Chapter 5: The Secret Behind the Bricks
The message changed everything.
My father spent the next morning trying to find out who sent it.
The number was blocked.
The police couldn't trace it immediately.
But the question remained.
Who really built the wall?
Because according to Vanessa, she had only "finished" the renovation.
She didn't build anything.
She claimed she found the hidden space and only locked me inside as a "misunderstanding.""
Nobody believed that.
But the message suggested something worse.
Someone else knew.
Someone else was involved.
Three days later, the police brought Vanessa in for questioning again.
My father asked if I wanted to come.
I said yes.
I needed answers.
Vanessa sat across from us.
For the first time, she wasn't wearing the perfect stepmother mask.
She looked tired.
Angry.
But still confident.
"You really think you won?"" she asked me.
My father immediately stood.
"Don't talk to her like that.""
Vanessa laughed.
"Daniel, you still don't understand.""
The officer leaned forward.
"Then explain.""
She smiled.
"You think I trapped Lily because I hated her.""
"Didn't you?"" I asked.
She looked at me.
"No.""
The room went quiet.
"Then why?""
Vanessa looked at my father.
"Because someone else wanted her gone.""
My father's expression changed.
"What are you talking about?""
Vanessa leaned back.
"You really never knew.""
The officer said:
"Who?""
She looked at him.
Then at my father.
And whispered:
"Your brother.""
My father froze.
"My brother is dead.""
Vanessa smiled slightly.
"Is he?""
The room went silent.
My father's face lost all color.
I had never heard him talk about his brother.
Not once.
The officer immediately began asking questions.
"Who is Daniel's brother?""
Vanessa ignored him.
She looked at me.
"Your father isn't the only person who lost something when your mother died.""
I felt a chill.
"What does that mean?""
She didn't answer.
Instead, she said:
"Ask your father why he never told you about the money.""
My father stood.
"Enough.""
But Vanessa continued.
"The house.""
"The inheritance.""
"The life insurance.""
Every word landed harder.
The officer looked at my father.
"Mr. Carter?""
My father looked away.
And that was the moment I knew.
There was another secret.
One my father had hidden.
When we got home, I asked him immediately.
"Who is your brother?""
He sat down.
For a long time, he said nothing.
Then:
"His name was Michael.""
"Why didn't I know?""
"Because after your mother died, he disappeared.""
"Why?""
My father looked toward the window.
"Because he blamed me.""
"For what?""
He swallowed.
"Your mother changed her will before she died.""
My heart stopped.
"What will?""
He looked at me.
"She left everything to you.""
The room went silent.
"Me?""
"Yes.""
"The house?""
"Yes.""
"The money?""
"Yes.""
I understood.
Vanessa wasn't just jealous.
She wanted control.
But then my father said something that made everything colder.
"Michael knew about the inheritance.""
I whispered:
"And Vanessa knew too.""
He nodded.
That night, I found another envelope inside the box from my mother's things.
It had my name on it.
Lily.
My hands shook as I opened it.
Inside was one sentence.
"If you are reading this, it means someone tried to take away your voice.""
I kept reading.
"Never trust anyone who tells you that you are the problem for surviving.""
I looked at my father.
Then back at the letter.
The final line made my blood run cold.
"Your uncle Michael helped build the wall.""
And underneath that sentence...
Was a date.
The same date my father left town for work.
The day Vanessa trapped me.
I dropped the letter.
Because suddenly I understood.
Vanessa wasn't alone.
May you like
And the person who helped her...
Had been inside my house the entire time.