Chapter 8: Nicole’s Final Move
For a moment, nobody moved.
Nicole stood beneath the trees like she belonged there.
Like she hadn’t spent years lying to us.
Like she wasn’t holding the one thing my mother left behind.
My father’s voice was low.
“How did you get that?””
Nicole smiled.
“Hello to you too.””
My hands curled into fists.
“How did you get my mother’s letter?””
She looked at me.
And the way she smiled made my stomach turn.
“You always had your mother’s eyes.””
I stepped back.
“Don’t talk about her.””
“Why?””
Nicole tilted her head.
“Because you think she was perfect?””
My father moved forward.
“Enough.””
Nicole looked at him.
There it was.
That expression.
The one she used when she wanted someone to feel guilty.
“You’re angry with me?””
She laughed softly.
“After everything I did for this family?””
I couldn’t believe it.
Even now.
Even standing there with proof.
She still made herself the victim.
“You hit me,” I said.
Her expression changed slightly.
“You pushed me.””
“No, I didn’t.””
“You don’t remember everything, Emma.””
That sentence made my skin crawl.
Because it was exactly what people said when they wanted you to doubt yourself.
My father stepped closer.
“Give me the letter.””
Nicole looked at the paper in her hand.
“You want this?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because it belongs to Emma.””
Nicole smiled.
“No.””
The single word made us all stop.
“It belongs to the truth.””
Rachel looked confused.
“What does that mean?””
Nicole looked at her.
“You were always so dramatic, Rachel.””
“You knew about this?””
Nicole laughed.
“Of course I did.””
My father’s face hardened.
“You knew Rachel was alive?””
“Yes.””
“And you let me believe she disappeared?””
Nicole shrugged.
“You believed what you wanted.””
I felt sick.
How could someone say things like that?
How could someone destroy a family and sound so calm?
My father’s voice shook.
“Why?””
Nicole looked at him.
“Why what?””
“Why did you come into our lives?””
For the first time, her smile disappeared.
The silence stretched.
Then she answered.
“Because your wife took something from me.””
My father frowned.
“What?””
“My future.””
Nobody spoke.
Nicole stepped closer.
“Your wife ruined my life.””
Rachel shook her head.
“No. She exposed you.””
Nicole’s eyes snapped toward her.
“You always thought you were better than everyone.””
“And you always thought hurting people made you powerful.””
Nicole laughed.
“Still judging me.””
I watched her carefully.
Because beneath all the anger, I saw something.
Not guilt.
Not regret.
Pain.
A twisted kind of pain.
And somehow, that scared me more.
“What did my mother take from you?”” I asked.
Nicole looked at me.
“She took my family.””
The words shocked me.
“What?””
“My father chose her over me.””
Rachel looked confused.
“Your father?””
Nicole smiled bitterly.
“You never told them, did you?””
Rachel went silent.
My father looked between them.
“What is she talking about?””
Nicole laughed.
“Of course you don’t know.””
She looked at me.
“Your mother was not just my coworker.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“She was my sister.””
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The world seemed to stop.
My father stared.
“That’s impossible.””
Nicole smiled.
“Is it?””
Rachel looked away.
And that was when I knew.
There was truth hidden there.
“Rachel,” my father said.
She closed her eyes.
“I didn’t want Emma to find out like this.””
My heart pounded.
“What?””
Rachel looked at me.
“Your mother and Nicole shared the same father.””
I felt dizzy.
Nicole wasn’t just someone who entered our family.
She was connected to it.
She was family.
My father looked at Nicole.
“Then why did you hate her?””
Nicole’s face changed.
“She didn’t hate me.””
She looked at me.
“She replaced me.””
I shook my head.
“That’s not true.””
Nicole’s expression hardened.
“You weren’t there.””
“No.””
I looked directly at her.
“But you were there when you chose to hurt innocent people.””
Her jaw tightened.
For the first time, I saw anger without a mask.
“You think you know everything.””
“No.””
I held her gaze.
“But I know what you did.””
The silence between us was different now.
She knew.
She had lost control.
My father reached out.
“Give me the letter.””
Nicole looked at the paper.
Then she smiled.
“You really want to know what your wife wrote?””
My father froze.
“Yes.””
Nicole held it up.
“Then you should know there was another letter.””
My heart stopped.
“Another one?””
She nodded.
“Your mother wrote two.””
Rachel’s face changed.
“No.””
Nicole looked at her.
“Yes.””
My father stepped forward.
“Where is it?””
Nicole smiled.
“Somewhere you’ll never find.””
Then she dropped the letter onto the ground.
My father rushed forward.
But Nicole was already walking away.
“Nicole!””
She stopped.
Without turning around, she said:
“The second letter tells you why your wife died.””
Nobody moved.
The words stayed in the air.
Why your wife died.
My father looked like the ground had disappeared beneath him.
Because suddenly, this wasn’t about a cruel stepmother.
It wasn’t about a broken tablet.
It wasn’t even about years of lies.
May you like
It was about my mother.
And the possibility that her death had never been an accident.
