Chapter 9: The Final Betrayal
I reached Richard’s office twenty minutes later.
The door was open.
Too open.
That was the first thing I noticed.
Richard was careful.
Always.
He locked everything.
But today, his office looked destroyed.
Papers covered the floor.
Drawers were open.
The safe was empty.
“Richard?””
No answer.
I walked further inside.
Then I saw him.
On the floor.
Alive.
But injured.
“Oh my God.””
I rushed toward him.
“Who did this?””
His eyes opened slowly.
“Emily.””
“Who?””
He grabbed my hand.
“Don’t trust anyone.””
I looked around.
“Where is the will?””
His expression changed.
“It’s gone.””
My heart sank.
“Who took it?””
Richard closed his eyes.
Then whispered:
“Your sister.””
I felt numb.
Claire.
Again.
I found her that night.
She didn’t deny it.
She simply looked tired.
“I knew you would come.””
I stared.
“Why?””
She cried quietly.
“Because I was trying to fix it.””
“Fix what?””
“Everything.””
I laughed.
“You helped destroy my life.””
“I know.””
She looked at me.
“I know.””
The confession shocked me.
“You knew Daniel was using me.””
“Yes.””
“You knew about my father.””
Her eyes filled.
“Yes.””
I stepped back.
“How?””
Claire sat down.
“Because your father found out what Daniel was planning.””
“And you?””
She looked away.
“I helped him.””
The room went silent.
“Why?””
Claire wiped her face.
“Because Daniel promised me he would leave you.””
My stomach twisted.
“You wanted my husband?””
“No.””
She shook her head.
“I wanted his attention.””
The honesty was disgusting.
“You spent your whole life wanting what I had.””
She nodded.
“Yes.””
I stared.
“But I didn’t hate you because you were better.””
Her voice broke.
“I hated you because everyone loved you.””
I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
Then I remembered everything.
The lies.
The pain.
The years.
“What did you do with the will?””
Claire looked at me.
“I have it.””
“Where?””
She hesitated.
Then:
“I’ll give it to you.””
I narrowed my eyes.
“Why?””
“Because Daniel lied to me too.””
A bitter smile appeared.
“He promised me everything.””
She laughed softly.
“And he was just using me like everyone else.””
I followed her to an old storage unit outside the city.
Inside was a box.
The will.
Documents.
Photos.
And one final letter from my father.
I opened it.
Emily,
If you have found this, then the people I feared have revealed themselves.
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry I trusted the wrong people.
But there is one person I never doubted.
You.
My eyes filled.
The next line stopped me.
Daniel was not the only person who betrayed me.
I looked at Claire.
She looked away.
I continued.
The person who helped Daniel access my company was someone I loved like family.
Someone I never expected.
Someone who shared my blood.
My hands shook.
I looked at Claire.
“No.””
She closed her eyes.
“I’m sorry.””
The letter continued.
But the final betrayal was not what Daniel did.
It was what I discovered about his promotion.
I read the next sentence.
The promotion was never real.
I looked confused.
“What?””
Claire whispered:
“Daniel didn’t get promoted.””
I stared.
“Then what happened?””
She looked at me.
“He stole the position.””
I read further.
Your husband replaced the real director by destroying his reputation.
The real director was—
I stopped.
Because I already knew the name.
Richard.
My eyes widened.
Richard wasn’t Daniel’s boss.
Not originally.
Daniel had taken his position.
The promotion party wasn’t celebrating success.
It was celebrating a stolen identity.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message.
From Daniel.
One sentence.
“I know you found the will. But there’s something inside you haven’t seen yet.””
A photo followed.
It was my father.
The night he died.
May you like
And standing beside him…
Was me.