Chapter 7: The Shadow Upstairs
The sound of the floorboard upstairs made every person in the kitchen freeze.
Nobody moved.
Nobody even breathed.
For a few seconds, I thought maybe I had imagined it.
Maybe my mind was searching for danger because there had been too much of it already.
But then it happened again.
A slow creak.
Someone was walking.
Dad looked toward the staircase.
His face changed.
Not confusion.
Not anger.
Recognition.
And that scared me more than anything.
“Who’s upstairs?”” he asked.
Mom didn’t answer.
“Nicole.””
Her lips trembled.
“I don’t know.””
The lie was immediate.
And everyone heard it.
Dad laughed quietly.
A painful sound.
“You don’t know?””
She looked away.
“Maya, take Noah and go outside.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
“Just do it.””
“No.””
“Maya.””
“No.””
My voice shook, but I didn’t care.
“I’m done leaving rooms while everyone else decides what happens to me.””
Dad looked at me.
And for a moment, I saw pride mixed with sadness in his eyes.
Then he walked toward the stairs.
Mom grabbed his arm.
“Marcus, wait.””
He stopped.
“Why?””
She let go.
Because she knew she had no answer.
Dad climbed the first step.
Then the second.
Every movement felt louder than it should have.
I followed behind him.
“Maya,” he said.
“I’m coming.””
He looked like he wanted to argue.
But he didn’t.
Because maybe he understood.
Maybe he knew I had spent my whole life being told when I was allowed to know the truth.
Not anymore.
We reached the second floor.
The hallway was dark.
My bedroom door was slightly open.
Noah’s room was closed.
The guest room door at the end of the hallway was shut.
Dad looked around.
“Who’s here?””
No answer.
Then he saw it.
A shadow underneath the guest room door.
Someone was inside.
Dad’s hand tightened.
He reached for the doorknob.
“Marcus,” Mom whispered from behind us.
We turned.
She was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
Crying.
“Please.””
Dad looked at her.
“You knew.””
She didn’t deny it.
That was the worst part.
She simply whispered:
“I was trying to fix it.””
Dad opened the door.
Inside the guest room, the lights were off.
The curtains were closed.
For a second, it looked empty.
Then a voice came from the corner.
“Marcus.””
I felt my entire body go cold.
Because I knew that voice.
Everyone did.
Dad stepped forward.
“Richard?””
My uncle slowly stood from the chair beside the window.
He looked older than I remembered.
Not physically.
Something else.
Like guilt had been aging him.
“Maya,” he said softly.
I stepped back.
“No.””
He looked hurt.
“Maya, listen.””
“No.””
My voice became louder.
“You were upstairs?””
Richard looked down.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Nobody answered.
Dad stared at his brother.
“You were in my house.””
Richard swallowed.
“I needed to talk to Nicole.””
Dad looked at Mom.
Then back at Richard.
“How long have you been coming here?””
Silence.
That silence was enough.
Dad’s face changed.
“How long?””
Richard rubbed his hands together.
“I don’t know.””
“You don’t know?””
“Years.””
The word hit me.
Years.
Not weeks.
Not months.
Years.
I looked at my mother.
“You let him come here?””
She started crying.
“Maya…”
“No.””
I backed away.
“You let him stand in this house. You let him talk to us. You let him act like he cared.””
Richard looked ashamed.
“I do care.””
“Don’t say that.””
My voice cracked.
“You don’t get to say that.””
Dad stepped between us.
“Explain.””
Richard looked at him.
“I made mistakes.””
Dad laughed bitterly.
“Everyone in this family loves that word.””
Richard looked away.
“I was there for Nicole when you weren’t.””
Dad stared at him.
“What?””
“You were always working.””
“That does not justify this.””
“I know.””
“No, you don’t.””
Dad’s voice shook.
“You don’t get to use my struggles as an excuse for what you did.””
Richard lowered his head.
Mom whispered:
“Marcus…”
Dad turned toward her.
“No.””
The single word silenced her.
“How many people knew?””
Nobody answered.
“How many?””
Richard finally spoke.
“Only us.””
Dad looked at him.
“Only you and my wife?””
Richard hesitated.
And that hesitation destroyed everything.
Dad stepped closer.
“Who else?””
Richard looked toward me.
My stomach dropped.
“No.””
Richard’s face tightened.
“Maya…”
“No.””
My hands started shaking.
“Why are you looking at me?””
Nobody spoke.
Dad turned.
“Why are you looking at my daughter?””
Richard looked devastated.
And then he said the words that changed everything.
“Because she’s the reason I came back.””
The hallway went silent.
I couldn’t understand.
“What?””
Richard closed his eyes.
“Seven years ago, when everything happened…”
Dad’s voice became dangerous.
“What happened seven years ago?””
Richard looked at me.
“I found something.””
“What?””
He swallowed.
“Something about Maya.””
I felt like the floor disappeared.
My father grabbed the wall.
“What are you talking about?””
Richard didn’t answer.
Because Mom did.
And her voice was barely a whisper.
“She doesn’t know.””
Dad turned toward her.
“Know what?””
My mother looked at me.
Then she said:
“Maya was never supposed to find out that she wasn’t—”
She stopped.
Her phone rang.
Everyone jumped.
Mom looked at the screen.
May you like
And this time, I saw the name.
Daniel.
