Chapter 14: The Choice I Never Got To Make
I ran home.
Not because I trusted my father.
Not completely.
But because after everything, I needed to see his face.
I needed to know if he was telling the truth.
When I entered the house, everyone was in the living room.
Dad.
Mom.
Mia.
And someone else.
Someone I never expected.
Uncle Mark.
The man who had fixed our cars.
The man my family trusted.
The man whose name appeared in the evidence.
He looked nervous.
That was the first thing I noticed.
Not angry.
Not confused.
Nervous.
Dad stood when he saw me.
“Emily.””
I ignored him.
I looked at Uncle Mark.
“What is he doing here?””
Nobody answered.
Then Mark spoke.
“I came to explain.””
I laughed.
“Everyone always comes to explain after they destroy something.””
Dad looked at me.
“I know.””
His voice was tired.
“But you need to hear this.””
I crossed my arms.
“Fine.””
Mark took a breath.
“The accident wasn’t supposed to happen.””
I stared.
“That’s your explanation?””
“No.””
He looked ashamed.
“I tampered with the car.””
The room went silent.
Mom covered her mouth.
Mia started crying.
I felt numb.
“You did.””
He nodded.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
He looked at Dad.
Then away.
“Because I was being pressured.””
“By who?””
Nobody spoke.
Then Mark whispered:
“Your mother.””
I looked at Mom.
“No.””
Mom immediately shook her head.
“No.””
Mark looked at her.
“You asked me to make the car unavailable.””
My mother’s face went white.
“I asked you to disable it temporarily.””
Everyone stared.
“What?””
Mom started crying.
“I wanted to stop Mia from leaving.””
The room went silent.
Mark continued.
“She thought if the car didn’t start, Mia would stay home.””
I looked at my mother.
“You almost got me killed because you wanted to stop Mia from driving?””
She covered her face.
“I didn’t know you would come.””
That sentence.
Again.
Always the same.
Nobody knew.
Nobody meant to.
But I was still the one who suffered.
Mark looked broken.
“I never expected Emily to be involved.””
“But I was.””
He nodded.
“I know.””
Dad stepped forward.
“But Mark didn’t edit the video.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
He shook his head.
“He admitted what he did.””
Mark nodded.
“I did.””
“Then who edited it?””
Everyone became quiet.
Mia looked at the laptop.
“Wait.””
She stood.
“There was another person.””
Everyone turned.
She looked at me.
“Remember the scholarship account?””
I nodded.
“The person who accessed it knew our family.””
She looked at Mark.
“Someone who knew all our passwords.””
Dad’s face changed.
“No.””
Mia whispered:
“Yes.””
I looked between them.
“Who?””
Nobody answered.
Then my father’s phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His face changed.
“What?””
He answered.
“Hello?””
A pause.
Then:
“You’re sure?””
He looked at me.
Then at Mom.
Then slowly sat down.
“What happened?””
He ended the call.
“The police found the person who hacked the accounts.””
My heart raced.
“Who?””
Dad looked at Mia.
Then at me.
“It wasn’t Rachel.””
Everyone waited.
“It wasn’t Mark.””
A pause.
“It was someone using Rachel’s information.””
I frowned.
“Who?””
Dad looked toward the hallway.
And then the front door opened.
A woman stepped inside.
Someone I recognized.
Someone I had seen many times.
The person who delivered our mail.
The person who knew our routines.
The person who had access to our home.
She looked at me.
And smiled sadly.
“I’m sorry, Emily.””
My blood ran cold.
Because I knew her.
Everyone did.
Rachel had been looking for the wrong person.
The messages.
The evidence.
The sabotage.
It wasn’t done by someone trying to expose the truth.
It was done by someone trying to bury it.
Dad whispered her name.
“Linda.””
The woman who had been our family assistant for five years.
The woman who knew every schedule.
Every password.
Every weakness.
She looked at me.
“I didn’t want it to go this far.””
I stared.
“Why?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Because I was trying to protect my daughter.””
Nobody moved.
“What daughter?””
She looked at Mia.
Then at me.
May you like
And said:
“Rachel.””