Chapter 21: The Woman Before My Mother
I couldn't sleep.
Not because I was angry.
Because I was confused.
My entire life, I had known one version of my father's story.
My mother was his first great love.
His wife.
The person who changed his life.
But now I learned there had been someone before her.
Someone important enough that my mother wrote about her.
Someone important enough that a stranger's name appeared in my mother's final journal entries.
Victoria.
I repeated the name in my head.
A person who had existed before me.
Before my family.
Before everything.
The next morning, my father sat across from me.
He looked like he hadn't slept either.
"I should have told you.""
I looked at him.
"Why didn't you?""
He sighed.
"Because it didn't matter anymore.""
"But it mattered to Mom.""
That hurt him.
Because he knew I was right.
"I thought it was something from my past.""
"Maybe it was.""
He nodded.
"But now I think your mother was trying to protect me from something.""
That sentence stayed with me.
My mother.
Protecting my father.
Even at the end.
My father explained everything.
He met Victoria when he was twenty-four.
Before his company became successful.
Before he had responsibilities.
Before he understood what kind of life he wanted.
They were engaged for almost a year.
Then everything changed.
"Why did you break up?""
He looked down.
"I found out she lied to me.""
"About what?""
"Money.""
That word again.
Money.
The thing that had caused so much damage in our family.
"What did she do?""
My father explained.
Victoria had hidden debt.
A lot of it.
She had used his name to open accounts.
When he discovered it, he ended the relationship.
But he never told many people.
He wanted to move on.
Then he met my mother.
"And Mom knew?""
"Apparently.""
"How?""
My father shook his head.
"I don't know.""
We spent the day trying to find Victoria.
The internet.
Old records.
Anything.
Finally, we found an address.
She lived two hours away.
My father almost canceled.
I understood why.
Facing someone from your past was difficult.
Especially when that person might hold answers about your wife.
But he went.
And I went with him.
Victoria opened the door.
She looked older.
Tired.
But immediately, she recognized my father.
"Arthur.""
His expression hardened.
"Victoria.""
Her eyes moved to me.
"And you must be Maya.""
I froze.
"You know who I am?""
She looked sad.
"Yes.""
My father stepped forward.
"How?""
Victoria looked away.
"Because your mother told me.""
That shocked both of us.
"My mother contacted you?""
Victoria nodded.
"Years later.""
"When?""
"Before she died.""
My father became quiet.
"Why?""
Victoria looked at him.
"Because she wanted answers.""
We sat inside her house.
And finally, the missing pieces started connecting.
Victoria explained that after her relationship with my father ended, she struggled.
She made mistakes.
Bad ones.
But years later, she tried to rebuild her life.
Then she received a letter from my mother.
My mother wanted to understand my father's past.
Not because she was suspicious.
Because she loved him.
"Your mother was different," Victoria said.
My father looked down.
"She always was.""
Victoria continued.
"She asked me one question.""
"What question?""
"She asked if I had ever tried to hurt Arthur.""
My father frowned.
"And?""
"I told her no.""
Victoria paused.
"But then she asked something else.""
"What?""
"She asked if I knew anyone who would.""
Silence.
My father's face changed.
"Why would she ask that?""
Victoria looked at him.
"Because someone had been contacting her.""
My heart stopped.
"Who?""
Victoria looked uncomfortable.
"I don't know.""
"But you know something.""
She nodded slowly.
"I know the person used information only someone close to Arthur would know.""
My father leaned forward.
"What information?""
Victoria looked at him.
"Your business.""
His expression changed.
"Someone was trying to damage my company?""
"Yes.""
The room went quiet.
Because suddenly the story became bigger.
Denise.
The trust.
The money.
The lies.
They were all connected to one question.
Who had been manipulating things from the beginning?
Victoria reached into a drawer.
She pulled out a small envelope.
"I kept this because I thought one day Arthur would need it.""
My father took it.
"What is it?""
"A copy of the message I received.""
He opened it.
Read.
Then his face went pale.
I looked at him.
"What does it say?""
He handed me the paper.
The message was short.
But the name at the bottom made my blood run cold.
Because it wasn't Denise.
It wasn't a stranger.
It was someone I knew.
Someone who had been in our family the entire time.
Someone who had been pretending to help us.
And when I saw the name...
May you like
I realized the story had never been only about Denise.
It had been about someone else pulling the strings from the shadows.
