Chapter 3: The Letter My Father Never Wanted Me to Read
I stared at the envelope in Amanda’s hand.
My name was written across the front.
Not a nickname.
Not “E.””
Not “Buddy.””
Ethan Parker.
The letters looked strange.
Like they belonged to someone older.
Someone who understood things I didn’t.
Lily moved closer to me.
“Who wrote that?””
Amanda looked at her.
“Not your concern.””
Lily frowned.
“Yes, it is.””
Amanda sighed.
“You always were too curious.””
“No,” Lily said quietly.
“I just care about Ethan.””
For a moment, Amanda didn’t respond.
Then she looked back at me.
“Your father has spent years telling you a story.””
I swallowed.
“What story?””
“That your mother left.””
The room felt colder.
Everyone knew that story.
At least, I thought they did.
My mother left when I was three.
That was what Dad told me.
She wasn’t ready to be a mother.
She moved away.
She didn’t want to be part of our lives.
I had asked questions when I was younger.
Dad always answered carefully.
“She loved you in her own way.””
That was his favorite sentence.
I never understood it.
How could someone love you and still leave?
Amanda held the letter out.
“Read it.””
I didn’t take it.
“Why do you have it?””
Her eyes shifted.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
Fear.
“She gave it to your father.””
“Then why do you have it?””
Amanda’s lips pressed together.
“That doesn’t matter.””
“It matters.””
The words surprised all of us.
Including me.
Amanda looked at me differently.
Not like a child.
Like a problem.
“You’re becoming more like your father every day.””
Lily stepped forward.
“Maybe that’s a good thing.””
Amanda ignored her.
“Ethan, your father wants you to believe he’s the hero.””
“Isn’t he?””
The question came out naturally.
Amanda stared at me.
Then she smiled sadly.
“No.””
She placed the envelope on the desk.
“He’s just better at hiding things.””
I looked at the letter.
Everything inside me wanted to open it.
But another part of me remembered Dad’s face in the garage.
The seriousness in his eyes.
The way he told me to trust him.
“Don’t let anyone make you feel like you have to choose sides, Ethan.””
He had said that too.
At the time, I didn’t understand.
Now I wondered why he needed to say it.
Amanda walked toward the door.
“Read it when you’re ready.””
She paused.
Then added:
“Maybe after you do, you’ll understand why your father is not as innocent as you think.””
She left.
The door closed.
Lily immediately picked up the envelope.
“She’s lying.””
“How do you know?””
“Because she always does something weird when she’s lying.””
I looked at her.
“Like what?””
“She talks too much.””
I almost smiled.
Lily sat on the bed.
“Your dad told me once that people who tell the truth don’t need a thousand excuses.””
I looked at her.
“When did he tell you that?””
“When Mom and Dad were fighting.””
My stomach tightened.
“You heard them too?””
Lily nodded.
“I didn’t understand everything.””
“What did you hear?””
She looked down.
“Mom said Dad was going to ruin everything.””
“What did Dad say?””
Lily was quiet.
Then she whispered:
“He said, ‘You already did.’”
The room went silent.
I picked up the envelope.
My hands shook.
The paper felt old.
Like it had been waiting a long time.
I opened it carefully.
Inside was a folded letter.
The handwriting was neat.
Small.
The first line made my heart stop.
*Dear Ethan,*
I looked at Lily.
She whispered:
“Read it.””
So I did.
*If you are reading this, it means your father finally decided you were old enough to know the truth.*
I frowned.
Dad?
But Amanda had given me the letter.
Why would my mother write that?
I continued.
*First, I need you to know something. I never abandoned you.*
My chest tightened.
The words blurred for a second.
I blinked.
Then read again.
*I know people may have told you I left. I know you may have heard that I chose another life over you. But that is not what happened.*
I stopped.
Lily touched my arm.
“Ethan?””
I couldn’t answer.
I kept reading.
*Your father loved you more than anything in this world. That part is true. But love does not always mean someone tells you everything. Sometimes people hide things because they think they are protecting you.*
I looked at the black device.
The red light was still blinking.
*I wanted to be there for you. I fought to stay. But Amanda made sure I couldn’t.*
My eyes widened.
I looked at Lily.
She looked back at me.
Neither of us spoke.
I kept reading.
*She told me I would never see you again if I didn’t leave. She told me she had ways to make people believe I was unstable.*
My breathing became faster.
No.
That couldn’t be real.
Amanda had been Dad’s wife.
She had been part of our family.
She had cooked dinner.
Bought school supplies.
Helped me with homework.
But now every memory felt different.
Like a picture with a crack running through it.
The letter continued.
*I begged your father to fight harder. But he was scared. Not for himself. For you.*
I felt tears building.
Because that sounded like Dad.
He was always worried about me.
Always.
*Ethan, if your father gave you the device, it means he finally decided there was enough evidence.*
I froze.
Enough evidence?
Evidence of what?
I read the next sentence.
*Amanda has been hiding something for a long time. Something that started before she became part of your family.*
The hallway suddenly creaked.
Lily looked toward the door.
Someone was standing outside.
We both stopped moving.
A shadow appeared underneath the door.
Amanda.
She had been listening.
Lily quickly folded the letter.
But it was too late.
The door opened.
Amanda stood there.
Her expression was different.
Not angry.
Not afraid.
Empty.
“What did you read?””
Neither of us answered.
Amanda looked at the letter in my hand.
Then at the device.
Her face changed.
“You weren’t supposed to open that.””
I stood up.
“You knew about it.””
She didn’t deny it.
That scared me more.
“How?””
Amanda stepped inside.
“Your father told me.””
“Why would he tell you?””
She looked at the floor.
Then back at me.
“Because he wanted to know what I would do.””
Lily moved beside me.
“What does that mean?””
Amanda’s eyes moved to her daughter.
“Lily, go downstairs.””
“No.””
“Go downstairs.””
“No.””
Amanda’s voice sharpened.
“Lily.””
But Lily didn’t move.
She grabbed my hand.
“I’m staying.””
Amanda stared at us.
Two children standing together.
Maybe that was the moment she realized something.
She couldn’t separate us anymore.
She walked to the desk and picked up the letter.
“You don’t understand what you’re reading.””
“I understand that my mom said you kept her away.””
Amanda’s jaw tightened.
“She was never your mother.””
The words were cruel.
But this time, they didn’t break me.
Because I was starting to see something.
Amanda wanted me to feel alone.
She wanted me to believe nobody chose me.
But Dad chose me.
Lily chose me.
And maybe my mother had tried to choose me too.
Amanda looked at the device.
“Your father recorded conversations?””
I said nothing.
She laughed softly.
“So that’s his plan.””
“What plan?””
Her eyes moved toward the window.
“Destroy me.””
The way she said it sounded almost like she was the victim.
Then her phone buzzed.
She looked at the screen.
A message appeared.
Her face changed.
This time, she couldn’t hide it.
I saw panic.
Real panic.
She quickly locked the phone.
But not before I saw the first words.
*He knows.*
Amanda looked at me.
Then at the device.
And whispered:
“Your father was never supposed to find out who helped your mother.””
Lily’s eyes widened.
“Who helped her?””
Amanda didn’t answer.
Because at that exact moment, there was a sound from downstairs.
The front door opening.
All three of us froze.
Amanda turned white.
“No.””
I heard footsteps.
Slow.
Heavy.
Familiar.
A voice came from the hallway.
“Ethan?””
My heart stopped.
Because I knew that voice.
Dad.
But Dad wasn’t supposed to come home for another week.
Amanda stared at the door.
And for the first time, she looked more afraid of someone else than she was of the little black device.
The footsteps stopped outside the bedroom.
Then Dad said:
“Amanda.””
A pause.
May you like
“I know what happened while I was gone.””
The door handle began to turn.
