Chapter 8: What My Father Left Behind
The storage unit smelled like dust and old memories.
My mother stood frozen beside me.
Neither of us moved.
The door was already open.
Someone had been inside.
Someone had searched through everything.
The boxes were scattered across the floor.
Old clothes.
Business files.
Photo albums.
Everything my father left behind had been turned upside down.
My mother covered her mouth.
“Oh my God.””
I stepped inside carefully.
“Don’t touch anything.””
She looked at me.
“Why?””
“Because whoever did this might have left something.””
She stared at me.
“When did you become so suspicious?””
I almost smiled.
“When everyone around me started lying.””
She looked hurt.
But she didn’t argue.
I moved deeper into the storage unit.
My father’s old workbench sat in the corner.
Covered in dust.
A small wooden box rested underneath.
I recognized it immediately.
My father made it himself.
When I was eight, he carved my initials into the side.
J.M.
I knelt down.
My fingers brushed the wood.
For a moment, I wasn’t twenty-four.
I was twelve again.
Standing beside his hospital bed.
Hearing him say:
“Take care of your mother, baby.””
The memory hurt.
Because I had spent years doing exactly that.
And nobody had taken care of me.
I opened the box.
Inside were photographs.
A watch.
A folded letter.
And a small key.
My mother gasped.
“That wasn’t there before.””
I looked at her.
“You’ve opened this?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
I picked up the letter.
The envelope had my name.
Not my mother’s.
Mine.
My hands shook as I opened it.
Jada,
If you are reading this, then I was right to be worried.
I stopped.
My mother watched me.
“Read it.””
I continued.
I don’t want you to hate anyone. I don’t want you to spend your life looking for someone to blame. But I need you to know the truth about what happened before I was gone.
My eyes burned.
My father knew.
He knew something was wrong.
I kept reading.
Curtis Walker has been moving money from the company without permission. I confronted him. He denied everything.
My breath caught.
I looked at my mother.
She was crying silently.
The letter continued.
Your mother believes people deserve second chances. That is one of the things I love about her. But kindness without caution can become dangerous.
I swallowed.
Then I reached the next paragraph.
If anything happens to me, do not trust any paperwork Curtis brings you. Verify everything yourself.
I lowered the letter.
“He knew.””
My mother nodded.
“He knew.””
The pain in her voice was unbearable.
I kept reading.
There is one person who can help you understand everything.
Her name is Renee.
I looked up.
“She knew.””
My mother whispered:
“She knew all along.””
A noise came from outside.
Both of us froze.
Footsteps.
Someone walking toward the storage unit.
My mother grabbed my arm.
“Jada.””
I turned off the flashlight.
We stood in silence.
The footsteps got closer.
A shadow moved across the doorway.
Then a voice.
“Looking for answers?””
Curtis.
My entire body went cold.
He stepped into the unit.
His expression was calm.
Almost disappointed.
“You shouldn’t have come here.””
I stepped forward.
“You broke in.””
He looked around.
“Did I?””
I held up the letter.
“You knew about this.””
His eyes moved to it.
For the first time, his confidence slipped.
Only slightly.
“You have no idea what you’re holding.””
“Then explain.””
He smiled.
“That’s the problem with you, Jada.””
“What?””
“You think the truth is simple.””
My mother stepped forward.
“You lied to me.””
Curtis looked at her.
“Monique—”
“No.””
Her voice was stronger than I expected.
“You told me Daniel owed you money.””
Curtis sighed.
“I was trying to help you.””
I laughed.
“Everybody loves that word.””
His eyes moved to me.
“You don’t understand.””
“No. I understand perfectly.””
I held up the letter.
“My father knew.””
Curtis’s jaw tightened.
For the first time, I saw something real.
Fear.
“You need to give me that.””
“No.””
He took one step forward.
My mother moved between us.
“Curtis.””
He stopped.
“Don’t.””
Something passed between them.
A history.
A secret.
Something I didn’t understand.
Curtis looked at my mother.
“You really want to do this?””
Her face changed.
“What does that mean?””
He smiled sadly.
“Ask your daughter what else Renee told her.””
I frowned.
“What?””
Curtis looked at me.
“Your father didn’t just leave money.””
The air disappeared from my lungs.
“What else?””
He backed toward the door.
Then said:
May you like
“He left a secret about you.””
And before I could ask what he meant, he walked away.