Chapter 2: What Lily Knew
I didn’t sleep that night.
I sat on my bedroom floor with Lily’s black box in front of me for almost three hours.
I was terrified of opening it.
Not because I didn’t want the truth.
Because I did.
Because I knew once I looked inside, there would be no going back to the life I had before.
The life where Lily’s death was a tragedy.
Not a crime.
At 2:17 in the morning, I finally lifted the lid.
Inside were three things.
A flash drive.
A photograph.
And a notebook.
The photograph was the first thing I grabbed.
My fingers shook as I turned it over.
It was taken outside a hotel.
Jason was standing near the entrance.
And beside him was Rachel.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
The date was printed in the corner.
Six months earlier.
Three months before Lily died.
I stared at it until my eyes burned.
My sister wasn’t suspicious because of a feeling.
She had proof.
I opened the notebook.
The first page had only one sentence.
I need someone to know I tried.
The pages after that were filled with Lily’s handwriting.
Dates.
Times.
Details.
Jason coming home late.
Jason deleting messages.
Rachel appearing at places she shouldn’t have known about.
Then I reached a page written only days before Lily died.
I found the money transfer.
I found the messages.
I found out why Jason needed me gone.
My hands froze.
Why Jason needed me gone?
I read the sentence again.
Then again.
The next line was missing.
The page had been ripped out.
Someone had removed it.
I grabbed my phone and called Daniel.
He answered immediately.
“You opened the box.””
It wasn’t a question.
“How did you know?””
“Because Lily told me you would.””
My heart sank.
“Daniel, what happened to my sister?””
Silence.
Then:
“I think Lily knew she was in danger.””
The words felt impossible.
“No.””
“I’m sorry.””
“No,” I repeated.
Because saying it made it real.
Daniel continued.
“Your sister contacted me two weeks before the accident.””
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?””
“Because she asked me not to.””
I stood up.
“She was my sister.””
“I know.””
“Then why?””
“Because she was afraid Jason would know.””
The room became silent.
I looked toward the window.
Outside, the street was empty.
Dark.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
“What did she tell you?””
Daniel exhaled.
“She told me Jason had become a different person.””
I remembered.
The little things.
Things I ignored.
The way Jason interrupted Lily.
The way he answered questions for her.
The way he always seemed annoyed when she wanted to visit our parents.
Daniel said, “She believed he was trying to control every part of her life.””
“And Rachel?””
“She was part of it.””
My stomach turned.
“What does that mean?””
Before Daniel could answer, I heard something.
A sound outside.
A car door.
I froze.
“Daniel.””
“What?””
“I think someone is outside.””
I walked slowly toward the window.
A black SUV was parked across the street.
The headlights were off.
My heart started pounding.
“Emily,” Daniel said urgently, “listen to me. Do not open the door.””
The car engine started.
Then the SUV drove away.
I stood there shaking.
“Daniel…”
“Yes?””
“I think it was him.””
A long silence followed.
Then Daniel said:
“Emily, there’s something else Lily left you.””
“What?””
“A recording.””
I looked back at the flash drive.
“The drive?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because Lily wanted you to hear it when you were ready.””
I stared at the small piece of plastic sitting on my table.
Ready.
I wasn’t ready.
But Lily had never been ready either.
She had done it alone.
So I plugged the flash drive into my laptop.
A single file appeared.
LILY_FINAL_MESSAGE.
My hand hovered over it.
Then I clicked.
For several seconds, there was only static.
Then I heard her voice.
My sister.
Alive.
“Emily?””
I covered my mouth.
A sob escaped before I could stop it.
“Emily, if you’re hearing this, something happened.””
Her voice cracked.
“She knows I’m recording this. I don’t have much time.””
She.
Not he.
She.
I leaned closer.
“Jason isn’t the only person you need to be careful of.””
My blood ran cold.
“Rachel Morgan is not who she says she is.””
A pause.
Then Lily whispered:
May you like
“Because Rachel isn’t Jason’s secret.””
The recording ended.
