Chapter 2: The Secret Behind My Mother's Letter
Nobody moved.
The air conditioner hummed above us, but the living room suddenly felt suffocating.
I looked at Vanessa.
Then at Dad.
"Who is my real father?""
Dad's mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Vanessa covered her face with both hands.
"Oh, God. I didn't mean—"
"YOU DIDN'T MEAN WHAT?"" I shouted.
She backed away.
Dad folded the letter carefully and placed it on the console table.
"Emily, sit down.""
"No. I'm not sitting down until someone tells me why my stepmother just said I might have a different father.""
He rubbed his forehead.
"Your mother and I had a complicated past.""
"That's not an answer.""
"I know.""
"Did you know?""
His eyes met mine.
And the silence told me more than his words could have.
I took a step backward.
"All these years?""
"Emily, please.""
"All these years, you knew?""
Vanessa suddenly found her voice.
"Your father didn't know everything. Your mother kept secrets from him.""
Dad turned sharply.
"Vanessa, shut your mouth.""
She flinched.
Then she pointed at the letter.
"Read it, Michael. Go ahead. Let her know what kind of woman her mother really was.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"You don't get to talk about my mother.""
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
"Your mother wasn't the saint you think she was.""
Dad slammed his palm against the table.
"ONE MORE WORD.""
The room fell silent.
He picked up the letter again.
The handwriting was unmistakably my mother's.
My darling Emily,
If you're reading this, it means you've turned twenty-five. There is something I wanted to tell you myself, but I was never brave enough to explain it while I was alive.
Dad stopped reading.
His eyes glistened.
I moved closer.
"Keep going.""
He swallowed.
Before I married Michael, I inherited a substantial amount of money from my grandmother. I placed most of it into a private trust because I wanted you to have something that could never be taken away from you.
My heart pounded.
The trust was established in your name. Your father agreed to protect it, but there is another person who knows about its existence.
Dad stopped again.
Vanessa's face had become completely white.
I looked at her.
"What does that mean?""
She shook her head.
"Nothing.""
Dad continued.
Vanessa was present when the original documents were prepared. She promised me she would never interfere with your inheritance.
I turned toward my stepmother.
She stared at the floor.
My mother's letter continued.
But I later discovered that she had been asking questions about the trust. I became worried that she might attempt to access it without your knowledge.
Dad lowered the letter.
"That's enough.""
"No!"" I said.
"It's not enough!""
He looked at me helplessly.
"Your mother wanted to protect you.""
"From Vanessa?""
He didn't answer.
I turned toward my stepmother.
"How much money is in this trust?""
Vanessa suddenly laughed.
It was a sharp, ugly sound.
"You really think this is about money?""
I stared at her.
"You just emptied Dad's safe!""
"That money was mine!""
"How?""
"I've spent years taking care of this house!""
Dad stepped between us.
"You've spent years living off my income.""
Vanessa's eyes flashed.
"Excuse me?""
"You heard me.""
"I gave up everything for you!""
"You gave up nothing. I paid for everything.""
She pointed toward the expensive furniture.
"Who chose this house? Who organized those parties? Who made sure your business associates felt welcome? Who stood beside you when your company nearly collapsed?""
Dad's expression hardened.
"That doesn't give you the right to steal from me.""
Vanessa shook her head.
"You don't understand what I sacrificed.""
Then she turned to me.
"And neither does your precious daughter.""
I stepped forward.
"What did you do to my mother's inheritance?""
She looked away.
That was the moment I understood.
The money hadn't simply disappeared.
Someone had been trying to get it.
Dad picked up the legal document from the table.
His eyes moved over the pages.
"Emily, this trust is substantial.""
"How substantial?""
He hesitated.
"Your mother transferred nearly four million dollars into it before she died. The investment account has grown since then.""
My breath caught.
Four million dollars.
I had spent the last six months worrying about rent, groceries, and whether I could afford to replace my broken laptop.
Meanwhile, my mother had left me enough money to change my life.
And somehow, nobody had told me.
I looked at Dad.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
He lowered his head.
"I thought the trust was supposed to remain untouched until you turned twenty-five.""
"I turned twenty-five six months ago.""
"I know.""
"Then why didn't you give it to me?""
He looked toward Vanessa.
I followed his gaze.
She was standing beside the sofa, rubbing her fingers together.
Dad's voice became quieter.
"Because someone told me the trust had been closed.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"Three years ago, I received a letter from the financial institution handling it. It said your mother had left instructions to transfer the assets into a protected family account.""
I stared at him.
"Who received that letter?""
"Vanessa.""
My stepmother's eyes widened.
"Michael, don't do this.""
Dad ignored her.
"She told me she had spoken to the estate attorney. She said everything was handled.""
I looked at Vanessa.
"Did you steal my inheritance?""
She shook her head violently.
"No! I never touched your money!""
Dad held up another page.
"Then explain this.""
It was a photocopy of a bank transfer authorization.
At the bottom was a signature.
Vanessa Carter.
But something else caught my attention.
The authorization had been approved using a power of attorney.
My mother's name appeared beside it.
I stepped closer.
"Mom was dead when this was signed.""
Dad stared at the date.
His jaw tightened.
"Yes.""
Vanessa grabbed her purse.
"I am not standing here listening to this.""
Dad moved toward the front door and locked it.
"You're not going anywhere.""
"Michael, you cannot keep me here!""
"I'm not keeping you anywhere. But you're not leaving with my money or those documents.""
She reached into her bag.
Dad noticed immediately.
"What are you doing?""
"Calling my attorney.""
"Good. Call him.""
She pulled out her phone.
But before she could dial, my father's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
The name displayed was unfamiliar to me.
*THOMAS REED — ESTATE ATTORNEY.*
Dad answered.
"Thomas?""
A man's urgent voice came through the speaker.
"Michael, I've been trying to reach you all morning. Did you find the envelope?""
Dad looked at the open safe.
"Yes.""
There was a long silence.
Then Thomas asked a question that made Dad grip the phone harder.
"Is Vanessa standing beside you?""
Dad looked at her.
"Yes. Why?""
Thomas exhaled.
"Then don't let her leave. I just discovered something about the original inheritance documents.""
"What?""
"Michael, the woman who signed away Emily's trust wasn't her mother.""
Dad's eyes widened.
May you like
Thomas continued.
"It was Vanessa. And she used a document that should never have existed.""
