Chapter 8: The Truth We Never Saw
“No.””
I stepped between Lily and everyone.
“No.””
Daniel looked at me.
“Ethan—”
“She’s my sister.””
Lily looked terrified.
“I didn’t do anything.””
Amanda smiled.
A small, cruel smile.
“There it is.””
“What?””
Amanda pointed at Lily.
“The person everyone trusted.””
My hands curled into fists.
“You’re lying.””
“Am I?””
Amanda walked closer.
“Think about it.””
“Stop.””
“Your father always protected her.””
“Stop.””
“She was the last person to see him.””
“Stop!””
My voice broke.
The room went quiet.
Lily started crying.
“I didn’t hurt Dad.””
I turned toward her.
“I know.””
And I did.
Because Lily was the only person in that house who had shown me kindness.
But Dad’s recording confused me.
Someone Ethan trusted.
Someone inside the house.
Who else could it be?
Daniel looked at the device.
“The file may have been incomplete.””
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
Everyone looked at him.
“You know who he meant.””
Marcus looked at Lily.
Then at me.
“He wasn’t talking about Lily.””
A strange silence filled the room.
“Then who?””
Marcus slowly pointed.
Not at Lily.
Not at Amanda.
At himself.
“Me.””
I froze.
“What?””
Marcus looked devastated.
“Your father trusted me.””
Amanda’s face changed.
“You said you wouldn’t tell.””
Marcus ignored her.
“I helped him.””
“Helped him do what?””
“Escape.””
The word hit me.
“Escape?””
Marcus nodded.
“Your father knew Amanda was dangerous.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“Then why did he disappear?””
Marcus looked at me.
“Because he wanted Amanda to think he was gone.””
I couldn’t breathe.
“All these years…”
Marcus nodded.
“He was alive.””
The room disappeared.
The walls.
The sounds.
Everything.
My father was alive.
“No.””
My voice was barely a whisper.
“Why didn’t he come back?””
Marcus looked down.
“Because he tried.””
My heart shattered.
“What?””
Marcus opened the envelope.
Inside was another letter.
“He wrote this after he found out Amanda was still searching for him.””
My hands shook as I took it.
The letter was short.
But the first sentence destroyed me.
“Ethan, I’m sorry you had to grow up without me.””
I covered my mouth.
Dad continued:
“I wanted to return. Every day.””
Tears blurred the words.
“But someone made sure I couldn’t.””
I looked up.
“Who?””
Marcus was silent.
Daniel answered.
“We need to find out.””
Then the device beeped again.
Another file.
A final hidden recording.
Dad’s voice.
“Ethan, if you’re hearing this, you know I’m alive.””
I stopped breathing.
“But before I come back, you need to know the biggest truth.””
A pause.
“The person who helped Amanda hurt us…”
My hands tightened around the device.
Dad continued.
“…is the person who raised you.””
Everyone turned.
Toward Amanda.
But Dad’s next words made my entire world collapse.
“Not Amanda.””
The recording ended.
And behind us…
The front door slowly opened.
A familiar voice said:
“Ethan.””
I turned.
May you like
And after seven years of believing I would never see him again…
My father was standing there.
