Chapter 4: The Truth My Father Hid
I didn't sleep that night.
The message stayed on my screen until the battery died.
I kept telling myself it was probably a mistake.
A cruel joke.
Anything except what my heart was already afraid of.
The next morning, I went downstairs holding my phone.
My father was sitting at the kitchen table.
He looked exhausted.
Older.
Like he had been awake all night too.
"Dad.""
He looked up.
Immediately, he knew something was wrong.
"What happened?""
I placed the phone in front of him.
The moment he saw the name, all color disappeared from his face.
"Where did you get this?""
"Someone sent it.""
His hands tightened.
"Who?""
I swallowed.
"Your old business partner. Mark.""
My father stood so quickly the chair moved backward.
"Delete it.""
I stared at him.
"What?""
"Delete the message.""
I had never heard him sound afraid before.
Not angry.
Not upset.
Afraid.
"Why?""
He looked away.
And that scared me more.
"Dad, what aren't you telling me?""
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he sat down.
"When your mother died, there were things I didn't tell you.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"What things?""
He rubbed his face.
"Things I thought would protect you.""
I laughed softly.
"Protect me?""
My voice broke.
"You protected me by letting me believe everything was normal?""
He looked hurt.
"I was trying.""
"Trying isn't the same as being honest.""
The silence between us was heavy.
Finally, he opened a drawer.
And pulled out an old envelope.
"I never wanted you to see this.""
Inside was a photograph.
My mother.
My father.
And another man standing beside them.
Mark.
I looked at my father.
"Who is he?""
"He was my closest friend.""
"Was?""
My father nodded.
"Until I found out he betrayed me.""
I looked at the photo again.
"What does this have to do with Mom?""
Before he answered, the front door opened.
Mia walked in.
She stopped when she saw the photograph.
Her face changed.
"You know?""
My father turned.
"What?""
Mia looked at me.
Then at him.
"You never told her?""
My heart started pounding.
"Told me what?""
Nobody answered.
Then Mia whispered:
"That Mom wasn't the only person who died that night.""
My father stood.
"Mia, stop.""
"No.""
She looked angry.
But also scared.
"She deserves to know.""
The room felt frozen.
I looked at my father.
"What happened?""
He closed his eyes.
And for the first time in my life, I saw him completely broken.
"Your mother found out Mark had been stealing from my company.""
I stared.
"What?""
"He threatened her.""
My hand covered my mouth.
"No.""
My father nodded slowly.
"She was going to tell me everything.""
The photograph trembled in my fingers.
"And then?""
His voice became barely audible.
"Then the accident happened.""
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Because suddenly, the past wasn't just the past anymore.
It was something that had been waiting.
A secret buried under years of silence.
My father looked at me.
"There's more.""
I stared at him.
"What more?""
He reached into the envelope and pulled out another piece of paper.
An old police report.
But before he handed it to me, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Again.
My father looked at the screen.
And his expression changed.
Because he recognized the number.
"Don't answer that.""
I froze.
"Why?""
He whispered:
"Because the person calling you is the reason your mother never got to tell me the truth.""
The phone kept ringing.
And then the screen displayed a name.
May you like
*Rachel.*
Which direction should the next chapters emphasize: *family betrayal or revenge against Mia*?
