Chapter 6: The Sister
The phone kept ringing.
Marcus Bell.
Marcus Bell.
Marcus Bell.
Nobody moved.
I stared at the screen while the sound crawled through the bedroom like an alarm.
Victoria whispered, “Don't answer.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because he knows everything.””
“That sounds like a reason to answer.””
“Daniel, please.””
I pressed the green button.
“Hello?””
For three seconds, there was nothing.
Then a calm male voice said, “Daniel Davis?””
“Yes.””
“My name is Marcus Bell.””
“I know.””
“I assume you've opened the letter.””
My eyes went to the pages scattered across the bed.
“How do you know?””
“I know Victoria.””
My wife closed her eyes.
I tightened my grip on the phone.
“What do you want?””
“I want you to stop reading the documents in that bedroom.””
“Too late.””
A soft exhale.
“Then you have already seen the name.””
“My sister.””
Silence.
I looked at Victoria.
Marcus said, “Your father called her Evelyn.””
Victoria's face drained of color.
“Who is Evelyn?”” I asked.
“You should ask your father’s attorney.””
“My father is dead.””
“Exactly.””
The line went dead.
I stared at the phone.
Kendra whispered, “Dad?””
I turned to Mercer.
“Who is Evelyn?””
Mercer didn't answer immediately.
He looked at Victoria.
“You knew,” he said.
Victoria shook her head.
“I knew there was another child.””
“You told me there wasn't.””
“I didn't know her name.””
Mercer pulled his phone from his pocket.
“I need to make a call.””
He stepped into the hallway.
I looked down at the old letter again.
The sentence still sat there.
She is your sister.
Zoria was staring at me.
“Dad, what does that mean?””
“I don't know yet.””
Victoria stood.
“We need to leave.””
I almost laughed.
“Leave?””
“This family is falling apart.””
“You did that.””
“I was trying to prevent it.””
“You lied to me for years.””
“I was scared.””
“You stole from Zoria.””
“I know.””
“You lied to Kendra.””
“I know.””
“You forged my signature.””
Victoria covered her face.
“I know.””
“And now I find out my father had another child you knew about?””
She lowered her hands.
“I didn't know until years after we married.””
“Then tell me when.””
She hesitated.
“Eight years ago.””
My stomach tightened.
“Eight years ago?””
“Yes.””
“And you never told me.””
“You were still grieving your father.””
“That was eight years ago.””
“You had just started your business. We had mortgage problems. Kendra was struggling. Everything was unstable.””
“So you decided to keep a secret about my own family.””
“I thought it would pass.””
“Did it?””
She looked at the letter.
“No.””
Mercer returned.
“There is someone on the way.””
“Who?””
“My father's former estate attorney.””
I froze.
“Arthur Wells?””
Mercer nodded.
“Who called him?””
“I did.””
Victoria's eyes widened.
“You had no right.””
Mercer looked at her.
“Actually, Mrs. Davis, I have every right to contact the attorney named in the estate documents you submitted to the university.””
Kendra folded her arms.
“Mom, stop pretending everyone else is the problem.””
Victoria looked at her.
Kendra's face was wet with tears, but her voice was steady now.
“You made me think I wasn't good enough.””
Victoria looked away.
“You made Zoria think she had lost her future.””
Zoria whispered, “I believed you.””
“I know.””
“And you let me cry in my room for three months.””
Victoria began sobbing.
“I know.””
Zoria shook her head.
“You don't get to say that anymore.””
Outside, a car door slammed.
Mercer glanced toward the window.
Then someone knocked downstairs.
Three slow knocks.
Victoria went rigid.
I walked out of the bedroom.
The front door opened before I reached it.
An elderly man stepped inside carrying a leather briefcase.
His white hair was neatly combed.
His shoulders were straight.
He looked directly at me.
“Daniel?””
“Yes.””
“My name is Arthur Wells.””
He glanced at the family gathered behind me.
Then at Victoria.
His expression hardened.
“You should have told him.””
Victoria whispered, “Arthur…”
He ignored her.
He looked at me.
“Your father left very specific instructions.””
“What instructions?””
Arthur set the briefcase on the table.
“About the woman named Evelyn.””
My heart pounded.
“Who is she?””
Arthur opened the case.
“There are some things I can tell you.””
He removed a sealed envelope.
“And some things I was legally forbidden to reveal until tonight.””
“Why tonight?””
Arthur looked at Zoria.
Then Kendra.
Then Victoria.
“Because the trust has reached its final trigger.””
I frowned.
“What trigger?””
He handed me the envelope.
“The graduation of your eldest child.””
Zoria stared at him.
Arthur nodded.
“The trust was designed to reveal itself when you could no longer claim ignorance.””
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
My father stood beside a young woman.
A woman with dark hair and the same gray-green eyes I had.
Under the photograph was a name.
Evelyn Grace Carter.
And beneath it, handwritten by my father:
Daniel, forgive me for making you wait.
My hands began shaking.
Arthur spoke quietly.
“Evelyn was born six months before you.””
I stared at the photograph.
“My sister is older than me.””
“Yes.””
“Where is she?””
Arthur's expression changed.
“She has been living under another name.””
Victoria whispered, “No.””
Arthur looked at her.
“Yes.””
I turned toward my wife.
“What does she have to do with you?””
Victoria said nothing.
Arthur answered for her.
“Everything.””
He opened another file.
“Mrs. Davis met Evelyn eight years ago.””
I looked at Victoria.
She was crying silently.
Arthur continued.
“And that is when she learned the truth about your father's estate.””
My stomach dropped.
“What truth?””
Arthur removed a final document.
“The person named in your father's letter was never supposed to receive the trust.””
May you like
He turned the paper toward me.
“She was supposed to inherit everything.””