Chapter 3: The Secret My Father Left Behind
I replayed the recording three times.
The first time, I thought I had misunderstood.
The second time, I hoped I had misunderstood.
The third time, I knew I hadn’t.
“Once Daniel signs those papers, everything will belong to us.””
The man’s voice was calm.
Confident.
Like he already knew he had won.
I sat on the kitchen floor with the little black device in my hands while Lily sat beside me, hugging her knees to her chest.
Neither of us touched the food on the table.
The chicken had gone cold.
The noodles had turned into a sticky mess.
But the meal wasn’t the thing I couldn’t forget.
It was the voice.
The voice of someone who was talking about my dad like he was a person standing in their way.
“Ethan,” Lily whispered.
I looked at her.
“What?””
“Who is Daniel?””
I blinked.
“What?””
She pointed at the device.
“The man said Daniel.””
I swallowed.
“Daddy’s name is Daniel.””
Her eyes widened.
“So he was talking about Daddy?””
I nodded slowly.
The realization landed harder when I heard her say it.
Someone had been making plans about my dad.
Plans he didn’t know about.
Plans important enough that he had left a secret device with me.
I looked toward the front door.
Amanda had been gone for almost twenty minutes.
Every second she was away made me more nervous.
“What if she comes back?”” Lily asked.
I didn’t answer.
Because I didn’t know.
I had spent months learning how to survive Amanda’s moods.
When she was angry, I stayed quiet.
When she blamed me, I apologized.
When she ignored me, I disappeared into my room.
But this was different.
This wasn’t about dinner.
This wasn’t about chores.
This was something my dad had been worried about.
Something that involved papers.
And someone named Daniel.
My dad always said adults had complicated problems.
But he also said children should feel safe.
I didn’t feel safe anymore.
Lily suddenly reached for my hand.
“Don’t worry.””
I looked at her.
“You’re six.””
She frowned.
“So?””
“So you’re not supposed to tell me not to worry.””
She crossed her arms.
“I can still do it.””
Despite everything, I almost smiled.
That was Lily.
She was small.
But she had the courage of someone much bigger.
Then the device buzzed.
Both of us jumped.
A new notification appeared.
Another recording.
This one had no name.
Just a number.
File 08.
I stared at it.
“Should we listen?””
Lily looked nervous.
“Maybe.””
“Daddy told me not to show anyone.””
She tilted her head.
“But I’m not anyone.””
I looked at her.
She was right.
She was my sister.
Even if Amanda said otherwise.
I pressed play.
At first, there was only silence.
Then footsteps.
A door opening.
A woman’s voice.
Amanda.
My stomach tightened.
“I don’t know how long Daniel is going to keep asking questions.””
A man answered.
The same man from before.
“Then stop giving him reasons to ask.””
Amanda sighed.
“You don’t understand. He’s starting to notice things.””
The man laughed softly.
“Daniel has always been too trusting.””
I felt my fingers tighten around the device.
They were talking about my dad.
Like they knew him.
Like they had been watching him.
Amanda lowered her voice.
“What if he finds out?””
“He won’t.””
“And if he does?””
A pause.
Then the man said something that made my entire body freeze.
“Then we make sure he can’t do anything about it.””
Lily gasped.
I quickly stopped the recording.
The silence afterward felt louder than anything.
“What does that mean?”” she whispered.
I didn’t know.
I wanted to say it meant nothing.
I wanted to tell her everything was okay.
But I couldn’t.
Because I remembered Dad’s face the night before he left.
Not angry.
Not scared.
Prepared.
Like he knew something was coming.
The front door suddenly opened.
I jumped.
Lily grabbed my arm.
Amanda walked inside.
But she wasn’t alone.
A man stood behind her.
He was tall.
Wearing a dark jacket.
He looked around the house like he owned it.
My heart started beating faster.
Because I recognized his voice.
Not from seeing him.
From hearing him.
The man from the recording.
Amanda closed the door.
“Ethan.””
Her voice was different.
Calmer.
Almost gentle.
That scared me more than yelling.
“This is Victor.””
The man smiled.
Not warmly.
Politely.
The kind of smile adults used when they wanted children to trust them.
“Hello, Ethan.””
I didn’t say anything.
Victor looked at the device in my hand.
Then he looked at Amanda.
And in that moment, I knew.
He knew.
Amanda had told him.
“You have something that belongs to your father,” Victor said.
I held it tighter.
“No.””
His smile faded slightly.
“Your father gave you something without explaining what it was.””
I stayed quiet.
Victor stepped closer.
“Ethan, adults sometimes make mistakes. Your father may have been confused.””
“He wasn’t.””
My answer came quickly.
Victor raised an eyebrow.
“You’re very sure.””
“Yes.””
He glanced at Amanda.
“Daniel trained him well.””
The way he said my dad’s name made me angry.
Not because he said it.
Because he said it like he was mocking him.
Lily stepped in front of me.
“You need to leave.””
Everyone looked at her.
Even Amanda.
“Lily.””
“No.””
Her voice shook.
But she continued.
“You’re being mean to Ethan.””
Victor smiled.
“Is that what he told you?””
“No.””
She pointed at the device.
“I heard it.””
Amanda’s face changed.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
Fear.
Victor saw it too.
He turned toward Amanda.
“She heard the recordings?””
Amanda looked away.
“I didn’t know she was listening.””
The room became cold.
Because those words confirmed everything.
The recordings were real.
Victor’s expression changed.
He was no longer pretending.
“Give me the device, Ethan.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
His jaw tightened.
“You don’t understand what you have.””
“My dad said to keep it.””
Victor stepped closer.
“And your father is not here.””
The words hit me.
Because they sounded exactly like Amanda’s.
Your father isn’t here.
I felt something inside me change.
For months, I had believed being seven meant I had no power.
I believed adults always won.
But Dad had left me something.
He had trusted me.
Maybe because he knew I would need it.
I looked at Victor.
“No.””
This time my voice didn’t shake.
Victor stopped.
Amanda stared at me.
Lily smiled slightly.
Then the device in my hand made a sound.
A new file appeared.
Victor looked down.
And his entire expression changed.
Because the screen showed a recording date.
The day before my father left.
And the title was:
*“If Anything Happens To Me.””*
Nobody spoke.
Not Amanda.
Not Victor.
Not even Lily.
I slowly pressed the button.
The recording began.
And my father’s voice filled the room.
“Ethan, if you’re hearing this, it means I was right to be worried.””
My knees almost gave out.
Because my dad wasn’t recording a message for later.
He was recording a warning.
A warning about what he thought might happen.
And then he said something that made Amanda cover her mouth.
“Do not trust Amanda.””
The room went completely silent.
But my father wasn’t finished.
“There is something you need to know about why I married her.””
Victor suddenly moved forward.
“Turn it off.””
For the first time, he sounded afraid.
Not angry.
Afraid.
May you like
I looked at him.
And pressed play.
