Chapter 8: The Room Behind The Locked Door
Nobody moved after Dad showed us the location.
The address on the screen was ours.
Our house.
Our Wi-Fi.
Our network.
Someone had been accessing the system from inside.
My mother immediately stood.
“That’s impossible.””
Dad looked at her.
“Is it?””
Her face changed.
“David.””
“Who else has keys?””
Nobody answered.
Then Mia slowly sat down.
“I do.””
I looked at her.
“You?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
She looked terrified.
“Rachel gave me one.””
My eyes widened.
“When?””
“A month before she left.””
“Why?””
Mia looked down.
“She said if I ever needed help…”
She stopped.
“Help with what?””
Mia didn’t answer.
Dad’s voice hardened.
“Mia.””
She swallowed.
“She knew I was hiding things.””
The silence returned.
“She knew?””
Mia nodded.
“She confronted me.””
I stared at her.
“What did she say?””
Mia looked ashamed.
“She told me I was becoming someone I wouldn’t recognize.””
That hurt because it was exactly what I had been thinking.
“Then why didn’t she tell me?””
Mia looked at me.
“Because she wanted to give me a chance to fix it.””
A strange feeling passed through me.
Rachel had been trying.
She had seen the damage coming.
And everyone ignored her.
Dad walked toward the hallway.
“I’m checking every room.””
Mom stood.
“David, don’t.””
He stopped.
“Why?””
She looked nervous.
“There’s no need.””
His eyes narrowed.
“Why are you protecting this?””
“I’m not.””
“Then let me look.””
Nobody stopped him.
We followed him upstairs.
He checked the office.
Nothing.
The guest room.
Nothing.
Then he reached the small storage room at the end of the hallway.
The one nobody used anymore.
The door was locked.
Dad looked at Mia.
“Who has this key?””
She shook her head.
“Nobody.””
Dad tried the handle.
It didn’t move.
He looked at the lock.
Then at me.
“Emily, do you know what’s in here?””
I shook my head.
“No.””
Mom suddenly spoke.
“David.””
Everyone turned.
Her voice was almost a whisper.
“Don’t open that.””
Dad stared.
And I felt my stomach drop.
Because my mother wasn’t asking.
She was begging.
“What’s inside?””
She didn’t answer.
Dad stepped closer.
“Sarah.””
“I said don’t.””
“Why?””
Silence.
Then Mia whispered:
“Mom?””
My mother closed her eyes.
“I kept things there.””
“What things?””
She looked at me.
“Things I didn’t want either of you to see.””
Dad stared at the door.
Then he forced the lock.
The door opened slowly.
Dust filled the air.
The room smelled like old paper.
And there were boxes.
Dozens of them.
Dad turned on the light.
The first thing we saw was a stack of folders.
My name was written on several.
My heart sank.
“Emily.””
Dad picked one up.
Inside were copies of my school records.
My applications.
My achievements.
Everything.
But mixed between them were other papers.
Emails.
Notes.
Messages.
I grabbed one.
It was from Rachel.
The date was from five months ago.
*Sarah, this has gone too far. Emily deserves to know.*
My hands shook.
Another message.
*You cannot keep controlling both girls because you are afraid of change.*
I looked at Mom.
She looked broken.
Dad opened another folder.
His face changed.
“What?””
He pulled out a letter.
I recognized the handwriting.
Rachel’s.
He read silently.
Then he handed it to me.
The first line made my breath stop.
*If something happens to me, Emily needs to know the truth about what happened the night of the accident.*
I looked up.
“What accident?””
Nobody answered.
My eyes moved to Mom.
She looked terrified.
“Mia?””
My sister was staring at the letter.
She looked like she had seen a ghost.
“You knew.””
I turned toward her.
“Knew what?””
Mia’s lips trembled.
“I wasn’t supposed to tell you.””
My heart raced.
“Tell me what?””
She looked at Mom.
Then Dad.
Then me.
“The accident wasn’t an accident.””
The room went completely silent.
“What are you talking about?””
Mia started crying.
“Rachel found out.””
Dad stepped closer.
“Found out what?””
Mia whispered:
“That night…”
She looked at me.
“That night was when everything changed.””
I couldn’t breathe.
“What happened?””
Before she could answer, something fell downstairs.
A loud crash.
Everyone froze.
Dad immediately moved toward the door.
“Stay here.””
We heard footsteps.
Someone running.
Dad rushed downstairs.
A few seconds later, we heard him shout.
“Stop!””
Then silence.
We ran after him.
The front door was open.
Cold air rushed inside.
Nobody was there.
But on the floor was a small envelope.
Dad picked it up.
My name was written across the front.
Again.
May you like
And underneath it were four words:
*You deserve the truth.*