Chapter 4: The Person Who Helped Her
The police took Rebecca away for questioning.
But she didn’t look defeated.
She looked confident.
That scared me more than anything.
People who know they’re guilty usually run.
Rebecca stayed.
Because she believed she still had a way out.
The next morning, Dad sat beside my hospital bed.
The doctors said I was dehydrated and exhausted, but I would recover.
Dad barely slept.
Every time I opened my eyes, he was there.
“I should have known,” he whispered.
I looked at him.
“Dad…”
“I left you with her.””
His voice cracked.
“I trusted the wrong person.””
I reached for his hand.
“It wasn’t your fault.””
But I knew he didn’t believe me.
The police came later that afternoon.
A detective named Harris carried a folder.
“Lily, we need to ask you some questions.””
Dad stood immediately.
“She’s been through enough.””
Detective Harris nodded.
“We’ll be careful.””
He looked at me.
“Do you remember anyone else being involved?””
I frowned.
“What do you mean?””
He opened the folder.
“We found evidence that someone helped Rebecca prepare that hidden space.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
Dad looked confused.
“She built it before I left?””
Detective Harris nodded.
“She couldn’t have done everything alone.””
A cold feeling spread through me.
I remembered something.
A sound.
Before Rebecca locked me away.
Another person’s footsteps.
I looked at Dad.
“There was someone else.””
“Who?””
“I don’t know.””
Detective Harris leaned forward.
“Think carefully.””
I closed my eyes.
The memory came back.
The night before Dad left.
Rebecca was talking in the kitchen.
I had walked downstairs for water.
I heard her say:
“Once John is gone, we can finally fix this problem.””
A man answered.
A deep voice.
“Are you sure this won’t come back on us?””
Rebecca replied:
“He’ll never suspect family.””
My eyes opened.
“Family.””
Dad looked at me.
“What?””
“The person helping her…”
I swallowed.
“They said family.””
Dad went completely still.
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
“What is it?”” I asked.
He didn’t answer.
He just stared.
The caller ID showed a name.
A name that made his face turn white.
My uncle.
Michael.
Dad’s younger brother.
The man who had comforted him after my mother died.
The man who told Dad he was lucky to have Rebecca.
Dad answered slowly.
“Michael?””
Silence.
Then Dad’s face hardened.
“You knew?””
I couldn’t hear what Uncle Michael said.
But Dad could.
And whatever it was…
It destroyed the last piece of trust he had.
When he ended the call, he looked at Detective Harris.
“He admitted he helped her.””
Everyone went silent.
“But why?”” I asked.
Dad looked at me.
His eyes filled with pain.
“Because Rebecca wasn’t trying to get rid of you.””
I felt confused.
“Then what was she trying to do?””
Dad looked down.
“She was trying to make me lose everything.””
Detective Harris opened another file.
Inside were documents.
Bank records.
Property papers.
And one name repeated over and over.
Rebecca.
My heart sank.
“She wanted my inheritance,” Dad said.
“She wanted my house.””
“But why me?””
Dad didn’t answer immediately.
Then he whispered:
“Because your mother left something behind.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
Dad looked at the documents.
“A trust fund.””
I had no idea.
My mother had created one before she died.
And apparently…
I was the only person standing between Rebecca and millions of dollars.
But there was one detail nobody knew.
Rebecca had hidden another secret.
A secret even Dad’s brother didn’t know.
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And when Detective Harris found it…
The entire story changed.