Chapter 7: The Letter My Father Left Behind
The knocking stopped.
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
The entire house felt frozen.
Ethan stood in the middle of the living room, staring at the front door like he was looking at a ghost.
“Claire?”” I whispered.
He nodded.
My hand tightened around my father’s letter.
“What does she know?””
Ethan didn’t answer.
That was becoming his favorite response.
Silence.
Avoidance.
Waiting until the truth became impossible to hide.
I walked toward the door.
“Emma, wait.””
I stopped.
Not because he told me to.
Because I wanted to know why he was afraid.
“Why are you scared of her coming here?””
His face was pale.
“Because she knows everything.””
The door knocked again.
This time louder.
I looked through the window.
Claire stood outside holding a folder against her chest.
She looked nervous.
Almost afraid.
I opened the door.
“Come in.””
Claire looked at Ethan first.
Then at me.
“I didn’t know if I should come.””
“You came anyway.””
She nodded.
“Because you deserve the truth.””
Ethan stepped forward.
“Claire, don’t do this.””
Her eyes hardened.
“Do what?””
“Destroy everything.””
A bitter smile crossed her face.
“No, Ethan.””
She held up the folder.
“I’m finally stopping you from destroying everything.””
The words hit him hard.
I stepped aside.
“Sit down.””
Nobody argued.
Claire placed the folder on the table.
“I should have told you months ago.””
“Why didn’t you?””
She looked at Ethan.
“Because he asked me not to.””
I laughed quietly.
“Of course he did.””
Claire looked ashamed.
“He told me you were fragile after the baby was born.””
I looked at Ethan.
“Fragile?””
He opened his mouth.
I raised my hand.
“No.””
I turned back to Claire.
“What else did he tell you?””
“That you couldn’t handle another problem.””
My expression changed.
Because that was the excuse everyone used.
Protecting me.
Protecting me from the truth.
When really, they were protecting themselves from my reaction.
Claire opened the folder.
Inside were documents.
Bank statements.
Emails.
Contracts.
And one photograph.
She pushed it toward me.
I picked it up.
It was my father.
Standing with Ethan.
Years ago.
Before we got married.
“When was this taken?”” I asked.
“Three months before your wedding.””
I looked at Ethan.
“You met with my father?””
He nodded.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
He looked down.
“Because he found out about my debt.””
Claire continued.
“But that’s not the worst part.””
I looked at her.
“What is?””
She took a deep breath.
“Your father didn’t just help Ethan financially.””
My fingers went cold.
“What did he do?””
“He made Ethan sign an agreement.””
I looked at the papers.
There was Ethan’s signature.
“What agreement?””
Claire pointed.
“Your father gave Ethan the money with one condition.””
I read the page.
My eyes moved across the words.
And then I saw it.
A clause.
A condition.
Something that made my stomach twist.
*If Ethan Carter ever causes financial or emotional harm to Emma Carter through dishonesty, all remaining assets connected to the agreement will transfer into Emma Carter’s name.*
I stared.
“What is this?””
Ethan looked miserable.
“Your father wanted to protect you.””
“From you?””
He didn’t answer.
That hurt more than if he had.
Claire leaned forward.
“He knew Ethan loved you.””
I looked at her.
“But?””
She swallowed.
“But he also knew Ethan had a weakness.””
“What weakness?””
Claire glanced at Ethan.
“Pride.””
The word landed perfectly.
Because it was true.
Ethan could accept losing money.
He could accept losing business.
But he could never accept admitting he was wrong.
My father had seen it.
Before I did.
“What does this have to do with Lily’s birth?”” I asked.
Ethan looked away.
Claire’s expression changed.
“That’s the part he never wanted you to know.””
I felt my chest tighten.
“Tell me.””
Ethan stood suddenly.
“Emma, please.””
I turned to him.
“No.””
My voice was calm.
Almost frighteningly calm.
“I spent six months wondering why my husband left me alone during the most important moment of my life.””
I stepped closer.
“I deserve every answer.””
He sat back down.
Claire spoke.
“When Ethan received the call that night, it wasn’t only about the business.””
“What else?””
“He found out someone had reported the company.””
I frowned.
“Who?””
Claire looked at Ethan.
“His brother.””
I froze.
“What?””
Ethan covered his face.
“My brother thought he was protecting himself.””
“By destroying you?””
“He was angry.””
I stared.
“And you left me because of him?””
“No.””
Ethan looked at me.
“I left because I thought if the company collapsed, I would lose everything.””
I shook my head.
“You already had.””
He looked confused.
“What?””
“You lost me that night.””
The room went silent.
Claire looked down.
Because even she knew that was true.
Then she pulled out another document.
“There’s one more thing.””
I took it.
It was a hospital record.
My eyes moved over the page.
Then stopped.
The date.
The time.
Something was wrong.
I looked up.
“This isn’t possible.””
Ethan looked terrified.
“Emma…”
I stared at the document.
“The hospital recorded you arriving before Lily was born.””
“Yes.””
“But you told me you came three hours after.””
His face fell.
Because I finally saw it.
The missing piece.
The lie.
“Where were you?””
He whispered:
“I was at the hospital.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“I was there.””
I stared at him.
“Then why did I think I was alone?””
Tears filled his eyes.
“Because I was there…”
He looked down.
“But I didn’t come inside.””
My hands shook.
“Why?””
He whispered:
“Because I heard something.””
“What?””
His voice broke.
“Your doctor told the nurse there was a complication.””
I felt dizzy.
“And?””
He looked at me.
“And I ran.””
The room became silent.
“You ran?””
“I panicked.””
I couldn’t believe it.
“You left because you were scared?””
He nodded.
“I thought something was going to happen to you.””
I stared at him.
“So you abandoned me because you were afraid of losing me?””
His tears fell.
“Yes.””
The answer was horrible.
Because it was almost human.
Almost understandable.
But it didn’t erase what happened.
I looked down at the letter.
At my father’s words.
At the truth finally appearing piece by piece.
Then Claire spoke softly.
“Emma.””
I looked up.
“There’s still one thing Ethan doesn’t know.””
Ethan frowned.
“What?””
Claire’s face turned serious.
“The person who reported the company didn’t act alone.””
She opened another file.
“The investigation started because someone gave them information.””
I looked at the paper.
A name was written there.
And I recognized it immediately.
May you like
Because it was someone who had been standing beside me pretending to care.
My blood ran cold.
