Chapter 9: The Person Standing Closest To Me
The phone slipped slightly in my hand.
“Don’t trust the person standing closest to you.””
My father’s voice was barely audible.
But the warning was clear.
I looked around the room.
Everyone looked back at me.
Amanda stood near the stairs.
Sarah stood beside the table.
Lily was holding onto my arm.
The empty doorway behind us was open, letting cold air drift through the house.
Who was closest?
My eyes moved slowly.
Lily.
My little sister.
She was the closest person to me.
My heart dropped.
No.
Not Lily.
Never Lily.
Dad couldn’t mean her.
I looked at him.
“Dad… who?””
The phone crackled.
“I can’t say the name.””
“Why?””
“Because they’re listening.””
Sarah immediately looked toward the walls.
“The house may be bugged.””
Amanda’s face changed.
“What?””
Dad continued.
“Ethan, you need to get away from the house.””
I gripped the phone.
“Are you coming home?””
A long silence.
The kind that answered before words did.
“I’m trying.””
The tears in my eyes blurred everything.
“What happened?””
Another pause.
Then Dad said:
“I found out Emily’s death was connected to the same people who are after me now.””
I looked at the folder.
My mother.
Everything came back to her.
The secret.
The evidence.
The missing pieces.
“Dad, who did it?””
His breathing changed.
Like even saying the answer was dangerous.
“I don’t have enough proof yet.””
Sarah stepped closer.
“Daniel, it’s Sarah.””
A pause.
“Sarah?””
“Yes.””
His voice softened.
“Thank you for protecting him.””
My chest tightened.
Dad trusted her.
That mattered.
“Daniel,” Sarah said, “Victor knows about the final recording.””
The line went silent.
Then:
“Victor is there?””
“No. He left.””
My father’s breathing became faster.
“Where is Amanda?””
Everyone looked at her.
Amanda stepped forward.
“I’m here.””
Dad heard her.
The silence that followed felt like a storm.
“Amanda.””
She closed her eyes.
“Daniel.””
Nobody spoke.
Two people who had once loved each other.
Now standing on opposite sides of something terrible.
“I didn’t do what you think,” Amanda whispered.
Dad didn’t answer immediately.
Then he said:
“Tell Ethan the truth.””
Amanda looked at me.
Her face changed.
Fear.
Pain.
Something I couldn’t understand.
“I…”
She stopped.
Dad spoke again.
“Tell him.””
“What truth?””
I asked.
My voice cracked.
“What happened to Mom?””
Amanda looked down.
Sarah watched her carefully.
Finally, Amanda whispered:
“I wasn’t there when Emily died.””
The room became still.
“That’s not the truth,” I said.
Amanda looked at me.
“I know.””
She wiped her eyes.
“I know what everyone thinks.””
“What do you mean?””
She took a shaky breath.
“Your father believed I was involved.””
My heart pounded.
“Were you?””
“No.””
Her answer came quickly.
But for the first time, I didn’t know whether to believe her.
Amanda continued.
“I made mistakes.””
Sarah’s expression hardened.
“More than mistakes.””
Amanda looked at her.
“Yes.””
The admission surprised everyone.
“I made choices I regret.””
Dad’s voice came through the phone.
“Ethan, listen carefully.””
I pressed the phone to my ear.
“Amanda knows more than she has told you.””
Amanda closed her eyes.
“But she is not the only one.””
I looked toward the door.
Victor.
“He’s the one?””
Dad didn’t answer.
And that scared me.
“Dad?””
“Ethan…”
The phone crackled.
“I need you to understand something.””
“What?””
“People can do terrible things for different reasons.””
I looked at Amanda.
“She hurt me.””
“I know.””
“She said I wasn’t your real son.””
The room froze.
Amanda looked like someone had slapped her.
Dad’s voice became quiet.
“She said that?””
I nodded even though he couldn’t see.
“Yes.””
For several seconds, my father said nothing.
Then:
“I’m sorry.””
That apology hurt more than anger.
Because Dad sounded broken.
“I should have protected you better.””
I wiped my face.
“You tried.””
“No.””
His voice cracked.
“I should have done more.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Sarah interrupted.
“Daniel, where are you?””
“I can’t tell you.””
“Why?””
“Because if they find out—”
The call cut.
“Dad?””
Static.
“Dad!””
Nothing.
The line was dead.
I stood there holding the phone.
Waiting.
Hoping.
But he was gone again.
Sarah gently took the receiver from my hand.
“He’s alive.””
I looked at her.
“How do you know?””
“Because someone who was trying to disappear wouldn’t have called.””
Amanda sat down.
She looked exhausted.
Like years of pretending had finally become too heavy.
“Ethan.””
I looked at her.
“I need to tell you something.””
I almost walked away.
Almost.
But Lily held my hand.
I stayed.
Amanda took a deep breath.
“When Daniel met me, I already knew about Emily.””
The room changed.
Sarah’s eyes narrowed.
“What do you mean?””
Amanda looked down.
“I knew about the company.””
My stomach tightened.
“You knew about Dad’s company before you met him?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Amanda looked ashamed.
“Because I was looking for someone.””
“Who?””
She swallowed.
“Victor.””
Nobody moved.
“Victor and I knew each other before I met Daniel.””
Sarah stepped forward.
“And you didn’t tell him?””
Amanda shook her head.
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because I was afraid.””
I stared.
“Afraid of Victor?””
She nodded.
“He had something against me.””
“What?””
Amanda looked at me.
“The night Emily died…”
She stopped.
I felt my heart pounding.
“Tell me.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I saw Victor’s car.””
Silence.
“What?””
“The night of the accident. I was nearby.””
Sarah went completely still.
“You never told Daniel?””
Amanda shook her head.
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because Victor threatened me.””
Lily whispered:
“Mom…”
Amanda covered her face.
“He told me if I talked, he would destroy my life.””
I looked at the woman who had made me feel unwanted for so long.
I wanted to hate her.
But now there was something else.
Confusion.
Because the truth was becoming more complicated.
Amanda looked at me.
“I should have told your father.””
“Yes.””
My answer was immediate.
Her tears fell.
“I know.””
The phone suddenly rang again.
Everyone froze.
Sarah looked at the caller ID.
Her face changed.
“It’s the police.””
She answered.
“Hello?””
She listened.
Then stood completely still.
“What?””
Amanda looked worried.
“What happened?””
Sarah slowly lowered the phone.
“They found Victor.””
My heart stopped.
“Where?””
Sarah looked at me.
“At the airport.””
“Is he arrested?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Then what?””
Sarah’s voice became quieter.
“He wasn’t trying to leave.””
A chill moved through me.
“What was he doing?””
Sarah looked at the memory card still in my hand.
“He was trying to find someone.””
“Who?””
She stared at me.
“Your father.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Sarah added one more thing.
“The police found something else with him.””
“What?””
Sarah’s face went pale.
“A photo.””
She looked down.
“Of Ethan.””
My stomach dropped.
“A photo of me?””
Sarah nodded.
“And written on the back…”
She stopped.
“What?””
Her voice was barely a whisper.
“Tomorrow, Ethan Carter learns the truth.””
I stared at the message.
Because it wasn’t a threat.
It was a countdown.
And tomorrow was the day Dad had planned for us to discover everything.
The final truth.
The truth about my mother.
The truth about Amanda.
The truth about why my father disappeared.
But before we could leave, Sarah’s phone buzzed again.
She looked at the screen.
And this time, she didn’t speak.
She just handed it to me.
A new message.
From an unknown number.
May you like
Only five words.
*Your father never left you.*
