Chapter 4
I didn't sleep that night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the photograph.
Caroline standing beside Principal Bennett.
My mother smiling on the other side.
Diane glaring at me in the gym.
And the birth certificate with my father's name.
I sat on the edge of my hotel bed until sunrise.
Marcus had insisted I stay somewhere comfortable while we sorted through the records.
He arranged adjoining rooms so I wouldn't feel alone.
But even with him nearby, I felt like the world had shifted beneath my feet.
At seven in the morning, he knocked.
"Nia?"
I opened the door.
He held two cups of coffee.
"You look exhausted."
I laughed weakly.
"I am."
He stepped inside.
We sat near the window.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Then he asked, "What hurts most?"
I stared at my coffee.
"That he knew."
Marcus nodded.
I continued.
"He knew I existed."
My voice cracked.
"And he still let me grow up alone."
Marcus didn't rush to defend him.
He simply listened.
I looked at him.
"Do you think he's telling the truth?"
Marcus considered the question.
"Some of it."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"I think he genuinely regrets what happened."
I nodded.
"But regret doesn't automatically mean he's told you everything."
I stared at him.
He continued.
"That's why we're going to verify the records."
For the first time that morning, I felt a little calmer.
Marcus had always been practical.
He didn't tell me everything would be fine.
He helped me figure out what could be done.
That afternoon, Raymond arranged a meeting with a forensic accountant named Olivia Harris.
She was forty-five, with shoulder-length braids and a sharp, focused expression.
She reviewed the estate records for nearly an hour.
Then looked up.
"Nia, there are several issues."
My stomach tightened.
"What kind?"
She pointed toward a bank statement.
"Your mother's property generated rental income after her death."
I nodded.
"Okay."
"But some payments were transferred to accounts that don't appear related to property expenses."
I stared.
"How much?"
Olivia took a breath.
"We're still tracing the transactions."
I swallowed.
"Can you estimate?"
She hesitated.
"Several hundred thousand dollars may require further explanation."
My heart stopped.
Hundreds of thousands.
Money that might have helped me through college.
Paid for stable housing.
Kept me out of some of the foster homes where I'd felt unwanted.
I looked at Marcus.
He looked furious.
Olivia continued.
"We also found documents suggesting that Caroline Bennett's estate was administered through overlapping accounts."
I frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"Some financial records from the two estates were stored together."
I stared at her.
"Why?"
She shook her head.
"That's one of the questions we're investigating."
Raymond leaned forward.
"Can you identify who controlled the accounts?"
Olivia nodded.
"Some records name Diane Brooks as an authorized representative."
My stomach tightened.
Diane.
The woman who had screamed that I didn't belong to the family.
The woman who had tried to snatch the envelope.
The woman who claimed my mother had ruined everything.
I looked down.
"She had access to my mother's money?"
Olivia answered carefully.
"According to some records, yes."
I closed my eyes.
For years, I'd wondered why nobody came for me.
Now I was looking at documents suggesting someone may have controlled money intended for my care.
I felt sick.
Marcus touched my shoulder.
"Nia, breathe."
I took a shaky breath.
Then asked, "Did Principal Bennett know?"
Raymond looked toward Olivia.
She shook her head.
"We can't establish that from these records alone."
I nodded.
I wanted answers.
But I didn't want guesses.
Not anymore.
Later that day, Principal Bennett called.
I stared at the screen.
My heart began pounding.
Marcus looked at me.
"You don't have to answer."
I hesitated.
Then picked up.
"Hello?"
"Nia."
His voice sounded tired.
"Hi."
There was a pause.
"Can we talk?"
I looked toward Marcus.
He nodded gently.
"About what?" I asked.
"Your mother."
My throat tightened.
I sat down.
"Okay."
Principal Bennett took a breath.
"I found something in my old office files."
My pulse quickened.
"What?"
"A letter."
I closed my eyes.
"From her?"
"Yes."
My hands began shaking.
"Why do you still have it?"
He hesitated.
"Because I couldn't bring myself to throw it away."
I swallowed.
"What does it say?"
His voice cracked.
"She wrote it shortly before leaving town."
I stared at the wall.
"Can you send me a copy?"
"Yes."
I waited.
Then he added, "Nia, I need you to understand something."
My chest tightened.
"What?"
"I loved your mother."
I closed my eyes.
He continued.
"I was afraid. I made terrible choices. But I loved her."
Tears filled my eyes.
"Then why didn't you fight for us?"
He began crying.
"I wish I had."
I looked down.
For a moment, I wanted to scream.
Wanted to tell him about every lonely birthday.
Every school performance without a parent.
Every Christmas when I pretended I didn't care.
Instead, I whispered, "I wish you had too."
We ended the call quietly.
A few minutes later, the letter arrived.
I opened the attachment.
The handwriting was beautiful.
Flowing.
Careful.
I recognized it from the only birthday card my mother had left me.
I began reading.
"Samuel,
I cannot keep waiting for you to decide whether our daughter deserves to be acknowledged.
Nia is not a mistake.
She is not a scandal.
She is a beautiful little girl who deserves a father willing to stand beside her.
I love you.
But I love her more than I fear losing you.
If you want to be part of her life, you must choose it openly.
Until then, I will protect her from feeling unwanted.
Evelyn."
I began sobbing.
Marcus sat beside me.
I pressed the phone against my chest.
For years, I'd wondered whether my mother had abandoned my father.
Now I knew she had been trying to protect me.
She hadn't left because she didn't love him.
She left because she refused to let his fear define my worth.
I wiped my eyes.
Then noticed something beneath the letter.
A second scanned page.
It contained a handwritten note.
"Samuel, if anything happens to me, please make sure Diane never controls Nia's inheritance."
My stomach dropped.
I read it again.
Then again.
Marcus leaned closer.
"What?"
I showed him.
His expression changed.
I whispered, "Mom knew."
He looked at me.
"She was worried about Diane."
I stared at the words.
My mother had warned him.
Years before her death.
And somehow, Diane had still gained access to the estate records.
I looked toward the window.
Then whispered something I hadn't expected to say.
"I think my mother knew someone was trying to take what belonged to me."
May you like
Marcus nodded slowly.
"And now we need to find out why."
