Chapter 4 - THE FAMILY SECRETI returned to my mother's house the next morning.
This time, I didn't come as her daughter.
I came as someone searching for answers.
The house looked exactly the same.
The expensive furniture.
The perfect decorations.
The image of a happy family.
A beautiful lie.
My mother looked surprised.
“You came back.”
“Yes.”
She smiled.
“I knew you would realize you overreacted.”
I stared at her.
“About Matthew?”
Her smile disappeared.
“You're still angry about that?”
Still.
That word.
Like my son's injury was a minor inconvenience.
“I want the letter.”
Her expression changed.
“What letter?”
I knew immediately.
She was lying.
Because I spent years learning lies.
“You know exactly which one.”
Silence.
Then she laughed.
“You always thought you were smarter than everyone.”
“No.”
I looked at her.
“I was just the only one paying attention.”
Valerie appeared from the hallway.
“What is happening?”
I looked at my sister.
The same woman who watched her son take something from mine.
The same woman who said nothing when Matthew bled.
“Your mother knows what Julian found.”
Valerie froze.
That was enough.
“You knew?”
She looked away.
My heart sank.
Not because I was surprised.
Because I was disappointed.
“You all knew.”
My mother crossed her arms.
“We were protecting this family.”
I almost couldn't believe it.
“By hurting my child?”
Nobody answered.
Then my mother said something I would never forget.
“Julian was supposed to leave that information alone.”
My blood went cold.
“Supposed to?”
She realized her mistake too late.
I stepped closer.
“What happened to Julian?”
Her face changed.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
Fear.
Not guilt.
Fear.
That night, I called Reed.
“I need everything on Julian's death.”
A pause.
“You think it wasn't natural?”
I looked at Matthew sleeping.
“No.”
May you like
My voice became quiet.
“I think someone helped cancer take him away faster.”
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