Chapter 9: The Secret Warren Carried
I had spent twenty-four hours discovering secrets.
First Derrick’s.
Then my mother’s.
Now Warren’s.
And somehow, this one hurt the most.
Because I expected disappointment from people who had already left.
I never expected it from the person who stayed.
“Dad?””
Warren looked at the message again.
His face was unreadable.
That scared me.
Because Warren was an open book.
I knew his moods.
I knew his expressions.
I knew the tiny way he smiled when he was trying not to laugh.
The way he rubbed his beard when he was thinking.
The way he tapped his fingers when he was worried.
But now?
Nothing.
“Who sent that?””
I asked.
He didn’t answer.
“Warren.””
His eyes moved to mine.
“I need to explain.””
My chest tightened.
Those words.
Everyone used those words right before revealing something painful.
“I’m listening.””
He sat down.
Slowly.
Derrick watched him.
And for the first time, I noticed something strange.
Derrick wasn’t surprised.
He looked almost relieved.
Like he had been waiting for this moment.
“What aren’t you telling me?””
Warren took a breath.
“Before Derrick came back…”
He stopped.
“Before what?””
He looked at the table.
“Before Derrick came back, I contacted him.””
I stared.
“What?””
My mother closed her eyes.
“You knew?””
I looked at her.
She looked away.
Another secret.
Of course.
“Why?””
Warren’s voice was quiet.
“Because I wanted him to come.””
The room felt like it tilted.
“You wanted him to come back?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
He looked at me.
“Because you deserved the chance to know your father.””
I didn’t know what to feel.
Anger.
Confusion.
Pain.
“You contacted him?””
“Yes.””
“And you never told me?””
“I was afraid.””
“Of what?””
“That you would think I was trying to replace him.””
I stared.
“You spent years being my father.””
His eyes filled.
“And he spent years being the person you wondered about.””
I looked away.
“That doesn’t explain why you hid it.””
He nodded.
“You’re right.””
At least he admitted it.
That made it harder.
“I found him through an old contact.””
He continued.
“I told him you were getting married.””
Derrick crossed his arms.
“And I came.””
Warren looked at him.
“Yes.””
The tension between them changed.
They weren’t just enemies.
They had history.
“You two knew each other before?””
Derrick laughed bitterly.
“Of course we did.””
I looked at him.
“What does that mean?””
He looked at Warren.
“You never told her?””
Warren’s expression hardened.
“Don’t.””
“No.””
Derrick stepped forward.
“She deserves the truth.””
My stomach tightened.
“What truth?””
Warren stood.
“Derrick.””
But Derrick continued.
“Your stepfather and I met years ago.””
“When?””
“Before you were eighteen.””
I looked at Warren.
“Why?””
He didn’t answer.
Derrick smiled sadly.
“Because Warren tried to help me.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“He found me when I was struggling.””
The room went quiet.
Warren looked uncomfortable.
“I made mistakes.””
Derrick laughed.
“You did more than that.””
I looked between them.
“What are you talking about?””
Warren sat down.
His shoulders dropped.
“I helped Derrick get into a recovery program.””
I blinked.
“Recovery?””
Derrick looked away.
“I had problems.””
“With what?””
He didn’t answer.
Warren did.
“Addiction.””
The word landed heavily.
Suddenly, the picture changed.
Not completely.
But enough.
Derrick wasn’t just a man who walked away.
He was a man who had fallen apart.
That didn’t excuse leaving.
But it explained something.
“I didn’t know,” I whispered.
“I know,” Warren said.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?””
“Because you were a child.””
I shook my head.
“But I’m not now.””
“No.””
His voice cracked.
“You’re not.””
I sat back.
All these years, I had thought the story was simple.
One father left.
One father stayed.
One person failed.
One person succeeded.
But real life wasn’t that clean.
People were complicated.
People hurt others.
People tried to fix things.
Sometimes too late.
I looked at Derrick.
“Did you relapse?””
His eyes lowered.
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Before I came back.””
I swallowed.
“And nobody told me?””
Warren answered.
“He was trying to rebuild.””
I looked at him.
“Again.””
The word hurt.
Because everyone was always rebuilding something.
Except me.
I was always discovering the ruins.
My phone buzzed.
Another message.
Unknown number.
This time, there was an image.
I opened it.
A photograph.
Warren.
Derrick.
A woman I didn’t recognize.
And a stack of documents.
My blood turned cold.
Because the photo was taken yesterday.
Not years ago.
I looked at Warren.
“Who is she?””
His face changed.
“I don’t know.””
Derrick looked at the image.
Then went pale.
“I do.””
“Who?””
He whispered the name.
“Monica.””
The woman who had helped him with the paperwork.
The woman who supposedly caused the contract issue.
I stared at the photo.
“Why would she be with both of you?””
Nobody answered.
Then another message arrived.
Only four words.
*Ask Warren about the money.*
I looked at the man who raised me.
The man I trusted more than anyone.
May you like
And for the first time in my life…
I wondered if the person who saved me had also been hiding something from me.