Chapter 3: The Secret She Buried
My father read the message three times.
Like if he looked at it enough, the words would rearrange themselves into something less painful.
They didn’t.
“Who is Rachel?”” I asked.
He didn’t respond immediately.
That scared me more than anything.
Because my father always had answers.
Even when they were wrong.
This time, he had silence.
“Dad?””
He sat on the edge of my desk chair.
“Rachel was Vanessa’s friend before we met.””
“That doesn’t explain anything.””
“No.””
His voice was quiet.
“It doesn’t.””
I waited.
Finally, he looked at me.
“Your mother knew her.””
The room went still.
My mother.
Even after four years, that word could stop me.
“What does my mom have to do with this?””
My father looked toward the window.
“She discovered something before she died.””
My heart started racing.
“What?””
He rubbed his face.
“I don’t know.””
“You don’t know?””
“I know she was worried.””
I stood up.
“You knew Mom was worried and you did nothing?””
“Maya—”
“No.””
My voice cracked.
“All these years, you told me Vanessa was helping us. You told me she loved us.””
“I believed she did.””
“And now?””
He looked down.
“I don’t know what I believe.””
That answer hurt.
Because my father’s whole life had been built on certainty.
And Vanessa had broken it.
That afternoon, I found an old box in the hallway closet.
My mother’s things.
Things my father had kept hidden away.
I brought it to my room and opened it slowly.
Inside were photographs.
Letters.
A necklace.
And a small notebook.
The handwriting on the cover made my chest tighten.
Mom’s.
I opened it.
Most pages were memories.
Grocery lists.
Random thoughts.
Then I reached a page near the end.
The writing changed.
The letters were rushed.
“I don’t know if I’m being paranoid, but something about Vanessa worries me.””
I stopped breathing.
I kept reading.
“She asks too many questions about Marcus’s finances. She asks about the house. About insurance.””
My hands shook.
Another line.
“The scariest part is how everyone thinks she’s perfect.””
I closed the notebook.
Because suddenly I understood.
Vanessa’s greatest talent wasn’t lying.
It was making everyone else feel crazy for noticing.
A knock came at my door.
I quickly hid the notebook.
It was Lily.
“Can I come in?””
“Yeah.””
She walked in holding a piece of paper.
“What’s that?””
She handed it to me.
“I found it under Vanessa’s bed.””
I unfolded it.
It was a letter.
Not a normal letter.
A legal document.
My eyes moved across the page.
And then I saw my own name.
“What is this?””
Lily shrugged.
“I don’t know.””
I read faster.
It was a petition.
A request for guardianship review.
My father’s name.
My name.
And Vanessa’s signature.
“She was trying to take me away from Dad?””
Before Lily could answer, my bedroom door opened.
Vanessa stood there.
Her face was calm.
Too calm.
“You two have been very busy.””
I stood.
“You were spying on me?””
She smiled.
“No.””
She stepped inside.
“I was protecting myself.””
I held up the paper.
“What is this?””
Her expression changed slightly.
Only slightly.
“You wouldn’t understand.””
“Try me.””
She looked at Lily.
“Go downstairs.””
Lily didn’t move.
“I said go.””
“No.””
Vanessa stared at her.
And for the first time, I saw Lily scared.
I stepped in front of her.
“Don’t talk to her like that.””
Vanessa laughed.
“There she is.””
“What?””
“The hero.””
She walked closer.
“You think you’re saving everyone.””
“No. I think I’m finally seeing you.””
Her smile disappeared.
“You should be careful, Maya.””
“Why?””
“Because people who search for answers usually find things they wish they never knew.””
She left.
But before closing the door, she whispered:
“Ask your father what happened the night your mother died.””
My entire body went cold.
Because I had never heard Vanessa mention that night.
Not once.
I ran downstairs.
My father was in the kitchen.
“Dad.””
He looked up.
“What happened?””
I held the notebook.
“What happened the night Mom died?””
The color drained from his face.
“Maya.””
“Tell me.””
He looked away.
And that was when I knew.
May you like
There was another secret.
One Vanessa had been waiting for me to discover.
