Chapter 24: The Aunt Who Was Never Mentioned
I couldn't sleep.
Again.
It felt like my life had become a series of nights where I stared at the ceiling trying to understand how everything I believed could be wrong.
Aunt Sarah.
The name felt strange.
Almost unreal.
Because my entire childhood had been built around one simple story.
My mother died.
My father raised me.
The end.
But there was never an end.
Only missing pages.
Missing people.
Missing truths.
I searched through every old photograph I had.
Family birthdays.
School events.
Christmas mornings.
Every memory.
Every moment.
And then I noticed something.
My father was always there.
My mother was always there.
But there was always empty space.
A person missing.
Someone removed.
I found one photograph from when I was four.
My mother was holding me.
Arthur was beside her.
And behind them...
A woman.
Half hidden.
A woman with the same eyes as my father.
Sarah.
I brought the photograph to Arthur.
He stared at it.
"Where did you find that?""
"Old album.""
He closed his eyes.
"She was always around.""
"Why?""
"Because she was my sister.""
"And because she betrayed my mother?""
His face tightened.
"Yes.""
I sat down.
"Tell me everything.""
Arthur was quiet.
Then he began.
"Sarah was older than me.""
"How much?""
"Seven years.""
"She raised me after our parents died.""
That surprised me.
"She took care of you?""
He nodded.
"She was the closest person in my life.""
I understood.
And suddenly, the pain became clearer.
The worst betrayals didn't come from strangers.
They came from people we trusted.
"Then what happened?""
"My mother died.""
"Your mother?""
"Yes.""
He looked away.
"Sarah blamed me.""
"For what?""
"She believed I was responsible.""
I frowned.
"Why?""
"Because I was the one who introduced your mother to Richard.""
The revelation shocked me.
My father had connected them.
"You knew Richard?""
"Yes.""
"Before my mother?""
"Yes.""
"Then why did you introduce them?""
Arthur looked down.
"Because I thought Richard was a good man.""
The guilt in his voice was obvious.
"But Sarah believed Richard was dangerous?""
"Yes.""
"And she blamed you for not seeing it.""
"Yes.""
I understood.
Sarah didn't just lose someone.
She believed Arthur caused everything.
"Did she kill my mother?""
Arthur looked at me.
"I don't know.""
The answer hurt.
But before I could respond, my phone buzzed.
A message.
Unknown number.
A photograph.
I opened it.
My blood went cold.
It was a picture of Sarah.
Older.
Alive.
Standing outside my apartment.
The message below said:
Your father told you my name.
Good.
Now ask him why he really protected you.
I looked at Arthur.
"She knows.""
His face changed.
"Michael...""
Another message arrived.
This time, a video.
I pressed play.
The screen showed an old recording.
My mother.
Arthur.
And Sarah.
The three of them were in the garage.
My mother's voice was shaking.
"Sarah, please.""
Sarah looked angry.
"You don't understand what you've done.""
Arthur stepped forward.
"Sarah, listen to me.""
"No.""
She looked at my mother.
"You took everything from us.""
My mother's face changed.
"That's not true.""
Sarah laughed.
"Isn't it?""
Then she said something that froze me.
"You think Richard is the enemy.""
A pause.
"But you have no idea who Arthur really is.""
The video ended.
I stared at the blank screen.
Because now I was back where I started.
Questioning the one person I never wanted to doubt.
My father.
Arthur Bennett.
The man who raised me.
The man who loved me.
The man who might have been hiding the biggest secret of all.
And then my phone rang.
This time, I recognized the number.
Sarah.
I answered.
No words.
Just silence.
Then a woman's voice.
Older.
Calm.
Familiar.
"Michael.""
My heart stopped.
Because even though I had never met her...
I knew exactly who she was.
"I've been waiting for you to find the truth.""
I couldn't speak.
She continued:
"But before you judge me...""
A pause.
"Ask your father what happened the night he chose to save you instead of your mother.""
The call ended.
And for the first time...
I wondered if the biggest secret wasn't who killed my mother.
Maybe it was who my father became after she died.
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For the next chapters
- Expose Sarah’s real motive - Reveal what happened that night
