Chapter 5: The Woman Who Wanted Everything
My father grabbed the document from my hands.
His face changed as he read.
“No.””
It was barely a whisper.
Vanessa moved toward him.
“Richard, let me explain.””
He looked up.
“Explain what?””
His voice was different.
I had never heard him sound like that before.
“You forged this?””
Vanessa’s mouth opened.
Then closed.
That was all the answer we needed.
Grandma took the document and examined it carefully.
“She transferred Sarah’s personal assets three months before her death.””
Dad looked at her.
“That’s impossible.””
Grandma shook her head.
“No. It’s illegal.””
The word hung in the air.
Vanessa immediately became defensive.
“I never stole anything.””
I almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because I couldn’t believe she still said things like that.
“You destroyed my mom’s things,” I said.
She looked at me.
“I was cleaning.””
“You threw away her albums.””
“I reorganized.””
“You took her jewelry.””
“I protected valuables.””
Every excuse sounded worse than the one before.
Dad stared at her.
“Where is the necklace?””
Vanessa looked away.
“What necklace?””
“The one my wife wore every Christmas.””
Her silence returned.
That silence was becoming a confession.
Dad’s face tightened.
“Vanessa.””
She crossed her arms.
“I don’t know.””
Grandma stepped forward.
“Yes, you do.””
Vanessa looked at her.
“You always hated me.””
“No,” Grandma replied.
“I gave you chances.””
That made Vanessa pause.
Grandma walked to the box and removed another folder.
“This was not the first time.””
Dad looked confused.
“What are you talking about?””
Grandma opened the folder.
Inside were photographs.
Photos of my mother’s belongings.
Before they disappeared.
My father looked through them.
I watched his expression fall.
Because he was seeing everything.
The jewelry.
The albums.
The handmade decorations.
The things Vanessa had slowly removed from our home.
“You knew?”” Dad asked Grandma.
“I suspected.””
“And you didn’t tell me?””
Grandma’s eyes softened.
“Your wife was dying, Richard.””
That sentence broke something in him.
He looked away.
“She asked me not to create a war.””
My mother.
Even at the end.
Still protecting everyone else.
Vanessa suddenly grabbed her purse.
“I’m leaving.””
Dad looked up.
“No.””
She stopped.
“What?””
“You’re not walking away from this.””
Her expression hardened.
“Richard, are you seriously choosing them over me?””
He stared at her.
And I saw something I had never seen before.
Doubt.
“I don’t know who you are anymore.””
That sentence hurt her.
Not because it was cruel.
Because it was true.
Vanessa looked at me.
“You think you’ve won?””
I didn’t answer.
She stepped closer.
“You have no idea what your mother was like.””
My hands curled into fists.
“Don’t talk about her.””
“You weren’t there.””
“No,” I said.
“But she left proof.””
For the first time, Vanessa had no response.
Grandma picked up another envelope from the box.
“There’s more.””
Everyone turned.
Dad looked exhausted.
“What else could there possibly be?””
Grandma looked at me.
“This part is for Emily.””
I froze.
“For me?””
She nodded.
My name was written on the envelope.
But this handwriting was different.
Not my mother’s.
Someone else’s.
I opened it carefully.
Inside was a letter.
The first line made my heart stop.
Emily, if you are reading this, your father finally knows what happened.
I looked at Dad.
He looked just as shocked.
The letter continued.
I’m sorry I waited so long to tell you.
My hands shook.
Your mother trusted me with a secret she was too afraid to reveal.
I swallowed.
Who wrote this?
Then I reached the signature.
My blood ran cold.
Because it wasn’t my mother.
It wasn’t Grandma.
It was from someone I never expected.
Someone who had been in our house every day.
Someone who had watched everything happen.
My father.
Except…
the date was from two years before.
Before he claimed he knew nothing.
I looked at him.
“Dad?””
He looked confused.
“What?””
I handed him the letter.
He read the signature.
Then his face went pale.
“I didn’t write this.””
Nobody moved.
Vanessa suddenly whispered:
“Oh no.””
Everyone looked at her.
Because she knew.
She knew exactly what was happening.
Grandma took the letter from Dad.
Then she read the final sentence aloud.
“Richard, if anything happens to me, you need to know that Vanessa is not who she says she is.””
The room went silent.
Then Grandma turned the page.
There was another line underneath.
A line that changed everything.
And the child you believe is yours…
Grandma stopped.
My heart pounded.
Dad grabbed the paper.
“What does it say?””
Grandma looked at Vanessa.
May you like
Then back at us.
“The truth.””