Chapter 8: The Truth About My Mother
Dad spent the entire night awake.
I knew because I woke up and saw him sitting in the living room.
The old photograph was in his hands.
My mother's photograph.
He looked at it like he was searching for answers.
The next morning, he called someone.
"Dr. Emily?""
I didn't know who that was.
But Dad sounded desperate.
A few hours later, a woman arrived.
She was my mother's old friend.
And she brought a box.
"I kept these because I thought one day Lily might need them.""
Dad looked confused.
"Why didn't you give them to me?""
Emily looked uncomfortable.
"Because your wife asked me not to.""
Dad froze.
"She asked you?""
Emily nodded.
"Before she died.""
She opened the box.
Inside were letters.
Hundreds of them.
My mother had written them before she died.
Dad picked one up.
His hands shook as he opened it.
After reading for a moment, tears filled his eyes.
"What did she say?""
Emily looked at me.
Then at Dad.
"She knew Vanessa was dangerous.""
The room went silent.
Dad looked up.
"What?""
Emily sighed.
"Your wife noticed things before anyone else did.""
She explained that my mother had met Vanessa before.
Not closely.
But enough to notice her behavior.
The obsession.
The jealousy.
The anger.
"She told me Vanessa hated her.""
Dad looked at the letters.
"Why didn't she tell me?""
Emily looked down.
"Because she was afraid.""
"Of Vanessa?""
"Yes.""
Dad closed his eyes.
Emily continued.
"Your wife didn't want you to confront Vanessa. She thought that would make things worse.""
Dad whispered:
"She knew.""
Emily nodded.
"She knew Vanessa was watching your family.""
I looked at the letters.
"Did Mommy write about me?""
Emily smiled sadly.
"All the time.""
Dad opened another letter.
This one was different.
It was addressed to me.
Even though I was too young to read.
Dad read it aloud.
"My little Lily, if you ever wonder how much you were loved, remember this: you were the greatest gift I ever received.""
I didn't understand everything.
But I understood that Mommy loved me.
Dad hugged me.
And for the first time since Vanessa entered our lives, I felt like something had been returned to me.
The truth.
But there was one more secret.
Emily looked at Dad.
"There is something else.""
Dad looked up.
"What?""
"Your wife suspected Vanessa wasn't alone.""
Dad frowned.
"What does that mean?""
Emily opened another document.
"Someone was helping her.""
Dad remembered Daniel.
"The man in the photograph.""
Emily nodded.
"His name is Daniel Reed.""
Dad looked shocked.
"You know him?""
Emily hesitated.
"I knew of him.""
"Why?""
Emily took a breath.
"Because Daniel was Vanessa's fiancé before he met your wife.""
The room went completely silent.
Dad stared.
"Fiancé?""
Emily nodded.
"Vanessa lost him after he discovered the truth about her.""
Dad looked at the photograph.
"So she blamed my wife?""
"Yes.""
A terrible realization crossed Dad's face.
Vanessa didn't just want my family.
She wanted revenge.
And I was the easiest person to control.
That evening, Detective Harris called.
They had found something else.
Something hidden in Vanessa's old apartment.
A letter.
Written years before she ever met Dad.
A letter addressed to one person.
My mother.
May you like
And the final line of the letter was:
"I will raise your daughter better than you ever could.""