Chapter 14 - We went together.There was no chance I was going alone.
At midnight, the cemetery was silent except for wind moving through the trees.
Mom stood beside Grandpa's grave.
She looked older than I had ever seen her.
She didn't greet us.
She simply said:
“Your grandfather discovered the affair.”
Emma stiffened.
Mom looked at her.
“Daniel was the father.”
Emma's voice was barely audible.
“Did you love him?”
Mom closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
Dad had always told us Mom had been forced into marriage by circumstances.
That she had chosen him.
That wasn't true either.
Mom loved Daniel.
She married James because Grandpa demanded it after learning about the pregnancy.
“Why?”
“Because James had power.”
“And Daniel?”
“He had nothing.”
“Then what happened to him?”
“Your father destroyed him.”
Mom looked at the grave.
“Daniel tried to expose James.”
“Did James kill Grandpa?”
Mom's eyes moved to mine.
“No.”
My heart stopped.
“Then who?”
She hesitated.
“I did.”
Silence.
Whitney stepped forward.
“What?”
“I gave your grandfather the medication.”
My stomach turned.
“You poisoned him?”
“I didn't know it would kill him.”
“But you gave it to him.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“James threatened Daniel.”
She began to cry.
“He said if I refused, Daniel would disappear forever.”
Emma stared at her.
“You chose him.”
“Yes.”
“And Grandpa?”
“He knew what I had done.”
“So why didn't he expose you?”
“Because he knew I was trapped.”
Mom reached into her coat.
She pulled out a small envelope.
“Your grandfather gave me this the night before he died.”
I took it.
Inside was a letter.
Martha,
If you are reading this, James has already convinced you there is no other way.
There is always another way.
Protect the girls. All three.
The trust will do what I cannot.
I looked at Mom.
“You knew about the trust.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you let us hate each other?”
Her face collapsed.
“Because James told me if I brought you together, he would destroy all of you.”
“You chose fear.”
“Yes.”
“And Emily?”
Mom looked at her.
“I thought she was safe with Helen.”
“But James found her.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't you stop him?”
“I was afraid.”
Whitney stepped forward.
“For fifteen years, you told me Clara hated me.”
Mom cried.
“I know.”
“You told Clara I was selfish.”
“I know.”
“You lied to both of us.”
“Yes.”
I felt something inside me break.
Not rage.
Something worse.
Grief.
We had spent fifteen years missing one another while living only a few miles apart.
Mom whispered:
“James has been preparing for the transfer deadline.”
“The trust.”
“Yes.”
“What happens if he fails?”
“He loses control.”
“Then he'll do anything to stop it.”
Mom nodded.
She looked toward the cemetery gate.
“He's already done worse.”
A car engine started.
Headlights swept across the trees.
Mom's face changed.
“He's here.”
Dad stepped out of the car.
Two men stood behind him.
Whitney grabbed Emma's arm.
Dad looked at the three of us.
Then he smiled.
Not warmly.
Not angrily.
Calmly.
“Girls.”
Mom stepped between us.
“James, stop.”
He looked at her.
“You already failed once.”
Then his eyes moved to me.
“You were always the difficult one.”
I said nothing.
He looked at Whitney.
“You were supposed to keep her isolated.”
Whitney laughed bitterly.
“I finally figured it out.”
Dad sighed.
“Then there was no reason to keep lying.”
Emma spoke.
“Who am I?”
Dad stared at her.
“You are a problem.”
Emma's face hardened.
“I asked who I am.”
He looked at Mom.
“She told you.”
“She told me you're my father.”
Dad nodded.
“Yes.”
Emma took a step forward.
“Why did you give me away?”
Dad's expression remained cold.
“Because you were proof.”
“Proof of what?”
“That your mother betrayed this family.”
Emma flinched.
“No.”
Mom shouted:
“Don't listen to him!”
Dad ignored her.
“Daniel knew too much.”
I held up the red ledger.
“So you killed him.”
Dad's expression changed for the first time.
“We're done playing games.”
He nodded at the two men.
They stepped forward.
Then a voice came from behind the graveyard wall.
“Actually, James…”
A man stepped into the moonlight.
Older.
Gray-haired.
Alive.
Daniel Reeves.
Dad froze.
My heart stopped.
Whitney whispered:
“Daniel?”
Daniel looked at all three sisters.
May you like
Then he said:
“Your father doesn't get to decide how this ends.”
