Chapter 10: The Ghost From The Past
Marcus stared at his father.
For a moment, nothing existed except those two words.
*Your mother.*
His mind rejected them immediately.
No.
Impossible.
His mother, Evelyn Hale, had been gone for twelve years.
A stroke.
A quiet death.
A small funeral.
A woman he remembered baking cookies in the kitchen and humming old songs while she cleaned.
A woman who held his hand when he was sick.
A woman who cried when he left for college.
A woman who could never hurt anyone.
“No.””
The word came out before he could stop it.
Richard looked at him sadly.
“I knew you wouldn’t believe me.””
“Because it’s not true.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“You’re telling me my mother tried to kill you?””
Richard didn’t move.
“Yes.””
The simplicity of the answer made Marcus angrier.
“You disappeared for six years, let me bury you, let me believe my father was gone, and now you walk into my house and accuse my dead mother?””
Richard looked down.
“I know how it sounds.””
“It sounds insane.””
“It was.””
The room went silent.
Vanessa stood near the kitchen table, watching them.
Marcus turned toward her.
“You knew?””
Vanessa looked away.
That was enough.
“You knew about my father?””
“Yes.””
“How long?””
“Since the night of the accident.””
Marcus closed his eyes.
Everyone knew.
Everyone except him.
Again.
“Why?””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Because your father saved Nia’s life.””
Marcus looked confused.
“What?””
Richard looked toward his granddaughter.
“She doesn’t remember everything.””
Nia stood frozen.
Richard softened.
“But I do.””
Marcus looked at his father.
“Tell me.””
Richard slowly walked toward the table.
His cane tapped against the floor.
“I went to the vacation house because Ryan called me.””
“You already said that.””
“Yes.””
Richard sat down.
“But I didn’t tell you why Ryan called.””
Marcus waited.
“He was afraid.””
“Of what?””
“Your grandmother.””
Marcus frowned.
“My grandmother?””
Richard nodded.
“Evelyn had been controlling Ryan for years.””
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
“She knew his weaknesses.””
“My mother?””
Richard sighed.
“Your mother was not the person you thought she was.””
The sentence sounded familiar.
Too familiar.
Everyone had been saying some version of it.
Marcus looked around.
A lifetime of memories suddenly felt like a collection of lies.
“What did she do?””
Richard looked at him.
“She built an empire.””
Marcus frowned.
“She was a housewife.””
Richard gave a sad smile.
“That’s what she wanted people to think.””
Marcus said nothing.
Because some part of him remembered.
His mother was always involved.
Always aware.
Always knowing things before anyone told her.
She knew the neighbors’ problems.
She knew family arguments before they happened.
She knew exactly what to say to make people do what she wanted.
He had called it caring.
Maybe it had been something else.
“What happened that night?””
Richard looked toward Nia.
“Ryan had stolen money.””
Marcus nodded.
“The money from the property.””
“Yes.””
“But why was my mother involved?””
“Because the money wasn’t Ryan’s.””
Richard’s voice became quieter.
“It belonged to her.””
Marcus froze.
“What?””
“She used Ryan to move money.””
“Why?””
Richard looked at him.
“Because she was hiding something.””
Marcus felt a chill.
“What?””
Richard didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at Vanessa.
“She knows.””
Marcus turned.
“Vanessa?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“I found out later.””
“Found out what?””
“That Evelyn had been laundering money through family businesses.””
Marcus stared.
The accusation was huge.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
Vanessa’s eyes filled with frustration.
“Because I didn’t have proof.””
“You had six years.””
“I was trying to protect our children.””
Marcus almost smiled.
There it was again.
Protect.
That word had become a prison.
“Everyone keeps using that excuse.””
Richard looked down.
“Because everyone was afraid.””
Marcus looked at him.
“Afraid of what?””
Richard’s expression changed.
“Your mother.””
The house felt colder.
Even though the storm had ended hours ago, Marcus felt like he was still standing in the rain.
“Then why fake your death?””
Richard looked at his hands.
“Because she tried again.””
Marcus froze.
“What?””
“After the accident, I survived.””
Richard’s voice became distant.
“I woke up in the hospital.””
Marcus listened.
“Your mother was there.””
“What did she do?””
“She told me Ryan had confessed.””
Marcus frowned.
“Confessed to what?””
“To trying to hurt me.””
Richard looked at Marcus.
“But she also told me something else.””
“What?””
“She said if I went to the police, she would make sure you lost everything.””
Marcus felt his stomach tighten.
“She threatened you?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because I knew too much.””
Richard paused.
“And because I had proof.””
Marcus leaned forward.
“What proof?””
Richard looked toward the basement.
“The same thing Ryan has.””
Marcus’s eyes narrowed.
“The video?””
Richard nodded.
“I copied it before I disappeared.””
A cold realization hit Marcus.
“That’s why Ryan came back.””
“Yes.””
“He wants the video.””
Richard nodded.
“But he isn’t the only one.””
The room went quiet.
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
“Who else knows?””
Richard answered.
“Someone who has been watching your family for years.””
Marcus felt his phone buzz.
Everyone looked.
A message.
Unknown number.
Marcus opened it.
A photo.
His breath caught.
It was taken outside the house.
Right now.
A person standing across the street.
Watching.
The image was blurry.
But the message was clear.
*You should have stayed away from the past.*
Another message appeared.
*Your father should have stayed dead.*
Marcus immediately moved toward the window.
“Stay back.””
He looked outside.
The street was empty.
Whoever had taken the photo was gone.
He turned around.
“Richard.””
His father looked at him.
“Where is the video?””
Richard’s expression changed.
“Hidden.””
“Where?””
“I can’t tell you.””
Marcus stared.
“Not again.””
Richard looked hurt.
“I’m trying to keep you alive.””
“No.””
Marcus’s voice hardened.
“You’re doing the same thing everyone else did.””
Silence.
“Making choices for me.””
Richard lowered his eyes.
“You’re right.””
That admission surprised Marcus.
Then Richard reached into his coat.
He pulled out a small object.
A memory card.
Marcus stared.
“Is that it?””
Richard nodded.
“The original recording.””
Vanessa immediately stepped forward.
“Richard, no.””
Everyone looked at her.
Her reaction was too fast.
Too afraid.
Marcus noticed.
“Why?””
Vanessa looked at the memory card.
“Because once you see it, there’s no going back.””
Marcus took it from his father.
“There was never going back.””
He walked toward the laptop from the basement.
Everyone followed.
The card slid into the computer.
The screen loaded.
A single video file appeared.
*Vacation_House_CAM_01*
Marcus clicked.
The footage began.
A dark driveway.
Rain.
The same night.
The same storm.
But this angle was different.
Clearer.
A young Ryan appeared.
Then Vanessa.
Then little Nia.
Marcus watched silently.
Then Richard entered the frame.
His father.
Alive.
Arguing with Ryan.
The audio was faint.
But enough.
Ryan shouted:
“You don’t understand what she’ll do!””
Richard replied:
“She already did enough.””
Marcus leaned closer.
Then another person entered the frame.
A woman.
Older.
Wearing a dark coat.
Marcus stopped breathing.
He knew that face.
Even after twelve years.
Even after death.
Even after everything.
His mother.
Evelyn Hale.
She walked toward them.
The video audio crackled.
Then her voice came through.
“None of you were supposed to survive this.””
Marcus felt the room disappear.
The video continued.
Evelyn stepped closer.
And the final words before the screen went black were:
“Especially the little girl.””
Marcus stared at the frozen screen.
His mother.
The woman he loved.
The woman he buried.
Had been standing there that night.
And she had been talking about his daughter.
Then the laptop suddenly shut off.
The lights flickered.
Everyone froze.
A sound came from upstairs.
A window breaking.
Marcus grabbed the nearest object.
“Stay here.””
He ran.
But when he reached the hallway, he stopped.
On the floor was another envelope.
This time, it had a name.
Not Marcus.
Not Vanessa.
Not Ryan.
It said:
*For Nia.*
And beneath it was a message.
*The truth about your father is not the truth about me.*
Marcus picked up the envelope.
His hands shook.
Because whoever had left it knew something impossible.
Something nobody else should know.
Nia’s secret.
And as he turned back toward the family, he realized the nightmare was not about the past anymore.
May you like
The person who destroyed their family six years ago…
was still inside the game.
