Chapter 8: The Uncle I Never Knew Existed
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
My uncle.
A man I had never heard of.
A man my entire family had somehow erased from my life.
My mother’s words sat between us like something too heavy to move.
*He is the reason your father died.*
I stared at her.
“You’re telling me I have an uncle?””
She nodded slowly.
“His name was Richard.””
“Was?””
My mother looked down.
“Your father stopped calling him his brother.””
That sentence disturbed me more than anything else.
Because my father was not someone who cut people off easily.
He forgave too much.
He gave too many chances.
If he had walked away from someone, there had to be a reason.
“What happened?””
My mother looked around the restaurant.
For the first time, she seemed nervous about who might hear.
“Not here.””
I almost laughed.
“After ten years of secrets, now you’re worried about privacy?””
Her eyes filled with guilt.
“I deserve that.””
I didn’t expect her to say it.
My mother admitting fault felt almost impossible.
But I wasn’t ready to forgive her.
Not even close.
“Tell me everything.””
She nodded.
“Richard was your father’s older brother.””
“Why don’t I know him?””
“Because your father didn’t want you to.””
“Why?””
My mother took a slow breath.
“Because Richard betrayed him.””
I waited.
She continued.
“When they were younger, your father and Richard built a business together.””
That surprised me.
I had always known my father owned a small company, but I never knew anything about its history.
“They were partners?””
“Yes.””
“What happened?””
“Richard wanted more.””
My mother’s fingers traced the edge of her coffee cup.
“He started making decisions without your father knowing. He moved money. He made deals behind Daniel’s back.””
“Like Michael?””
She nodded.
“Exactly like Michael.””
A chill moved through me.
“So Dad discovered it?””
“Yes.””
“And then?””
“He confronted Richard.””
“What happened?””
My mother looked at me.
“Richard disappeared.””
I frowned.
“Just disappeared?””
“Your father reported him. There were legal issues. Richard lost everything.””
“And he blamed Dad?””
“He blamed everyone.””
The pieces were starting to connect.
But something still bothered me.
“Why was he at the accident?””
My mother’s face became serious.
“That’s what I don’t know.””
A notification appeared on my phone.
Mr. Collins.
I opened the message.
*The footage has been reviewed. The person appears to be Richard Hayes.*
My hands went cold.
I showed my mother.
She closed her eyes.
“I knew it.””
“You knew?””
“I suspected.””
I stared at her.
“You suspected my uncle was involved in my father’s death and you said nothing?””
Her face collapsed.
“I was afraid.””
“Of him?””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t you tell me?””
She looked at me.
“Because I thought if Richard knew I had seen him, he would come after you.””
I shook my head.
“You keep saying you protected me.””
“Because I tried.””
“No.””
My voice became sharper.
“You protected me by lying?””
My mother didn’t answer.
Because she knew she had no defense.
“I lost my father,” I continued.
My voice shook.
“I spent ten years thinking he just died.””
Tears filled my eyes.
“And you let me live with that.””
My mother whispered:
“I’m sorry.””
The words were so quiet I almost didn’t hear them.
A real apology.
Not an excuse.
Not a manipulation.
But it came ten years too late.
“I don’t know if I can forgive you.””
She nodded.
“I understand.””
That surprised me.
Because the old version of my mother would have argued.
She would have said I was being cruel.
She would have reminded me everything she had done for me.
But this woman just sat there.
Broken.
“I need to know one more thing.””
She looked at me.
“What?””
“Did Dad know you were trying to help him?””
Her face changed.
A painful expression crossed it.
“Yes.””
My heart tightened.
“He knew?””
“He knew I was trying to find information about Richard.””
“Then why did he tell the lawyer you knew who did it?””
My mother looked confused.
“He said that?””
“Yes.””
She was silent.
Then she whispered:
“Maybe he meant I knew who was responsible.””
“That’s the same thing.””
“No.””
She shook her head.
“No, Natalie.””
Her eyes met mine.
“Your father knew I wasn’t the person who hurt him.””
The certainty in her voice bothered me.
Because it sounded like something she truly believed.
“Then why did he keep evidence against you?””
“Because he didn’t know if he could trust me.””
That answer hurt.
Because it was probably true.
My father loved my mother.
But love didn’t mean blind trust.
Especially not after betrayal.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
My entire body tensed.
My mother saw the screen.
“Don’t answer.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
Her face went pale.
“Because Richard knows you found out.””
I answered anyway.
“Hello?””
Silence.
Then a man’s voice.
Older.
Calm.
“Natalie.””
I froze.
I had never heard that voice before.
But somehow, I knew.
“Richard?””
A quiet laugh.
“So your mother finally told you.””
My grip tightened around the phone.
“How do you know where I am?””
“Because you’re more like your father than you realize.””
My blood ran cold.
“What does that mean?””
“It means you investigate when you’re hurt.””
I stood.
Ethan immediately looked over from his table.
“Where is she?”” Richard asked.
My stomach dropped.
“What?””
“Don’t pretend you don’t understand.””
“I’m not telling you anything.””
Another quiet laugh.
“You have your father’s courage.””
I said nothing.
“Unfortunately, you also have his weakness.””
“What weakness?””
“Trusting people who don’t deserve it.””
My eyes moved to my mother.
She looked terrified.
“What do you want?””
“The same thing your father wanted.””
“And what was that?””
“To protect his family.””
I almost laughed.
“By killing him?””
Silence.
A long silence.
Then:
“You really don’t know anything.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“You were there.””
“Yes.””
“You caused the accident.””
“No.””
The answer was immediate.
Too immediate.
“I didn’t kill Daniel.””
“Then why were you there?””
Another pause.
When he spoke again, his voice was different.
Less confident.
More tired.
“Because I was trying to stop someone else.””
My heart stopped.
“Who?””
Before he could answer, the call ended.
I stared at the screen.
My mother stood.
“What did he say?””
I looked at her.
“He said he didn’t kill Dad.””
She closed her eyes.
“Of course he would say that.””
“But he sounded scared.””
My mother didn’t respond.
Because she knew.
Something was wrong.
Ethan walked over.
“What happened?””
I looked between them.
“My uncle called.””
Ethan’s expression changed.
“What?””
“He said he didn’t cause the accident.””
“And you believe him?””
I looked at the photograph.
At my mother.
At everything we had discovered.
“I don’t know.””
That was the truth.
For the first time, I didn’t know who was telling the truth.
My mother had lied.
My uncle had disappeared.
My father had hidden evidence.
Everyone had secrets.
Everyone had a reason.
Then Mr. Collins sent another message.
This time, it was not a warning.
It was an image.
A security camera still.
I opened it.
And my entire body went numb.
It showed the night of the accident.
My father’s car.
The road.
A person standing nearby.
But it wasn’t Richard.
It wasn’t Michael.
It wasn’t my mother.
It was someone else.
Someone I recognized immediately.
Someone who had been at my engagement party.
Someone who had hugged me and congratulated me just hours before my mother slapped me.
The message underneath the photo said:
*Natalie, we found the person who was with your father before he crashed.*
Then another line appeared.
*It was someone from your own family.*
I looked up slowly.
My mother was watching me.
“What?””
I turned the phone toward her.
Her face drained of color.
Because she recognized the person too.
May you like
And then she whispered the name I never expected to hear.
“Chloe.””
