Chapter 6: The Letter With Two Names
I didn’t tell Jasmine where I was going.
Not because I wanted to hide things from her.
Because I had finally learned what secrets could do to a family.
I simply told her:
“I need to find answers.””
She looked at me.
“Are you coming back?””
The question hurt.
Because twelve years ago, I had promised Danielle I would always protect our daughter.
And somehow, I had failed.
I held Jasmine’s face gently.
“I’m coming back.””
She nodded.
“Okay.””
Rachel offered to stay with her.
Felicia stood near the doorway.
I looked at her.
For the first time, I didn’t see my wife.
I saw someone I no longer understood.
“I don’t know what happens after today.””
She nodded.
“I know.””
“But if you lied about anything else…”
“I understand.””
I left.
Nathan chose an abandoned office building on the edge of town.
The kind of place people went when they didn’t want to be found.
When I entered, he was waiting.
Older.
Tired.
But still my brother.
“Marcus.””
I didn’t respond.
He looked at the letter in my hand.
“You found it.””
“You knew about it.””
He sighed.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Nathan looked away.
“Because Danielle told me.””
My fists tightened.
“You were there.””
“Yes.””
“You were at the hospital.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
He sat down.
“Because she called me.””
I laughed bitterly.
“My wife called you before she called me?””
“She was scared.””
“Of what?””
He looked directly at me.
“Me.””
The silence was unbearable.
“Explain.””
Nathan rubbed his face.
“I never wanted any of this.””
I stared at him.
“That’s what everyone says after they destroy something.””
He looked down.
“Danielle found out I was taking money.””
I waited.
He continued.
“I was drowning in debt.””
“And you stole from her.””
“Yes.””
The admission hit harder than I expected.
“Why?””
“Because I thought I could fix it.””
I shook my head.
“You always say that.””
Nathan looked up.
“What?””
“You always think the next lie will fix the last one.””
He looked ashamed.
“I know.””
I stepped closer.
“Did you kill Danielle?””
His face changed.
“No.””
“Were you responsible?””
A long pause.
Then:
“Yes.””
The word crushed me.
I grabbed the table.
“What does that mean?””
Nathan closed his eyes.
“The accident wasn’t supposed to happen.””
My breathing stopped.
“Accident?””
He looked at me.
“Danielle was going to the police.””
“So?””
“So I followed her.””
My stomach turned.
“Why?””
“To beg her.””
I stared.
“I wanted her to give me time.””
“And?””
“She refused.””
The room was silent.
“Then what happened?””
Nathan swallowed.
“She called you.””
I froze.
“She called me?””
“Yes.””
“Why don’t I remember?””
“Because she never reached you.””
My eyes narrowed.
“What?””
Nathan looked at the floor.
“I took the phone.””
I couldn’t move.
“You took her phone?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because I panicked.””
I felt sick.
“And then?””
Nathan’s voice broke.
“Then she drove away.””
I waited.
“And?””
“I followed.””
The pieces were connecting.
The hospital.
The accident.
The lies.
The missing letter.
“You were there when she crashed.””
He nodded.
“Yes.””
“And you left.””
A tear fell from his eye.
“Yes.””
I wanted to hate him.
I did.
But beneath the anger was something worse.
Disappointment.
“You let me bury her believing she was alone.””
“I was afraid.””
“You were a coward.””
“Yes.””
He didn’t defend himself.
That made it worse.
Then he reached into his jacket.
He pulled out another envelope.
“This is why I called you.””
I stared.
“What is it?””
“The second half of Danielle’s letter.””
My heart stopped.
“There was another half?””
Nathan nodded.
“Felicia had the first part.””
I took the envelope.
My hands shook as I opened it.
The handwriting was Danielle’s.
But the words were different.
More urgent.
*Marcus, if anything happens to me, please don’t trust the people closest to you.*
I stopped.
The next line made my blood run cold.
*Someone in our family has been helping Nathan hide what he did.*
I looked up.
“Who?””
Nathan’s face changed.
“Keep reading.””
I did.
*I thought I knew Felicia was involved. But I discovered something worse. She wasn’t working for Nathan.*
My heart pounded.
*She was protecting someone else.*
I looked at Nathan.
He whispered:
“Keep reading.””
The final sentence made my entire body go cold.
*Marcus, the person who betrayed us isn’t your brother. It’s someone you would never suspect.*
I lowered the letter.
“Who?””
Nathan stared at me.
“I don’t know.””
That was impossible.
Someone knew.
Someone had always known.
Then my phone rang.
Jasmine.
I answered immediately.
“Sweetheart?””
Her voice was shaking.
“Dad…”
I stood up.
“What happened?””
“I found something in Felicia’s room.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
A pause.
Then Jasmine whispered:
“A photo.””
“What kind of photo?””
Her voice cracked.
“Of Mom.””
I closed my eyes.
“What about it?””
“Dad…”
She started crying.
“It was taken after the day everyone said she died.””
I couldn’t speak.
Then Jasmine said the words that changed everything.
“Mom was alive after the accident.””
The call dropped.
And somewhere deep inside me, I realized the truth was even worse than I imagined.
May you like
Danielle hadn’t died that night.
Someone had made sure we believed she did.
