Chapter 7: The Enemy Inside the House
The voicemail played again.
And again.
And again.
“Ask your father who pushed her.””
The words were only seven seconds long.
But they destroyed everything I thought I knew.
My father sat across from me, completely still.
I had seen him angry.
I had seen him disappointed.
I had seen him under pressure.
But I had never seen him look broken.
“Dad?””
He didn’t respond.
“Did someone push Mom?””
His eyes closed.
That was the moment I knew.
He knew something.
Maybe not everything.
But something.
“You need to tell me.””
He looked at me.
“Emma…”
“No.””
My voice shook.
“I spent three years believing she left because of a car accident.””
He looked away.
“Because that’s what the police report said.””
“But you don’t believe it.””
Silence.
That was all the answer I needed.
I stepped back.
“How long have you known?””
“Emma—”
“How long?””
He whispered:
“Since the day it happened.””
My chest tightened.
“You lied to me.””
“I protected you.””
“No.””
My voice became louder.
“You protected yourself.””
He looked hurt.
But I didn’t stop.
“You let me believe she just died.””
“Because I couldn’t lose you too.””
The anger disappeared from my body for a moment.
Because he sounded like a father.
Not a businessman.
Just a terrified man who had already lost his wife.
“What happened?””
He sat down.
“I got a call that night.””
“From who?””
“The hospital.””
He swallowed.
“They said your mother’s car went off the road.””
“That’s all?””
“No.””
He looked at his hands.
“They said the brakes failed.””
I frowned.
“Then why did you think someone pushed her?””
He looked toward the box.
“Because your mother was careful.””
The answer was simple.
But it made sense.
My mother checked everything.
She was the kind of person who read restaurant reviews before ordering food.
She would never ignore a warning sign.
“After the accident, I found her research.””
My father continued.
“She had evidence against people at Hawthorne.””
“And you thought they killed her?””
“I thought someone wanted to scare her.””
A pause.
“Then I realized they had no reason to stop.””
The room felt heavy.
“Why didn’t you tell the police?””
His expression changed.
“Because someone inside the investigation helped bury the case.””
I stared.
“What?””
“The officer assigned to review the accident had connections to one of the families involved.””
“Which family?””
My father looked at me.
“Clarke.””
My heart sank.
Madison’s family.
The next morning, I returned to Hawthorne.
Not because I wanted to.
Because I needed answers.
People stared.
But this time, I didn’t care.
I walked straight to the administration building.
Principal Harris looked surprised.
“Emma.””
“I need to ask you something.””
He looked nervous.
“About what?””
“My mother.””
His face changed.
Only slightly.
But enough.
“You knew her.””
He sat down slowly.
“Yes.””
“How well?””
“She was a remarkable woman.””
“That’s not an answer.””
He sighed.
“Your mother was on the school board’s ethics committee.””
I froze.
“My mother was part of Hawthorne?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?””
He looked uncomfortable.
“Because after she died, her records were sealed.””
“By who?””
He hesitated.
“The board.””
I leaned forward.
“Why?””
Before he could answer, the office door opened.
Madison walked in.
Her eyes moved between us.
“You told her.””
Principal Harris looked exhausted.
“I had to.””
Madison closed the door.
“My father knows.””
The room went quiet.
“What?””
Madison looked at me.
“He knows you’re investigating.””
“How?””
“Because he’s been watching.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Watching me?””
She nodded.
“He knew your father would eventually come looking.””
I stared.
“Why are you helping me?””
Madison looked down.
And for the first time, she looked like a teenager.
Not a villain.
Not a queen.
Just someone scared.
“Because my father destroyed my life too.””
I didn’t expect that.
“What do you mean?””
She sat down.
“My whole life, he taught me one thing.””
“What?””
“That winning matters more than being kind.””
She looked ashamed.
“I became exactly what he wanted.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Madison pulled out her phone.
“There’s something you need to see.””
She showed me a video.
A security camera recording.
The date was three years ago.
The night my mother died.
I watched.
A car.
A parking garage.
My mother walking toward it.
Then another person appeared.
A man.
He approached her.
They argued.
I leaned closer.
The video quality was poor.
But I recognized the man.
My stomach dropped.
Because I knew him.
Everyone knew him.
The most trusted person at Hawthorne Academy.
The person who had welcomed me on my first day.
The person who always told me everything would be okay.
The video froze.
Madison whispered:
“That’s why my father is afraid.””
I stared at the screen.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“That’s impossible.””
Madison looked at me.
“It’s not.””
She paused.
“Your mother wasn’t killed by someone who hated her.””
She pointed at the frozen image.
“She was killed by someone who stood beside her.””
The screen showed the man’s face.
May you like
And beneath the video was one name.
*Principal Thomas Harris.*
