Chapter 5: The Secret Hidden in the Walls
For several seconds, I forgot how to breathe.
My father’s words stayed in the room like smoke.
She died because she was trying to expose Vanessa.
I waited for him to take it back.
For him to shake his head and say he was angry.
For him to tell me I misunderstood.
But he didn’t.
He just stood there.
And that was when I knew.
The truth was worse than anything I had imagined.
“My mother was murdered?””
The word felt impossible coming out of my mouth.
Dad’s face changed immediately.
“No.””
The answer came too quickly.
“Not like that.””
“Then what do you mean?””
He looked away.
“I mean Vanessa had something to do with what happened.””
My hands became cold.
“You said she died because of Vanessa.””
“I said she was trying to expose her.””
“That’s not the same thing.””
“No.””
Dad sat down slowly.
“It’s not.””
I stared at him.
“You’re still protecting her.””
His eyes lifted.
“I’m trying to protect you.””
I almost smiled.
Almost.
“Everyone says that.””
“Nia—”
“No.””
My voice cracked.
“I’m tired of being protected from the truth.””
The words surprised him.
Maybe they surprised me too.
But they were true.
For years, adults had decided what I could handle.
They decided what I should know.
What I should feel.
What pain was acceptable.
And somehow, they never noticed that the secrets hurt more than the truth.
Dad stayed quiet.
Then he opened the closet again and pulled out the wooden box.
“There’s something you need to see.””
I watched him carefully.
“What?””
He didn’t answer.
He removed the old photographs and placed them on the bed.
Then he reached beneath the bottom layer of fabric.
His fingers touched something hidden.
A small black envelope.
My heart started beating faster.
“What is that?””
Dad looked at it.
“Something I should have given you years ago.””
He handed it to me.
The envelope was worn.
Old.
But my name was written across the front.
Nia.
My fingers trembled.
“Mom wrote this too?””
“No.””
That answer stopped me.
“Then who?””
Dad looked toward the door.
“Your mother’s lawyer.””
I froze.
“My mother had a lawyer?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Dad didn’t answer immediately.
Because he knew the answer would change everything.
“Because your mother was preparing for something.””
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
A legal document.
My eyes moved across the words.
At first, I didn’t understand.
Then one sentence stood out.
*If anything happens to me, all evidence regarding Vanessa Carter must be transferred to my daughter, Nia Carter, when she reaches the appropriate age.*
I looked up.
“What is this?””
Dad’s face looked exhausted.
“Your mother knew.””
“Knew what?””
“That Vanessa was trying to take control of things that didn’t belong to her.””
“What things?””
He hesitated.
“Money.””
I stared.
“What?””
“Your mother’s family had assets. Investments. Property.””
I shook my head.
“I thought we were struggling.””
“We were.””
He looked ashamed.
“Because I made mistakes.””
That was not the answer I expected.
Dad continued.
“Before your mother died, she discovered Vanessa had been manipulating financial documents.””
My stomach twisted.
“She was stealing?””
“I don’t know exactly.””
“You said Mom was exposing her.””
“Yes.””
“Then she knew.””
Dad looked at the paper in my hands.
“She knew enough.””
A sound came from the hallway.
A small sound.
A footstep.
Dad immediately stopped talking.
We both looked toward the door.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then Caleb’s voice came through.
“It’s me.””
Dad opened the door.
Caleb stood there holding two glasses of water.
His eyes moved between us.
“What happened?””
Nobody answered.
He looked at my face.
Then Dad’s.
“You found something.””
It wasn’t a question.
I handed him the paper.
His eyes widened as he read.
“Vanessa?””
I nodded.
Caleb looked angry.
Not childish angry.
The kind of anger that came from understanding something was wrong.
“She’s been lying this whole time?””
Dad sighed.
“Be careful with your words.””
“Why?””
Caleb looked at him.
“Because they’re true?””
Dad didn’t respond.
Caleb looked at me.
“What are you going to do?””
The question scared me.
Because I didn’t know.
Before that day, my biggest problems were surviving dinner.
Avoiding arguments.
Trying not to upset Vanessa.
Now I was holding evidence that my mother had been afraid of the woman raising me.
I looked at the letter.
Then at Caleb.
“I need to find the rest.””
Dad immediately shook his head.
“No.””
I looked at him.
“No?””
“It’s too dangerous.””
The words made me angry.
“Dangerous?””
“Yes.””
“You just told me my mother died trying to uncover this.””
Dad looked down.
“I know.””
“Then why would I stop?””
“Because I already lost your mother.””
His voice broke.
And for a moment, I saw something behind the fear.
Regret.
“I can’t lose you too.””
The room became quiet.
I didn’t know what to say.
Because beneath all the secrets and mistakes, he was still my father.
A father who had failed me.
But a father who was scared of failing me again.
That night, I couldn’t sleep.
Too many questions were running through my head.
Why had Vanessa married my father?
Why had she treated me differently from Ava?
Why had she stayed in our lives after my mother’s death?
And most importantly…
What had my mother discovered?
Around midnight, I heard a noise.
A door opening.
I sat up.
At first, I thought I imagined it.
Then I heard footsteps.
Slow.
Careful.
Someone was walking through the hallway.
I got out of bed.
My heart pounded.
I opened my door slightly.
The hallway was dark.
At the end of it, I saw a shadow.
Someone standing near the stairs.
Then I heard a familiar voice.
Vanessa.
She was on the phone.
“I know she found the letter.””
I froze.
She was talking about me.
I moved closer.
Quietly.
“I don’t care what you have to do. Get it back.””
A pause.
My breathing stopped.
“No, she doesn’t know everything yet.””
Another pause.
Then her voice lowered.
“But if she finds the rest of it, we’re finished.””
My hand covered my mouth.
The rest of it.
There was more.
More evidence.
More secrets.
Vanessa continued.
“She’s more like her mother than I thought.””
My body went still.
Then she said something that made my blood run cold.
“She’s already looking in the wrong place.””
I frowned.
Wrong place?
What did that mean?
Vanessa continued listening.
Then her expression changed.
Fear crossed her face.
“No.””
A pause.
“That can’t be possible.””
She looked around the hallway.
Almost like she felt someone watching her.
I stepped back quickly.
My foot touched the floorboard.
It creaked.
Vanessa stopped talking.
My heart nearly stopped.
“Nia?””
I didn’t move.
“Nia?””
Her footsteps came closer.
I backed toward my room.
The door was only a few feet away.
I reached for the handle.
Then Vanessa appeared at the end of the hallway.
Our eyes met.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she smiled.
Slowly.
“You heard something, didn’t you?””
I said nothing.
She walked closer.
“What did you hear?””
I forced myself to stay calm.
“Nothing.””
Her eyes narrowed.
A strange thing happened.
She looked almost proud.
Like she was watching me learn a lesson.
“You’re becoming smarter.””
I hated the way she said it.
Like intelligence was dangerous.
Like asking questions was a crime.
Then she whispered:
“Your mother was smart too.””
I swallowed.
“What happened to her?””
The smile disappeared.
For one second, the mask slipped.
And I saw something underneath.
Guilt.
Fear.
Regret.
Then it was gone.
Vanessa stepped closer.
“You really want to know?””
I didn’t answer.
She leaned toward me.
“Then you should ask your father why he was the one who signed the papers.””
My heart stopped.
“What papers?””
But Vanessa was already walking away.
She didn’t answer.
She didn’t need to.
Because she had just given me a new question.
One that terrified me more than anything before.
May you like
What papers had my father signed?
And why did my mother die after he did?
