Chapter 7: The Daughter They Underestimated
The email contained one sentence.
“Aaliyah has been lying to you for years.””
I felt the air leave my lungs.
“What?””
My father kept reading.
I watched his eyes move across the screen.
Then his expression hardened.
“What does it say?”” I asked.
He looked at me.
“Aaliyah…”
“Read it.””
He hesitated.
Then he did.
The email claimed I had manipulated my father.
That I had intentionally turned him against Mia.
That I had always been jealous.
That I had destroyed the relationship between him and Lauren.
I stared at the screen.
I almost couldn’t believe it.
Not because it was hurtful.
Because it was ridiculous.
“I never said those things.””
My father immediately nodded.
“I know.””
But there was something else.
Something beneath his anger.
A question.
“What?”” I asked.
He looked away.
“There’s one thing I don’t understand.””
“What?””
“The email says Mia has proof.””
My stomach tightened.
“What proof?””
Nobody answered.
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I looked at the screen.
A message.
“You want the truth? Meet me alone.””
I showed my father.
His face changed.
“No.””
“I need to know what she has.””
“No, Aaliyah.””
“Dad.””
He shook his head.
“You don’t go anywhere alone.””
But I knew something.
Mia wanted me scared.
She wanted me confused.
And for the first time, I wanted answers more than I wanted peace.
An hour later, I sat across from Mia at a small coffee shop.
My father was parked outside.
Close enough.
But far enough that Mia thought she had control.
She arrived ten minutes late.
Of course she did.
She sat down and smiled.
“Wow.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“You actually came.””
“You asked to meet.””
She stirred her drink.
“I wanted to see if you were still pretending to be innocent.””
I stared.
“Why did you destroy my dress?””
She rolled her eyes.
“We’re still talking about that?””
“Yes.””
“Because you always get attention.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“Dad always looks at you like you’re perfect.””
I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
“Mia, you realize I spent months working for that dress, right?””
She looked away.
“You don’t understand.””
“No. I don’t.””
She leaned closer.
“Do you know why Dad married my mom?””
I said nothing.
“Because she was there when he was broken.””
“That doesn’t justify anything.””
“You’re wrong.””
Her voice became sharper.
“She gave him a family.””
I laughed quietly.
“A family that treated me like an outsider.””
Her face tightened.
“You think you’re better than me.””
“No.””
I looked directly at her.
“I think I deserved better than this.””
For a moment, she had nothing to say.
Then she reached into her bag.
And placed a small flash drive on the table.
“What is that?””
“Proof.””
“Of what?””
“That your perfect father isn’t who you think he is.””
I stared at the drive.
“What does that mean?””
She smiled.
“Watch it.””
I didn’t touch it.
“Why give this to me?””
“Because when everything falls apart, I want you to know I tried to warn you.””
I stood.
“You’re lying.””
She laughed.
“Maybe.””
Then she whispered:
“But maybe I’m not.””
When I got back to the car, my father saw the flash drive.
“What is it?””
“Mia says it’s proof.””
“Proof of what?””
I looked at the small piece of plastic in my hand.
“I don’t know.””
That night, we watched it.
The video was old.
Very old.
The quality was terrible.
But the voices were clear.
A younger Lauren appeared on screen.
And standing beside her was someone I recognized.
Someone who made my father go completely silent.
Because the person beside Lauren was the last person we expected.
May you like
And then Lauren said:
“Once David signs the papers, Aaliyah will never know what really happened.””
