You kept my children from me.””
The pain in his voice was worse than anger.
“I was your son.””
“I know.””
“And you still chose her.””
Richard had no answer.
Because he had.
I left the mansion before sunset.
Not because I was done.
Because I needed air.
Because suddenly the truth was heavier than the lies.
Julian followed me outside.
“Clara.””
I stopped.
He stood several feet away.
Not touching.
Not pushing.
Respecting the distance.
“I know you hate them.””
I looked at him.
“I don’t hate them.””
“Then what?””
I looked back at the mansion.
“I’m tired.””
That was the truth.
“I’m tired of discovering new ways people hurt me.””
Julian nodded.
“I understand.””
“No, you don’t.””
He accepted that.
“I’m trying.””
The words were simple.
But for the first time, I believed him.
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
“What?””
I watched his face.
“What happened?””
He ended the call.
“Clara…”
“What?””
He looked terrified.
“It’s the hospital.””
My heart jumped.
“Who?””
Julian swallowed.
“My mother.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“What happened?””
He looked at the mansion.
“Vivian collapsed.””
I didn’t know why.
But before we left, I looked back at the Prescott house.
The place where everything started.
The place where lies had lived for years.
And I had a strange feeling.
Vivian Prescott wasn’t finished telling her story.
Because as we reached the hospital, a nurse handed Julian a sealed envelope.
“It was found in her personal belongings,” the nurse said.
Julian looked at it.
Then at me.
The handwriting on the front was familiar.
Vivian’s.
Inside was one sentence.
May you like
One sentence that made Julian’s face go completely pale.
*“If Clara ever learns the truth about the children, she must never know why I really separated you.””*
