Chapter 6: Helen's Dinner
Helen walked toward our table without hesitation.
No panic.
No tears.
No attempt to hide.
She looked like someone who had rehearsed this moment.
Vanessa stepped in front of me.
“Mom, what are you doing here?””
Helen glanced at her.
“Cleaning up your mess.””
“My mess?””
“Yes.””
Simone laughed bitterly.
“You always called it a mess when someone discovered your crimes.””
Helen's smile disappeared.
“Don't use words you don't understand.””
“I understand perfectly.””
Helen looked at me.
“Marcus, sit down.””
I didn't.
She sighed.
“You've always been stubborn.””
I felt my hands tighten.
“You tried to kill me.””
Helen's expression barely changed.
“That's a dramatic accusation.””
“You cut my brakes.””
“I didn't.””
“You forged divorce papers.””
“I didn't.””
“You stole money from my company.””
She looked at Vanessa.
Then at me.
“Your wife is the one who signed the documents.””
Vanessa's face twisted.
“You told me it was a temporary authorization.””
“And you signed without reading.””
“You lied to me.””
Helen shrugged.
“You were thirty-two years old.””
Simone stepped forward.
“You manipulated her.””
Helen turned toward her.
“And you were supposed to stay dead.””
Simone froze.
I stepped between them.
“Enough.””
Helen looked at me.
“Do you want the truth?””
“Yes.””
“Then stop pretending you're innocent.””
I stared.
“What does that mean?””
She reached into her handbag.
Pulled out a folded document.
And placed it on the table.
“You weren't auditing the company three years ago.””
I unfolded it.
It was a private investigator's report.
My name was at the top.
The report contained photographs.
Me entering an office.
Me meeting an accountant.
Me carrying a folder.
Then one photograph stopped me.
Vanessa was standing beside another man.
A younger man.
They were outside a hotel.
I looked at Vanessa.
“What is this?””
She closed her eyes.
Helen smiled.
“Ask your wife.””
I looked at Vanessa.
She shook her head.
“Marcus, I can explain.””
“You'd better.””
“That was before Derrick.””
“Who is he?””
She swallowed.
“His name was Aaron.””
“Was?””
“He died.””
“When?””
“Three years ago.””
I looked at the report again.
The date on the photograph was two weeks before the accident.
I felt sick.
“What were you doing with him?””
Vanessa whispered, “I was investigating Mom.””
Helen laughed.
“Of course.””
Vanessa turned toward her.
“You knew.””
“I knew everything.””
I looked at Simone.
“What was Aaron's role?””
Simone answered.
“He was an accountant.””
I looked at Helen.
“And he died too?””
Helen's smile vanished.
“Yes.””
“How?””
“Car accident.””
“Convenient.””
Helen's eyes hardened.
“You have no idea what you're accusing me of.””
Simone reached for the flash drive.
“I do.””
Helen lunged.
Simone stepped back.
The flash drive remained in her hand.
Derrick grabbed Helen's wrist.
“Don't.””
Helen stared at him.
“You.””
Derrick released her.
“You knew exactly what you were doing when you slept with my daughter.””
Derrick's face tightened.
“She came to me for help.””
“And you thought helping her meant taking her husband?””
“No.””
“You enjoyed it.””
Derrick said nothing.
Helen turned toward Vanessa.
“You always choose weak men.””
Vanessa's eyes flashed.
“Don't talk about him.””
I looked at her.
Even now, she defended Derrick.
Something inside me went cold.
Helen noticed.
She smiled.
“There it is.””
“What?””
“The reason your marriage was always doomed.””
I stared at her.
She continued.
“You think Vanessa betrayed you because she wanted another man.””
Vanessa whispered, “Mom, stop.””
“But that's not what happened.””
Helen leaned closer.
“She betrayed you because she knew what you did.””
I felt my pulse in my throat.
“What I did?””
“Yes.””
I looked at Vanessa.
She was crying now.
“What did she tell you?””
Helen smiled.
“Ask her about the night your father died.””
The room went silent.
I hadn't heard anyone mention my father in years.
He had died suddenly when I was twenty-nine.
Heart attack.
At least, that's what I had been told.
I looked at Vanessa.
She wouldn't look at me.
“Vanessa.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“What happened to my father?””
“Marcus…”
“What happened?””
Helen interrupted.
“Your father discovered the missing money.””
I stared at her.
“He was involved?””
“He was going to expose me.””
Simone stepped forward.
“Mom.””
Helen ignored her.
“He threatened to go to the police.””
“And you killed him?””
Helen's expression hardened.
“No.””
She looked at me.
“Your father killed himself.””
I felt the room tilt.
“No.””
Vanessa covered her face.
Helen continued.
“He left a letter.””
I shook my head.
“I saw no letter.””
“Because I destroyed it.””
Simone whispered, “Why?””
“Because it contained a name.””
I looked at her.
“Whose name?””
Helen looked directly at Vanessa.
“His daughter's.””
Vanessa began sobbing.
I stared at my wife.
“What did you do?””
She shook her head.
“I didn't kill your father.””
“What did you do?””
“I found him.””
“Where?””
“In the garage.””
My breathing stopped.
“When?””
“The night he died.””
“And you never told me?””
“I was afraid.””
“Of what?””
She looked at Helen.
“Her.””
Helen's face was suddenly unreadable.
I looked at Simone.
“Why did you come back now?””
Simone answered quietly.
“Because I found the original letter.””
Helen's head snapped toward her.
“Where?””
Simone smiled.
“Somewhere you never thought to look.””
Helen took a step toward her.
“Give it to me.””
“No.””
“Simone.””
“No.””
Helen's voice dropped.
“You don't understand what happens if that letter gets out.””
Simone looked at me.
“He should know.””
Helen's composure finally cracked.
“Marcus, don't listen to her.””
I turned toward Helen.
“Give me one reason.””
She said nothing.
“Give me one reason to believe you.””
Still nothing.
Then Simone's phone began vibrating.
She looked at the screen.
Her expression changed.
“What's wrong?”” I asked.
She turned the phone toward me.
A text message appeared from an unknown number.
*THE LETTER IS ALREADY WITH HIM.*
I stared.
“Who is ‘him’?””
Simone slowly looked at Derrick.
Derrick's face had gone completely pale.
I turned toward him.
“Derrick?””
He didn't answer.
Vanessa whispered, “No.””
Helen took one step backward.
For the first time that night, she looked genuinely afraid.
Then Derrick reached inside his charcoal shirt.
He pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“I was told to give this to you,” he said.
My hands went cold.
“By who?””
Derrick looked at Helen.
Then at Vanessa.
Then finally at me.
“Your father.””
I stared at the letter.
Three years after his death, my father's handwriting was waiting for me.
May you like
And the first line said:
*Marcus, if you're reading this, don't trust your wife.*