Chapter 9: The Person Behind Everything
For several seconds, I couldn’t speak.
The phone was pressed against my ear.
My hand was frozen.
My breathing was shallow.
Because I knew exactly what Marcus was implying.
Someone closer.
Closer than my mother.
Closer than Daniel.
Closer than him.
There weren’t many people left.
And that was what scared me.
“Who?”” I asked.
My voice was barely audible.
Marcus didn’t answer.
“Who, Marcus?””
A long silence followed.
Then he said:
“Ethan.””
I closed my eyes.
No.
Not again.
Not Ethan.
My brother.
The person who had held my hand when I buried my father.
The person who promised me he would always protect me.
The person who looked me in the eyes and admitted he had known about Marcus’s secrets.
But this?
This was different.
“You’re lying.””
The words came automatically.
Marcus sighed.
“I wish I was.””
“You’re blaming my brother now?””
“No.””
His voice sounded exhausted.
“I’m telling you what I found.””
I looked at the folder sitting on my passenger seat.
The documents.
The photographs.
The pieces of a life I thought I understood.
“What did you find?””
Marcus was quiet.
Then:
“Proof.””
I gripped the steering wheel.
“Where?””
“Ethan had copies of the original company records.””
I frowned.
“What records?””
“The ones Daniel said disappeared.””
My heart raced.
“You mean my father’s company records?””
“Yes.””
“Why would Ethan have them?””
Marcus swallowed.
“Because he was the one who gave them to Daniel.””
The world seemed to stop.
I looked out through the windshield.
People walked past my car.
A woman laughed while talking on the phone.
A man carried grocery bags.
Life continued.
Completely unaware that mine had just changed again.
“No.””
“Nia.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“I talked to Ethan.””
“I know.””
“He told me he was trying to help.””
“He was.””
That confused me.
“What?””
Marcus took a breath.
“Ethan didn’t start this.””
“Then explain.””
“I think he discovered what your mother was doing.””
I listened.
“He found the records.””
“Why?””
“Because he was suspicious after your father died.””
I closed my eyes.
That sounded like Ethan.
The part of me that loved my brother wanted to believe it.
Wanted there to be an explanation.
“He confronted your mother.””
I felt a chill.
“And?””
“She convinced him to stay quiet.””
“How?””
Marcus’s voice lowered.
“By making him believe your father was involved too.””
I stared ahead.
My father.
Again.
His name was trapped in everyone’s secrets.
“Why would Ethan believe that?””
“Because he was young. Angry. Confused.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“Nia.””
“No.””
My voice cracked.
“You don’t understand.””
I wiped my face.
“Ethan loved my father.””
“I know.””
“He would never let someone destroy him.””
Marcus went silent.
Then:
“People don’t always become villains overnight.””
The sentence hurt because it sounded true.
I drove straight to Ethan’s house.
This time, I didn’t knock.
I opened the gate.
Walked to the door.
And knocked hard.
A few seconds later, Ethan opened it.
The moment he saw my face, he knew.
“What happened?””
I held up the folder.
“Tell me the truth.””
His expression changed.
“Nia…”
“No.””
I stepped inside.
“I’m done hearing pieces.””
He closed the door slowly.
“What did you find?””
I stared at him.
“You tell me.””
Silence.
“Were you involved?””
His face changed.
Not surprise.
Pain.
That was worse.
“Who told you?””
I laughed quietly.
“That’s your first question?””
He looked away.
I felt something inside me crack.
“Ethan.””
He sat down.
“I didn’t want you to know this way.””
“Know what?””
He didn’t answer.
“Know what?””
His eyes filled.
“The truth.””
I stood there waiting.
Finally, he spoke.
“After Dad died, I found something.””
I listened.
“Documents hidden in his office.””
“The records?””
“Yes.””
“And what did they show?””
He looked down.
“That Dad wasn’t responsible.””
I felt relief for half a second.
Then confusion.
“Then why didn’t you tell everyone?””
His silence returned.
“Ethan.””
He closed his eyes.
“Because Mom asked me not to.””
My heart sank.
“Why?””
“She said Dad made mistakes.””
I stared.
“What mistakes?””
“She said he knew about the missing money.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“I was twenty.””
“That doesn’t matter.””
“I was grieving.””
“That doesn’t matter.””
My voice broke.
“You knew something that could have saved his name.””
He looked at me.
“I didn’t know what to believe.””
“You had proof.””
“I had pieces.””
I walked away.
“No.””
“Nia.””
“No.””
I turned back.
“You don’t get to say you were confused anymore.””
He lowered his head.
“Okay.””
The word surprised me.
He wasn’t defending himself.
He was accepting it.
“I was scared.””
I stared at him.
“Of what?””
“That I would destroy the family.””
I almost laughed.
“The family?””
I looked around.
“The family is already destroyed.””
Ethan wiped his eyes.
“I know.””
“Did Mom know?””
“Yes.””
“Did Marcus know?””
“Yes.””
I froze.
“What?””
Ethan looked at me.
“Marcus found out later.””
“How much later?””
“Before he married you.””
I felt sick.
Everyone knew.
Everyone.
Except me.
“Why?””
Ethan whispered:
“Because we thought we could fix it.””
I shook my head.
That sentence.
Again.
Always the same.
“You all thought you could fix my life without telling me.””
I grabbed my purse.
“Nia, wait.””
I stopped.
“Did you kill my father?””
His face went pale.
“What?””
“Did you?””
“No.””
The answer came instantly.
“I loved Dad.””
I searched his face.
For a lie.
For anything.
I didn’t find one.
But I also knew I couldn’t trust feelings anymore.
“I need proof.””
Ethan nodded slowly.
“I know.””
He walked to a cabinet.
Pulled out a small box.
“I kept these because I knew someday you’d ask.””
Inside were papers.
Old documents.
Letters.
And one envelope.
My name was written on it.
My father’s handwriting.
My hands started shaking.
“What is this?””
Ethan looked at me.
“I found it after he died.””
“Why didn’t you give it to me?””
“Because Mom took everything else.””
I opened the envelope carefully.
Inside was a letter.
The paper was old.
The ink slightly faded.
I read the first line.
*My dearest Nia,*
My vision blurred.
My father.
A letter from my father.
I kept reading.
*If you are reading this, it means I was not able to tell you the truth myself.*
My heart pounded.
The next line made me stop.
*Trust no one who tells you they protected you by keeping you in the dark.*
I looked at Ethan.
Then back at the letter.
*The person who betrayed me was not the person you think.*
My hands shook.
I continued.
*The person who knows the full truth is the person who was beside me the night everything happened.*
I looked up.
“Ethan…”
He looked terrified.
“What?””
I held up the letter.
“Who was beside my father that night?””
His face went white.
Because he knew.
He knew exactly what the letter meant.
“Nia…”
“Who?””
He whispered:
“Marcus.””
The room went silent.
I stared at him.
“No.””
Ethan looked away.
“I’m sorry.””
“No.””
I backed away.
“Marcus was there?””
“Yes.””
“On the night my father died?””
“Yes.””
My phone started ringing.
I looked down.
Marcus.
I answered without thinking.
“What did you do?””
There was silence.
Then Marcus spoke.
“Nia…”
“Were you there?””
Another silence.
“Were you there the night my father died?””
His breathing changed.
And I knew.
I knew before he said it.
“Yes.””
I closed my eyes.
The pain was almost too much.
“Why?””
His voice broke.
“Because I was trying to save him.””
I shook my head.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?””
The answer came quietly.
Because it was the one truth he had been hiding the longest.
“Because I wasn’t the only person there.””
My heart stopped.
“Who else was there?””
Marcus whispered:
“Nia…”
“Who?””
A long pause.
Then:
“Your mother.””
I couldn’t breathe.
But before I could respond, Marcus said one more thing.
Something that changed everything.
“She didn’t come to help your father.””
May you like
He paused.
“She came to make sure he never spoke again.””
