Chapter 3: The Secret My Mother Left Behind
I stared at the message until the screen went dark.
Then I turned it back on.
Read it again.
And again.
The words didn’t change.
*Your mother never wanted Vanessa to raise you.*
My room suddenly felt too small.
The walls seemed closer.
The air felt heavier.
For years, I had wondered why Vanessa never looked at me the way she looked at Ava and Caleb.
I had blamed myself.
Maybe I was too quiet.
Maybe I reminded her too much of my mother.
Maybe I wasn’t easy to love.
But this message suggested something else.
Something I had never considered.
Maybe Vanessa had been hiding a reason.
My thumb hovered over the screen.
I wanted to reply.
I wanted to ask who they were.
How they knew my mother.
Why they were telling me this now.
But fear stopped me.
Because a small part of me already knew.
Whatever answer came next would change something.
And once you know the truth, you can’t return to not knowing.
A knock sounded on my door.
I quickly locked my phone.
“Come in.””
Ava opened the door.
She wasn’t wearing her usual confident expression.
No perfect smile.
No attitude.
Just Ava.
My stepsister.
My almost-sister.
“Can I talk to you?””
I nodded.
She walked in slowly and sat on the edge of my bed.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
That had never happened before.
Usually Ava filled every silence.
She had stories about school.
Friends.
Parties.
Things happening in her world.
But now she looked uncomfortable.
“I heard everything,” she said.
I looked down.
“How much?””
“Enough.””
The room went quiet.
Then she whispered, “I didn’t know.””
I believed her.
That was the strange part.
I believed Ava before I believed anyone else in the house.
“You shouldn’t have to apologize.””
“But I do.””
I looked at her.
She twisted a bracelet around her wrist.
“I always thought…”
She stopped.
“What?””
She sighed.
“I always thought you didn’t care.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“You were always quiet when Mom gave me things. Or when she took me places.””
I looked away.
Because the truth was embarrassing.
“I cared.””
Ava looked surprised.
“Then why did you never say anything?””
I smiled sadly.
“Because nobody wants to hear someone complain about being loved less.””
Her face fell.
“Nia…”
“It’s okay.””
“No, it’s not.””
For the first time, Ava sounded angry.
Not at me.
At the situation.
“My mom shouldn’t have said those things.””
I didn’t answer.
Because I wasn’t sure what hurt more.
The fact that Vanessa said them.
Or the fact that Ava finally saw them.
After a moment, Ava asked, “Who texted you?””
My head snapped up.
“What?””
“You looked scared when I came in.””
I hesitated.
Ava noticed everything.
That was something we had in common.
I unlocked my phone and showed her the messages.
She read them.
Her eyebrows pulled together.
“Who is this?””
“I don’t know.””
“Have you replied?””
“No.””
Ava looked at me.
“Maybe you should.””
I studied her face.
“You’re not going to tell Mom?””
Her expression changed.
“No.””
That surprised me.
“Why?””
She handed the phone back.
“Because for once, I think someone should answer your questions.””
I didn’t know what to say.
Ava stood up.
Before leaving, she paused.
“Nia?””
“Yeah?””
“I’m sorry I didn’t notice.””
I looked at her.
She swallowed.
“I was too busy being the daughter everyone wanted.””
Then she walked away.
Ten minutes later, I replied.
My fingers shook as I typed.
*Who are you?*
The message was seen immediately.
That scared me more than if they had taken hours.
The typing bubble appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
Finally, the answer came.
*My name is Evelyn Brooks. I was your mother’s best friend.*
I froze.
My mother’s best friend.
I had heard that name before.
Years ago.
Before I was old enough to understand.
There had been an Evelyn who sent birthday cards.
An Evelyn who visited the hospital.
An Evelyn my father stopped mentioning after my mother died.
I typed quickly.
*Why are you contacting me now?*
The reply took longer.
*Because I promised your mother I would only tell you when you were old enough to understand.*
My heart started racing.
*Understand what?*
Three dots appeared.
Then vanished.
Then returned.
Finally:
*That Vanessa did not enter your father’s life the way he told you.*
I stared at those words.
My father.
The man who had always told me he wanted honesty.
The man who had told me Vanessa just needed time.
Could he have hidden something too?
I heard footsteps outside my door.
I locked my phone again.
The door opened.
My father stood there.
“Nia?””
I quickly put the phone under my pillow.
“What?””
He looked exhausted.
Older than he had that morning.
“I wanted to check on you.””
I nodded.
“Okay.””
He stepped inside.
“I know this is difficult.””
I almost laughed.
Difficult.
That was such a small word for something that felt like my entire world collapsing.
“Are you really sending me away?””
He sat down.
“I don’t want to.””
“But you’re considering it.””
He looked at the floor.
That was answer enough.
“Why?””
He was quiet.
Then he said something I never expected.
“Because Vanessa gave me a choice.””
My eyebrows pulled together.
“What choice?””
He looked at me.
“If I keep fighting with her, she says she will leave.””
I stared.
“And?””
“And I don’t want our family destroyed.””
My chest tightened.
Our family.
Again.
That word.
But somehow, I was the piece that could be removed to save it.
“So I’m the sacrifice.””
His face changed.
“No.””
“Yes.””
I stood up.
“If keeping your marriage means losing me, then I am.””
He looked hurt.
“Nia, that’s not fair.””
I couldn’t believe he said that.
“Fair?””
My voice rose.
“Do you know what’s not fair? Living in a house where I have to beg people to treat me like I belong.””
He looked away.
And that was when I knew.
He knew.
Maybe not everything.
But enough.
“You knew she felt this way.””
He didn’t answer.
“Dad.””
His silence broke something inside me.
“You knew.””
He rubbed his face.
“I thought things would improve.””
“How long were you going to wait?””
No answer.
“Until I left?””
He stood quickly.
“That’s not what I want.””
“But it’s what you’re allowing.””
The room became silent.
Then he said quietly:
“Your mother would hate seeing us like this.””
The mention of my mother made me stop.
Because suddenly, the message returned.
*Your mother never wanted Vanessa to raise you.*
I looked at him carefully.
“What did Mom think about Vanessa?””
His expression changed.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
Fear.
“Nia.””
“What did she think?””
He looked toward the door.
“I don’t think this is the right time.””
“Why?””
Because you’re hiding something.
I didn’t say it.
But I saw it in his eyes.
My father knew.
He knew there was a story I had never heard.
He left without answering.
The moment the door closed, I grabbed my phone.
I opened Evelyn’s conversation.
Before I could type, another message appeared.
*I know your father probably won’t tell you everything.*
My breath caught.
Another message followed.
*Because he promised Vanessa he would keep your mother’s letter hidden.*
I stood up.
A letter.
My mother wrote a letter?
To me?
I typed:
*What letter?*
This time, Evelyn answered immediately.
*The letter your mother wrote the night before she died.*
My hands went cold.
*Where is it?*
A long pause.
Then:
*In your house.*
I looked around my room.
The room I had lived in for years.
The room I thought held nothing important.
Another message appeared.
*Nia, your mother didn’t leave you behind. She left you a warning.*
I stopped breathing.
*A warning about Vanessa.*
At that exact moment, my bedroom door opened.
I turned.
Vanessa stood there.
Her face was unreadable.
And in her hand was the same document from that morning.
But this time, I noticed something.
A name printed at the top.
Not mine.
Not my father’s.
My mother’s.
Vanessa looked at my phone.
Then at me.
May you like
“Nia,” she said quietly.
“Who told you about the letter?””
