Chapter 9: The Secret Behind Sarah's Last Night
For two years, I had forced myself to accept one sentence.
*Sarah died in an accident.*
It was the sentence everyone repeated.
The police report.
The hospital staff.
The insurance company.
My family.
Even me.
Because sometimes a painful answer is easier to survive than an impossible question.
But now a stranger had taken that answer away.
*Someone caused it.*
I sat in Rachel's office long after the call ended.
Neither of us spoke.
The silence felt heavier than any conversation.
Finally, Rachel broke it.
"Daniel.""
I looked up.
"Do you believe him?""
I wanted to say no.
I wanted to laugh.
I wanted to call it another manipulation.
Another trick.
Another attempt to destroy me.
But something stopped me.
Because Ashley had been hiding things from the beginning.
And the one thing I had learned was this:
People don't create complicated lies unless they are protecting something.
"I don't know," I admitted.
Rachel nodded.
"That's the right answer.""
I looked at her.
"What?""
"Not knowing means we investigate.""
She closed the laptop.
"We don't assume.""
I appreciated that.
Because my entire life had become a collection of assumptions.
I assumed Ashley loved Emma.
I assumed my father wanted to protect me.
I assumed Lena was loyal to Sarah's memory.
I assumed Sarah's death was just a tragedy.
And every assumption had cost me something.
"What do we know?""
Rachel opened a notebook.
"Sarah's accident happened two years ago on Highway 18.""
I nodded.
"Late evening.""
"Yes.""
"Weather conditions?""
"Clear.""
I frowned.
"Then why did the car crash?""
Rachel looked at the report.
"The official explanation was that Sarah lost control of the vehicle.""
"Why?""
"Driver error.""
Those words felt wrong.
Sarah was careful.
Almost painfully careful.
She checked everything twice.
She never drove when she was exhausted.
She was the person who reminded me to slow down.
"Was there another vehicle?""
Rachel shook her head.
"Not officially.""
"Not officially?""
She looked at me.
"There were no witnesses.""
A cold feeling moved through me.
"No witnesses.""
"No.""
I thought back to that night.
The phone call.
The hospital.
The police officer who avoided eye contact.
At the time, I thought he was just being compassionate.
Now I wondered.
"Find the original report.""
Rachel nodded.
"I already started.""
She clicked something on her computer.
Then stopped.
"Daniel.""
"What?""
"There is something strange.""
"What?""
"The accident file was accessed recently.""
My heart started pounding.
"By who?""
She looked at the screen.
"Someone using an authorized account.""
"Whose account?""
She hesitated.
Then turned the laptop toward me.
I read the name.
And my blood went cold.
*Ashley Bennett.*
I didn't sleep that night.
I couldn't.
Every memory of Sarah felt different.
Every moment I had accepted as normal suddenly had shadows.
The last dinner.
The last conversation.
The last time I kissed her goodbye.
I kept thinking about something she said two days before the accident.
Something I hadn't thought about in years.
"Daniel, if something ever happens to me, promise me something.""
I had laughed.
"Why are you talking like that?""
She smiled.
"Just promise.""
I had kissed her forehead.
"I promise.""
"What?""
"That I'll take care of Emma.""
Her smile had softened.
"I know you will.""
At the time, I thought it was just a mother being emotional.
Now I wondered why she had said it.
Why had she been afraid?
The next morning, Rachel called.
"We found something.""
I drove to her office immediately.
She had printed pages on the desk.
"What is this?""
"Sarah's accident file.""
"That's impossible.""
"Someone accessed it recently.""
She pointed at the documents.
"Look here.""
I leaned closer.
A maintenance report.
A vehicle inspection.
My eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped.
"The brakes?""
Rachel nodded.
"The report says the vehicle had brake issues.""
I stared.
"But the official report said Sarah lost control.""
"Yes.""
"Why wasn't this included?""
Rachel looked at me.
"Because someone replaced the original report.""
The room became silent.
"Someone changed evidence?""
"Apparently.""
My hands shook.
"Who had access?""
Rachel looked at the page.
"Several people.""
"Who?""
She turned another document around.
Names.
Dates.
Signatures.
Then one name stood out.
Ashley Bennett.
Not as an employee.
Not as an investigator.
As a visitor.
"Why would Ashley access Sarah's accident file?""
Rachel shook her head.
"I don't know.""
I stared at the name.
Ashley hadn't just entered my life by chance.
She had known things.
Things she shouldn't have known.
Sarah's memories.
My weaknesses.
My grief.
My fears.
She hadn't discovered my pain.
She had studied it.
That afternoon, I went to find Ashley.
Not to confront her.
Not yet.
I needed answers.
I found her outside a coffee shop near her apartment.
She looked surprised when she saw me.
Then she smiled.
A familiar smile.
The same one that once made me feel safe.
"What are you doing here?""
I stopped several feet away.
"I know about the accident file.""
The smile disappeared.
Only for a moment.
But I saw it.
"What are you talking about?""
"You accessed Sarah's accident report.""
Silence.
Then she sighed.
"Daniel.""
"Why?""
She looked around.
"Not here.""
"No.""
My voice was firm.
"Here.""
She studied me.
Then slowly sat down.
"You don't understand.""
"Everyone says that.""
"What?""
"You, my father, Lena.""
I shook my head.
"Everyone keeps saying I don't understand while hiding things from me.""
Ashley looked away.
"Because the truth is complicated.""
"Try me.""
She was quiet.
Then she said:
"Sarah knew something.""
My chest tightened.
"What?""
"Before she died, she was investigating someone.""
"Who?""
Ashley looked at me.
"You.""
I froze.
"What?""
"She thought you were hiding something.""
I stared at her.
"No.""
"She was scared.""
"No.""
"She kept notes.""
"Stop.""
"She thought you were overwhelmed and making dangerous choices.""
I felt anger rise.
"You are still doing this.""
"What?""
"Using my grief.""
"I am telling you the truth.""
"No.""
I stepped closer.
"You are using Sarah's name because you know it hurts.""
Her expression changed.
"Daniel.""
"What did Sarah supposedly find?""
Ashley looked down.
"I can't tell you.""
"Why?""
"Because it will destroy everything.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Everything is already destroyed.""
She looked at me.
And for the first time, I saw something real.
Fear.
Not guilt.
Fear.
"Daniel.""
"What?""
"Walk away.""
I stared at her.
"What?""
"Take Emma and leave.""
The words shocked me.
"Why?""
"Because if you keep searching, you will find out things you can't forgive.""
My heart pounded.
"Things about you?""
A pause.
"Things about Sarah.""
I felt cold.
"You're lying.""
"I wish I was.""
"Then prove it.""
She looked at me.
"I can't.""
"Because you don't know?""
"No.""
"Because you were involved?""
Her silence was the answer.
I stepped back.
"You knew.""
Ashley looked away.
"I knew something would happen.""
The world seemed to stop.
"What does that mean?""
She whispered:
"I knew Sarah was in danger.""
I couldn't breathe.
"And you didn't tell me?""
"I tried.""
"When?""
"After she died.""
I stared.
"That makes no sense.""
She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
"Because someone threatened me.""
"Who?""
She didn't answer.
"Who threatened you?""
Ashley stood.
"Daniel, you need to understand something.""
"What?""
"Everything I've done...""
She swallowed.
"Everything with Emma, the documents, the custody plan...""
I stared at her.
"You admit it?""
"I did it because I needed control.""
"Why?""
"Because I knew what was coming.""
"What was coming?""
Her eyes filled with fear.
Then she whispered:
"The same person who killed Sarah is still watching you.""
My phone suddenly buzzed.
A message.
Unknown number.
One sentence.
*Stop asking Ashley questions. The next person you lose won't be your wife.*
I showed Ashley the screen.
Her face went pale.
Not because of the threat.
Because she recognized the number.
"Who is it?""
She didn't answer.
"Who sent this?""
Her lips trembled.
Then she whispered the words I never expected.
"Daniel...""
"It's your father.""
I froze.
And in that moment, I realized the truth was worse than I imagined.
Ashley hadn't been the mastermind.
She had been afraid of someone else.
Someone closer.
Someone who had spent two years pretending to protect me.
May you like
My father wasn't just hiding the truth.
He was connected to it.
