Chapter 8: The Night My Mother Disappeared
Ethan's words stayed with me.
"I wasn't supposed to survive.""
For a moment, nobody spoke.
The restaurant around us continued as normal.
People laughed.
Servers carried plates.
A baby cried at another table.
But our world had stopped.
My father stared at Ethan.
"Tell me everything.""
Ethan nodded slowly.
"I was working late with your wife.""
He looked at me.
"Your mother had discovered evidence that Tasha was moving money.""
My father clenched his jaw.
"Then what?""
"Your mother planned to confront her.""
I remembered the letter.
The fear.
The warning.
Ethan continued.
"That night, I went to your house.""
My father looked shocked.
"You were there?""
"Yes.""
My father's face changed.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?""
Ethan looked down.
"Because when I arrived, Tasha was already there.""
The officer wrote something down.
"Go on.""
Ethan took a breath.
"Your mother was arguing with her.""
My hands became cold.
"What were they saying?""
Ethan closed his eyes.
"I couldn't hear everything.""
"Everything you did hear matters," the officer said.
Ethan nodded.
"I heard your mother say, 'You will never take my daughter from me.''"
My father looked at me.
The memory.
The voice.
The argument.
It was real.
Ethan continued.
"Tasha told her nobody would believe her.""
My father's face tightened.
"Then?""
"Then I heard something break.""
The restaurant became silent.
"I ran inside.""
Ethan looked at me.
"Your mother was on the floor.""
I covered my mouth.
My father immediately pulled me closer.
"Stop if this is too much.""
I shook my head.
"No.""
I needed to know.
Ethan continued.
"Tasha was holding something.""
"What?""
"A metal box.""
My father looked confused.
"Metal box?""
Ethan nodded.
"The same box that had the necklace.""
I touched my chest.
The necklace.
My mother's necklace.
"It was important," Ethan said.
"Why?""
"Because it contained proof.""
The officer leaned forward.
"What proof?""
Ethan looked at him.
"Evidence that Tasha had been planning everything.""
My father whispered:
"Everything?""
Ethan nodded.
"She wanted control of the company. She wanted access to Lily's trust.""
My father looked sick.
"She killed her?""
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
That was worse.
Finally, he said:
"I don't know exactly what happened.""
My father stared.
"But I know she left your wife there.""
The officer frowned.
"Why?""
"Because she thought my car accident would remove another witness.""
My father went still.
"Your disappearance.""
Ethan nodded.
"After I tried to expose her, she followed me.""
The officer looked at the file.
"You were attacked?""
"Yes.""
My father leaned forward.
"How did you survive?""
Ethan looked down.
"Someone found me.""
"Who?""
A pause.
Then Ethan answered.
"Your wife's doctor.""
My father looked confused.
"My wife's doctor?""
"She knew I was alive.""
The information hit like another explosion.
"She?""
Ethan nodded.
"Your wife.""
My father whispered:
"Impossible.""
"Your wife helped me disappear.""
I didn't understand.
Neither did my father.
"Why would she do that?""
Ethan looked at him.
"Because she knew Tasha would come after anyone who could expose her.""
The officer looked at the documents.
"So Lily's mother planned for this.""
Ethan nodded.
"She wanted Lily safe.""
My father closed his eyes.
All these years, he thought he had failed because he didn't protect my mother.
But now he was learning she had been fighting until the very end.
That night, we returned home.
My father barely spoke.
He sat in the living room holding my mother's letter.
I sat beside him.
"Daddy?""
He looked at me.
"I'm sorry.""
I frowned.
"For what?""
"For believing everything was okay.""
I leaned against him.
"I thought it was my fault.""
His face broke.
"No.""
He held my shoulders.
"Never.""
The next morning, the police searched Tasha's old office.
They found more.
A hidden drive.
Old messages.
Financial records.
And one video.
My father and I watched it together.
The video was dark.
The camera angle was terrible.
But we could see Tasha.
Younger.
Angrier.
Talking to someone.
The audio was unclear.
Then a sentence came through.
A sentence that made my father freeze.
"You don't understand, Malcolm will never leave me. He loves me.""
Tasha laughed.
Then another voice answered.
A man's voice.
The same voice from the photograph.
Ethan.
The video ended.
Nobody spoke.
Because there was one question.
One impossible question.
May you like
If Ethan had been helping my mother...
Why was he secretly meeting Tasha?
