Chapter 9: The Truth That Was Buried With Her
For a moment, I thought I had misunderstood him.
Not because the words were unclear.
Because they were impossible.
*She was your mother.*
I stared at the phone.
The hospital hallway around me became distant.
The footsteps.
The voices.
The rolling carts.
Everything faded.
My mother.
A woman I had lost years ago.
A woman whose memory I had carefully protected.
A woman Marcus had never mentioned in any story.
“What did you say?”” I whispered.
Marcus’s voice came through the phone.
“Nia, you need to come home.””
“No.””
My voice shook.
“No, you don’t get to do that.””
“Do what?””
“Drop something like that and then tell me to come home.””
Silence.
I looked at Claire.
She was watching me.
Her expression had changed.
She knew something was happening.
“Tell me the truth.””
Marcus breathed heavily.
“I will.””
“You said that before.””
“I know.””
“Then start now.””
Another pause.
Finally, he spoke.
“The woman in the hospital records wasn’t your mother because she caused the accident.””
My heart tightened.
“Then why was she there?””
“Because she was involved.””
“Involved how?””
“Nia…”
“Tell me.””
His voice became quieter.
“She was the reason Sophie was driving that night.””
I felt a chill.
“What does my mother have to do with Sophie?””
Marcus didn’t answer immediately.
That scared me more than anything.
Because Marcus always answered quickly when he was lying.
When he was telling the truth, he searched for words.
“My father’s company had been hiding financial problems,” he said.
I listened.
“Sophie found out.””
“I know.””
“She wanted to expose it.””
“Yes.””
“She needed someone who could help her.””
I looked at Claire.
“And that was my mother?””
Marcus paused.
“Yes.””
I closed my eyes.
My entire life suddenly felt like a puzzle where someone had removed the pieces and replaced them with lies.
“My mother knew Sophie?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
“She was investigating the company.””
I frowned.
“My mother wasn’t an investigator.””
“No.””
“Then why?””
Marcus was quiet.
“She was trying to protect you.””
The words hit harder than I expected.
“Protect me from what?””
His answer came softly.
“From me.””
I ended the call.
I couldn’t listen anymore.
Not because I didn’t want answers.
Because I had too many.
Claire sat beside me.
“Nia…”
I looked at her.
“Did you know?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Are you sure?””
“Yes.””
She looked hurt.
“Sophie never told me about your mother.””
I stared at the hospital records.
“My whole life…”
My voice cracked.
“My whole life, I thought my mother died because of a random accident.””
Claire reached for my hand.
“But now you know it wasn’t random.””
I looked at her.
“No.””
I shook my head.
“Now I know Marcus knew something.””
And that was the part that hurt.
Not just the accident.
Not just the secrets.
The fact that Marcus had spent years looking at me every day while holding pieces of my own history.
Pieces I had the right to know.
When I returned home, Marcus was waiting.
He stood in the living room.
Alone.
Rachel and Lily had left.
Claire had stayed behind at the hospital.
I knew immediately why.
She wanted me to face this conversation without distractions.
I walked inside.
Marcus looked at my face.
He knew.
“You found the records.””
“Yes.””
He nodded.
“I’m sorry.””
I looked at him.
“Stop saying that.””
He stopped.
“Sorry is easy.””
His eyes lowered.
“Then what do you want me to say?””
“The truth.””
He nodded slowly.
“Okay.””
I put my bag down.
“Start with my mother.””
Marcus sat.
I remained standing.
“Your mother and Sophie met because of my father’s company.””
“How?””
“My father was moving money through different accounts.””
“And?””
“Sophie discovered it.””
“Why would my mother care?””
Marcus looked at me.
“Because your mother worked there.””
I froze.
“My mother worked for your father?””
“Yes.””
I never knew that.
My mother had always told me very little about her work.
She died when I was young.
Most of my memories were incomplete.
A perfume.
A song.
The sound of her laugh.
But never details.
“She was his assistant,” Marcus said.
I stared.
“She knew everything.””
“And she helped Sophie?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because she realized what my father was doing.””
“And what happened?””
Marcus looked at the floor.
“My father found out.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Did he hurt her?””
Marcus didn’t answer.
I stepped closer.
“Did he?””
“I don’t know.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You don’t know.””
“I was young.””
“You keep using that excuse.””
“I was.””
“And that makes it okay?””
“No.””
His voice cracked.
“It doesn’t.””
I looked away.
“Tell me about the accident.””
Marcus took a breath.
“The night before we met, Sophie was supposed to give your mother the documents.””
“What documents?””
“Proof.””
“Proof of what?””
“My father’s crimes.””
“And Sophie died before she could.””
“Yes.””
“And my mother?””
He closed his eyes.
“She survived.””
I froze.
“What?””
“She survived the crash.””
My heart stopped.
“My mother survived?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did I think she died?””
Marcus looked devastated.
“Because everyone was told she did.””
I stared.
“Everyone?””
“Yes.””
“Who told me?””
He hesitated.
I felt my stomach drop.
“Marcus.””
He whispered:
“I did.””
The room went silent.
I couldn’t hear anything.
“You…”
My voice disappeared.
“You told me my mother was dead?””
He nodded.
“Why?””
He looked broken.
“Because she asked me to.””
I stared.
“My mother asked you?””
“Yes.””
“That makes no sense.””
“She was afraid.””
“Of what?””
Marcus looked at me.
“Of your father.””
I frowned.
“My father?””
He nodded.
“Your biological father.””
The world stopped.
“What?””
Marcus looked away.
And that was when I understood.
There was another secret.
Another layer.
Another lie.
“No.””
“Nia…”
“No.””
I backed away.
“You don’t get to tell me I have a father I never knew about.””
He stood.
“I know how this sounds.””
“It sounds insane.””
“I know.””
“Who is he?””
Marcus didn’t answer.
That was enough.
“Who?””
His voice was barely a whisper.
“Daniel Hale.””
My blood ran cold.
The name meant nothing.
And somehow…
Everything.
“Hale?””
Marcus nodded.
“My father.””
I stared.
“You’re saying…”
I couldn’t finish.
Marcus did.
“Your mother was involved with my father before she met yours.””
I felt sick.
“No.””
“I’m sorry.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You’re telling me…”
I looked at him.
“That your father is my father?””
He nodded.
“Yes.””
The room felt like it was closing in.
Five years of marriage.
A husband.
A hidden family.
A dead woman.
A secret past.
And now this.
The man I married wasn’t just connected to my secrets.
He was connected to my blood.
I whispered:
“Then what am I to you?””
Marcus’s face crumbled.
“Nia…”
“What am I?””
He couldn’t answer.
Because there was no answer that could fix this.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message.
From the unknown number.
I opened it.
One final message.
*Now you know why Marcus chose you.*
My hands shook.
Another line appeared.
*But he still hasn’t told you what happened after the accident.*
I looked at Marcus.
He saw my face.
And immediately knew.
“What did they send?””
I turned the phone toward him.
His expression changed.
Because the message wasn’t finished.
A photo loaded.
A hospital room.
A woman lying in a bed.
A woman I recognized instantly.
Even though I hadn’t seen her in years.
My mother.
Alive.
And standing beside her bed…
Was Marcus.
Five years ago.
The night after the accident.
I looked up at him.
“You saw my mother.””
Marcus didn’t speak.
“You knew she was alive.””
His eyes filled with tears.
“Nia…”
I stepped back.
“You knew.””
May you like
And then he whispered the truth that destroyed the last piece of trust I had left.
“She made me promise never to tell you.””
