Chapter 2: The Secret Behind My Mother’s Death
My father’s expression changed the moment Maria mentioned her mother.
Not confusion.
Recognition.
That scared me more than anything.
“Why would your mother have anything to do with this?”” I asked.
Maria looked down.
“I didn’t want you to find out this way.””
My stepmother laughed nervously.
“You’re all insane.””
But nobody believed her anymore.
My father walked closer to Maria.
“What happened?””
Maria swallowed.
“My mother worked for this family before I did.””
I frowned.
“I thought you started here three years ago.””
“I did,” she said.
“But my mother worked here almost twenty years ago.””
The room became silent.
My father slowly sat down.
“Her name?””
Maria looked at him.
“Lucia.””
My father froze.
I saw it.
A flash of guilt crossed his face.
“You knew her?””
“Yes,” Maria said.
“You knew exactly who she was.””
Evelyn suddenly stepped forward.
“Stop this.””
My father turned sharply.
“No. You stop.””
It was the first time I had ever seen him speak to her like that.
Maria unlocked her phone again.
“This recording was from my mother’s old files. She saved it because she knew something was wrong.””
She pressed play.
A woman’s voice filled the room.
Older.
Tired.
Afraid.
“If anything happens to me, I need someone to know the truth.””
My breath caught.
Maria looked at me.
“That’s my mother.””
The recording continued.
“I discovered Evelyn wasn’t who she claimed to be.””
Evelyn’s face changed.
“No.””
My father looked at her.
“You knew?””
She didn’t answer.
The recording continued.
“She came into this family with a plan.””
My hands became cold.
A plan?
My father stood.
“Maria, stop.””
But Maria shook her head.
“No, sir. You need to hear it.””
The next few seconds were filled with static.
Then Lucia’s voice returned.
“She wants Daniel’s money. But that isn’t the worst part.””
My father closed his eyes.
Like he already knew what was coming.
“She also wants his daughter gone.””
I felt like the air had been knocked out of my lungs.
Me.
She wanted me gone.
My father looked at Evelyn.
“You knew about this?””
Evelyn’s eyes filled with anger.
“You’re believing a servant over your wife?””
Maria stepped forward.
“My mother died two weeks after recording that.””
I turned toward her.
“What happened to her?””
Maria hesitated.
Then she answered.
“She was told to leave. She lost everything. She became sick.””
Her voice cracked.
“And she died believing nobody would ever know the truth.””
My father looked devastated.
But Evelyn suddenly smiled.
It was small.
Cold.
“You people are so emotional.””
I stared at her.
“You tried to poison me.””
She looked at me.
“I made a mistake.””
“A mistake?””
Her eyes narrowed.
“You have no idea what your father has taken from me.””
My father stepped between us.
“Enough.””
But Evelyn wasn’t finished.
“You think I’m the villain because you don’t know the truth about your precious daughter.””
I felt my chest tighten.
“What does that mean?””
She looked directly at me.
“Ask your father who your real mother was.””
Nobody moved.
My father’s face changed.
And that was when I knew.
There was another secret.
One I had never heard before.
“Daniel,” I whispered.
“What is she talking about?””
My father looked away.
That hurt more than any answer.
Because I knew he was hiding something.
Evelyn smiled.
“Tell her.””
My father stayed silent.
Then Evelyn walked toward the door.
Before leaving, she turned around.
“Your mother didn’t die because of an accident.””
I stopped breathing.
“She died because your father chose me over her.””
The door slammed shut.
May you like
And for the first time in my life…
I wondered if my stepmother had been the only person lying to me.