Chapter 7: The Phone Call That Should Never Have Happened
"Your mother's phone?""
I repeated the words because I couldn't believe what I had just heard.
My father stood beside the kitchen table, his face drained of color. Robert had stopped moving. Melissa, meanwhile, looked almost satisfied.
For the first time that night, she wasn't pretending to cry.
She was watching my father fall apart.
"Explain it," I demanded.
Daniel rubbed both hands over his face.
"Jaylen, there's something I haven't told you.""
"There's a lot you haven't told me.""
He flinched.
I held up my phone, showing him the message.
*Don't trust your father. He knows who was holding the phone when your mother died.*
"Who had Mom's phone?"" I asked.
Daniel looked toward Robert.
My uncle immediately shook his head.
"Don't look at me. I told you everything I knew.""
Melissa laughed.
"Did you? That's interesting.""
Robert turned toward her.
"Shut your mouth.""
She ignored him.
"Daniel, tell your son about the hospital.""
My father closed his eyes.
I stepped closer.
"What hospital?""
He pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Six years ago, after I left your mother's study, I received a call from her phone. It was almost midnight.""
"Who was speaking?""
"I couldn't recognize the voice. It was a woman. She told me your mother had collapsed and that I needed to return immediately.""
"Why didn't you call an ambulance?""
"I did. I called emergency services while driving home.""
"Then what happened?""
Daniel swallowed.
"When I arrived, the ambulance was already there. Your mother had been taken to the hospital.""
He paused.
"I followed them.""
I felt my throat tighten.
"Was she alive?""
He looked down.
"Yes. When they brought her in, she was still breathing.""
The kitchen seemed to shrink around me.
"Then why did you tell me she died in her sleep?""
My father's eyes filled with tears.
"Because I didn't know how to explain what happened afterward.""
Robert stepped forward.
"Daniel, tell him the rest.""
My father shook his head.
"Not like this.""
"There's no good way to tell him.""
Daniel finally looked at me.
"Your mother died at 12:26 a.m. The doctors said her condition had deteriorated rapidly.""
I gripped the back of the chair.
"Did she say anything?""
He nodded.
"She asked for you.""
My eyes burned.
"What did she say?""
"She wanted to know whether you were asleep. She asked me to tell you that she loved you.""
I looked away.
I could almost hear her voice.
The way she used to call me her little sunshine.
The way she kissed my forehead before bedtime.
"Was anyone else there?""
Daniel hesitated.
Then he looked at Melissa.
She smiled.
"Go ahead.""
My father lowered his voice.
"Melissa was at the hospital.""
I stared at her.
"You were there when Mom died?""
She tilted her head.
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"I was helping your father.""
"Helping him do what?""
She didn't answer.
Robert reached into his coat and removed another photograph.
It showed the hospital corridor.
A nurse was standing near a doorway.
Beside her was Melissa.
She was holding a clipboard.
The timestamp showed 12:11 a.m.
Fifteen minutes before my mother died.
I looked at my father.
"Why was she holding hospital paperwork?""
Daniel shook his head.
"I don't know.""
Melissa rolled her eyes.
"I was helping with the admission forms. Your father was devastated.""
Robert placed another photograph beside it.
This one showed Melissa entering a restricted medical records room.
My father picked it up.
"Where did you get these?""
"From the hospital's archived security footage.""
"How?""
"Someone who worked there contacted me.""
Melissa suddenly grabbed the photographs.
"These are meaningless!""
Robert pulled them away.
"Then explain why you entered the medical records room.""
"I was looking for Daniel!""
"At midnight?""
She glared at him.
"You have no idea what you're talking about.""
My father stood.
"Melissa, did you enter that room?""
She looked at him.
Then she said something I would never forget.
"Even if I did, what exactly do you expect me to say? That I was trying to save your wife?""
My father froze.
"Save her from what?""
Melissa's expression changed.
For a moment, I saw fear.
Then she quickly looked away.
Robert leaned forward.
"Who changed the medication record?""
Melissa said nothing.
My father turned toward her.
"What medication record?""
Robert opened the envelope and removed a printed medical document.
"Your wife's original medication history. There are discrepancies between the prescription she received and the one documented in the hospital file.""
Daniel stared at the page.
"What does that mean?""
"It means someone may have altered her treatment records.""
My knees felt weak.
"Are you saying someone hurt Mom?""
Robert looked at me.
"I'm saying we need the original records before we can know.""
Melissa suddenly laughed.
"You people are unbelievable. You're turning a medical tragedy into a conspiracy because you can't accept that she died.""
I stepped toward her.
"Then why are you so scared?""
Her eyes snapped toward me.
"Because you're all accusing me of something I didn't do!""
"Then prove it.""
She stared at me.
For several seconds, neither of us moved.
Then she reached into her handbag and pulled out a phone.
She tapped the screen.
"Fine. If you want the truth, let's hear it.""
She pressed play.
A familiar voice filled the kitchen.
My mother's voice.
"Daniel, please. You need to listen to me.""
My father went rigid.
The recording continued.
"Melissa is not who she says she is. She's been using Lily. She's been taking money. And if anything happens to me, you must—"
The recording stopped.
Melissa smiled.
"Interesting, isn't it?""
My father reached for the phone.
"Where did you get that?""
"From your wife's old files.""
"Give it to me.""
"No.""
Robert stepped forward.
"That's not the complete recording.""
Melissa's smile disappeared.
"What?""
Robert removed a second flash drive from his pocket.
"Your mother recorded several conversations. I recovered this one last week.""
He connected the drive to the laptop on the kitchen counter.
A file appeared.
The date was six years old.
Robert pressed play.
My mother's voice filled the room again.
"Melissa, I know about the transfers. I have the statements.""
A second voice answered.
Melissa.
"Then you should have kept your nose out of my business.""
My stomach tightened.
My mother continued.
"You're stealing money meant for children. Lily deserves better than this.""
Melissa laughed.
"Don't pretend you care about Lily more than I do.""
"I know what you've been doing.""
"Then what are you going to do? Call the police?""
"Yes.""
A chair scraped.
Then Melissa's voice became quiet.
"You're making a terrible mistake.""
My mother answered.
"Stay away from my son.""
The recording ended.
Nobody spoke.
My father stared at Melissa.
"That's your voice.""
She shook her head.
"It's edited.""
Robert opened another file.
"There's more.""
He pressed play.
This time, the recording contained a telephone conversation.
My mother's voice was frightened.
"Daniel, please come home. I found something in Melissa's account.""
My father's voice answered.
"Can this wait until tomorrow?""
"No. She's been using my name.""
"You're tired. We'll talk later.""
"Daniel, listen to me! She's using Jaylen's trust account!""
The recording stopped.
I turned toward my father.
"My trust account?""
He looked confused.
"What?""
"Mom said she was using my trust account.""
Daniel stared at the screen.
Robert leaned forward.
"Jaylen's mother established a trust for him before she died. It contained money from her family and an insurance settlement.""
My father looked at him.
"How much?""
"More than six hundred thousand dollars.""
I stared.
Six hundred thousand?
I didn't understand why my mother would leave that much money for me.
Robert continued.
"After her death, Daniel became the administrator. But someone made several withdrawals.""
My father shook his head.
"I never authorized those.""
Robert pointed toward the bank statements.
"Then someone used your credentials.""
Daniel looked at Melissa.
She slowly stepped backward.
"Don't look at me.""
My father took out his phone.
"Who has access to my financial accounts?""
Melissa's face tightened.
"Daniel, please don't do this.""
"Who?""
She looked at me.
Then at Robert.
And finally at my father.
"You're going to destroy everything over a dead woman's accusations?""
Daniel's voice became cold.
"No. I'm going to find out what happened to my son.""
He immediately called his bank.
While he spoke, Melissa quietly moved toward the staircase.
Robert noticed.
"Where are you going?""
She stopped.
"To get my things.""
"No, you're not.""
She turned toward Daniel.
"Are you seriously going to keep me prisoner?""
Daniel ended the call.
"Nobody is keeping you prisoner. But you're not taking anything from this house until we know what belongs to whom.""
Melissa laughed.
"You really think you can stop me?""
Then she reached into her handbag.
And pulled out a small photograph.
It showed my mother holding me in the hospital.
But someone had written something on the back.
Melissa held it toward my father.
"Do you want to know why your wife trusted me with her son?""
My father frowned.
"What?""
She turned the photograph around.
There was a handwritten sentence.
*If anything happens to me, Melissa knows the truth about Jaylen's birth.*
I felt the blood drain from my face.
My father grabbed the photograph.
"Where did you get this?""
Melissa smiled.
"Ask your brother.""
Robert looked down.
I turned toward him.
"Uncle Robert?""
He didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
"What truth about my birth?""
My uncle finally raised his eyes.
And his next words changed everything.
"Jaylen, your mother wasn't supposed to raise you alone.""
I frowned.
"What does that mean?""
Robert looked at my father.
Then back at me.
"It means Daniel wasn't the only person who knew your mother before you were born.""
My father gripped the photograph.
"Robert, don't.""
But my uncle continued.
"Your mother made a promise to someone. A promise involving you.""
I felt tears gather in my eyes.
"Who?""
Robert opened his mouth.
Before he could answer, Melissa's phone rang.
She checked the screen.
Then she smiled.
"Looks like the person you need to ask is already here.""
A car door slammed outside.
Someone knocked three times.
May you like
And from the other side of the front door, a man's voice called:
"Daniel? It's Marcus. We need to talk about Lily.""
