Chapter 10: The Lie About Rachel
The words cut deeper than any accusation my father had ever made.
“She was running away from you.””
I stared at Richard.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
“No.””
The word came out quietly.
Not because I believed him.
Because I refused to.
My father had spent years controlling every conversation, every decision, every person around him.
But this was different.
He was talking about Rachel.
The woman who knew every part of me.
The woman who held my hand when I lost my first business.
The woman who stayed awake with me when Emily was sick.
The woman who smiled at me even when life became unbearable.
“You’re lying,” I said.
Richard’s expression didn’t change.
“Am I?””
Michael stepped forward.
“Don’t listen to him.””
Richard looked at him.
“You still protect her, even now.””
My eyes moved between them.
“Protect who?””
Nobody answered.
That scared me.
I turned toward Emily.
“Play the file.””
She hesitated.
“Dad…”
“Play it.””
She opened the flash drive on her laptop.
The entire room gathered around the screen.
There were dozens of files.
Documents.
Photos.
Audio recordings.
Then one folder caught my attention.
The name was simple.
*For Daniel.*
My hands tightened.
Emily clicked it.
Inside was a video.
Rachel appeared on the screen.
My heart stopped.
She looked tired.
Not sick.
Not afraid.
Just exhausted.
She was sitting in our old bedroom.
The same room where we used to talk after the girls fell asleep.
“Daniel,” Rachel said in the video.
My knees almost gave out.
“If you’re watching this, then I’m sorry.””
Emily covered her mouth.
Even Michael looked away.
Rachel continued.
“I wanted to tell you everything myself, but I couldn’t.””
I leaned closer.
“I found out things about our family that changed how I saw everything.””
My father watched silently.
Rachel looked directly into the camera.
“Daniel, there is something you need to know about my past.””
The video paused.
Everyone froze.
Then it continued.
“Before I met you, I was involved with someone who had connections to your father’s business.””
I frowned.
“What?””
Richard smiled faintly.
“Keep watching.””
Rachel continued.
“His name was Thomas.””
The room became colder.
“I know what you’re thinking. You think I betrayed you.””
I felt my chest tighten.
“But I didn’t.””
Rachel’s eyes filled with tears.
“Thomas approached me because he knew I worked with financial records. He wanted me to help him expose corruption inside Richard’s company.””
I looked at Michael.
He nodded slightly.
“She was investigating.””
Rachel continued.
“But when I found out how deep it went, I realized Thomas wasn’t the only person involved.””
The video stopped.
A notification appeared.
*File corrupted.*
Emily looked confused.
“What?””
She clicked again.
Nothing.
Richard quietly said:
“Convenient.””
I turned toward him.
“You did this.””
He shook his head.
“No.””
“Then who?””
Nobody answered.
My phone rang.
The security company.
I answered immediately.
“Mr. Carter?””
“Yes.””
“We recovered another portion of the deleted footage.””
My heart jumped.
“Send it.””
A few seconds later, Emily’s phone received the file.
We opened it.
The video showed Rachel’s car.
The night she died.
But this time, the angle was different.
It wasn’t from the road.
It was from a camera across the street.
Rachel’s car was parked.
A figure approached.
Then another person arrived.
I leaned closer.
The quality was poor.
But the faces became visible.
One was Thomas.
The other was…
I stopped.
“No.””
Emily looked at me.
“Dad?””
I couldn’t speak.
Because the second person wasn’t my father.
It wasn’t Michael.
It wasn’t Vanessa.
It was someone I had trusted with my children.
Someone who had stood beside me after Rachel’s death.
Someone who had cried with me.
Clara.
The video ended.
Nobody moved.
Richard looked at me.
“You see?””
My voice was barely a whisper.
“No.””
I looked at Clara.
She was crying.
“I can explain.””
My entire world shifted again.
“Clara…”
She looked at me.
“I didn’t kill Rachel.””
“Then why were you there?””
She closed her eyes.
May you like
And whispered:
“Because Rachel asked me to follow her.””
