Chapter 5: The Call That Changed Everything
The phone kept ringing.
Rachel’s name glowed across the screen like a warning.
My father stared at it as if he was looking at something impossible.
I had never seen him hesitate before.
Not when he lost his job years ago.
Not when Mom died.
Not even when he found my graduation dress burning on the floor.
But now, standing in our kitchen with an old police report in his hand, he looked like a man trapped between two terrible choices.
"Answer it," I whispered.
My father looked at me.
"No.""
"Why?""
His jaw tightened.
"Because she knows exactly what she's doing.""
The phone stopped.
For three seconds, nobody moved.
Then it rang again.
This time, Mia looked at her mother’s name and frowned.
"Mom never calls twice unless something is wrong.""
My father slowly reached for the phone.
Before he could touch it, I grabbed it.
Everyone looked at me.
"I deserve to know.""
My father’s expression softened.
"You don't know what you're walking into.""
I looked at the screen.
"Neither did Mom.""
The room went silent.
Then I answered.
"Hello?""
For a moment, there was only breathing.
Then Rachel’s voice came through.
"Where is your father?""
I frowned.
"Why?""
"Put him on the phone.""
"No.""
A pause.
Then her voice changed.
Not the sweet voice she used around others.
Not the careful, gentle voice she used whenever she wanted to appear innocent.
This was different.
Cold.
"You don't understand what you're doing.""
My grip tightened around the phone.
"I think I understand more than you want me to.""
My father looked at me sharply.
Rachel was silent.
Then she said something that made my stomach drop.
"Your father has been lying to you for years.""
I looked at him.
He didn't deny it.
That scared me.
"What lie?""
Another pause.
"The night your mother died wasn't an accident.""
My breath caught.
The kitchen disappeared around me.
All I could hear was my heartbeat.
"What did you say?""
Rachel lowered her voice.
"Ask your father why he never told you what your mother was investigating.""
My father stepped closer.
"Hang up.""
But I couldn't.
Because deep down, I knew.
I knew there was something everyone had been protecting me from.
"Rachel," I said slowly, "what happened that night?""
Her voice became quieter.
"Your mother found proof that Mark was stealing from Daniel's company.""
"I know.""
There was silence.
"You know?""
I looked at my father.
"Yes.""
Rachel hesitated.
Then she whispered:
"Then ask him who was supposed to meet your mother that night.""
My father's face changed.
And that was enough.
I ended the call.
Nobody spoke.
Mia looked between us.
"What was that?""
My father sat down.
Slowly.
Like his legs couldn't hold him anymore.
"I didn't want you to know this way.""
I placed the phone on the table.
"Then tell me the right way.""
He looked at the police report.
"When your mother discovered what Mark was doing, she wanted to confront him.""
"And?""
"She called me first.""
My heart stopped.
"You talked to her?""
He nodded.
"She said she had proof.""
"What proof?""
"I don't know.""
I stared.
"You don't know?""
My father looked away.
"Because she never made it to our meeting.""
The room became painfully quiet.
"What happened?""
He swallowed.
"She crashed on the way there.""
I looked down.
"But you said it was an accident.""
"It was ruled an accident.""
"That's not what I asked.""
My father closed his eyes.
"No.""
That single word broke something inside me.
"You think someone caused it.""
He didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Mia suddenly spoke.
"What does Mom have to do with this?""
Everyone turned toward her.
She looked nervous.
My father studied her.
"Mia.""
"What?""
"How much did your mother tell you?""
Mia looked away.
"Nothing.""
The hesitation was obvious.
"Mia.""
She sighed.
"She said your family was complicated.""
"That's all?""
"Yes.""
But she couldn't look at him.
My father stood.
"Where is your phone?""
"What?""
"Your phone.""
"Why?""
"Because I want to see your messages with her.""
Mia immediately stepped back.
"No.""
The answer came too quickly.
My father noticed.
So did I.
"Mia.""
"You're treating me like a criminal.""
"No.""
He looked at her.
"I'm trying to understand why my wife knew more about my past than I did.""
Mia shook her head.
"You don't trust anyone.""
"Not anymore.""
The words hurt.
Because I knew he wasn't only talking about Rachel.
He was talking about all of us.
That afternoon, my father drove me to his office.
I hadn't been there in years.
The building was smaller than I remembered.
But the memories were huge.
My father unlocked a private storage room.
Inside were boxes.
Hundreds of files.
"What is this?""
"Everything I couldn't bring myself to destroy.""
He pulled out a folder.
On it was written:
*Daniel Parker vs. Mark Ellis*
I opened it.
Inside were documents.
Bank records.
Emails.
Photos.
Then I saw something that made my hands shake.
A printed email.
Sent from Mark.
To Rachel.
The date was two weeks before my mother's death.
I read the first line.
And my blood turned cold.
*"She knows too much. We need to handle this before Daniel finds out.""*
I looked at my father.
"Dad...""
He took the paper.
His face went pale.
Because underneath the message was something even worse.
A reply from Rachel.
May you like
Only three words.
*"I'll take care of it.""*
