Chapter 6: The Secret My Mother Buried
I couldn’t speak.
The phone pressed against my ear.
The entire world seemed frozen around me.
“What did you say?””
Linda’s breathing was uneven.
“Sarah, I don’t have much time.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“No. You don’t get to say something like that and disappear again.””
“I know.””
“Where have you been?””
“Trying to stay away.””
“From who?””
Silence.
That was the answer.
I looked at Jason.
He already knew.
“Linda,” I said slowly.
“What happened?””
Her voice dropped.
“Your mother found out Mark wasn’t telling you everything.””
My stomach twisted.
“When?””
“Before your wedding.””
I looked toward the staircase.
The wedding.
The day I thought I was starting my forever.
The day I thought I had finally escaped the chaos of my past.
“Why didn’t she tell me?””
“Because she was scared.””
“My mother?””
“Yes.””
I almost laughed.
“My mother was never scared of anyone.””
Linda sighed.
“She was scared of being wrong.””
That hit harder.
Because my mother had always believed she was right.
Always.
“What did she find?””
Linda hesitated.
“Records.””
“What records?””
“From St. Vincent’s.””
Jason stepped closer.
“Sarah.””
I put the phone on speaker.
“Tell him.””
Linda went quiet.
Then:
“Jason?””
“Yes.””
“I’m sorry.””
Jason closed his eyes.
“For what?””
“For believing the wrong person.””
Nobody spoke.
Finally, I asked:
“What records?””
Linda answered.
“The hospital security report.””
My heart stopped.
“Security report?””
“Yes.””
“About what?””
“About the night Mark met Jason.””
Jason looked at me.
“He told you he met me there.””
“Yes.””
Linda continued.
“But that wasn’t the whole story.””
My voice lowered.
“What happened?””
There was a long pause.
Then she said:
“Mark didn’t go there to talk to Jason.””
My fingers went cold.
“Then why did he go?””
Linda whispered:
“He went there because Jason had proof.””
“Proof of what?””
“Proof that someone had been sending messages pretending to be you.””
I felt the room spin.
Noah stood up.
“What?””
Jason looked devastated.
“I didn’t know she knew.””
I turned toward him.
“You knew about fake messages?””
Jason nodded.
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because every time I tried, someone stopped me.””
The words sat between us.
Someone.
Not something.
Someone.
Linda continued.
“Jason found out that messages were being sent from an account using Sarah’s name.””
My mouth went dry.
“Who sent them?””
Silence.
“Linda.””
“I don’t know.””
“You don’t know?””
“No.””
“Then why call me?””
“Because I know who helped.””
My heart pounded.
“Who?””
Another pause.
Then:
“Mark.””
Noah stepped back.
“No.””
I looked at him.
He wasn’t defending Mark.
He was trying to understand.
Because no matter what Mark had done, he was still the man Noah had called family.
Linda spoke again.
“Sarah, listen to me.””
“I’m listening.””
“Your mother found out after Mark and Jason met.””
“What happened at the meeting?””
“Jason showed Mark evidence.””
“What evidence?””
“Messages.””
“From who?””
“I don’t know.””
“Then what did Mark do?””
Linda’s voice became softer.
“He made a choice.””
I looked at Jason.
“What choice?””
“He decided Jason could never come back.””
Noah shook his head.
“That’s not enough.””
Linda said nothing.
“Linda.””
Finally she spoke.
“He threatened him.””
The room went silent.
Jason looked away.
I stared.
“What did he threaten?””
Linda’s voice trembled.
“He told Jason if he contacted Sarah or Noah again, he would expose things from Jason’s past.””
Jason’s jaw tightened.
“What things?””
Linda hesitated.
“Things that weren’t true.””
I looked at Jason.
“What does that mean?””
He didn’t answer.
“Jason.””
He looked at me.
“I made mistakes before I met you.””
My heart sank.
“What kind of mistakes?””
He looked down.
“Bad decisions.””
Noah stepped forward.
“You mean Dad wasn’t innocent?””
Jason looked at him.
“No.””
The answer shocked all of us.
“I’m not going to pretend I was perfect.””
He looked at Noah.
“But being imperfect doesn’t mean I abandoned you.””
Noah stared at him.
For the first time, he didn’t look angry.
He looked confused.
Linda interrupted.
“Sarah, there’s one more thing.””
I closed my eyes.
Of course there was.
“What?””
“Your mother left something for you.””
“What?””
“A box.””
“Where?””
“With me.””
I froze.
“Why?””
“Because she told me not to give it to you unless Mark’s secret came out.””
My heart raced.
“She knew this would happen?””
“No.””
Linda’s voice softened.
“She hoped it wouldn’t.””
I looked around the room.
Twenty-eight letters.
A hidden box.
A hospital record.
A husband who lied.
A father who disappeared.
My entire past was unfolding in front of me.
“When can I get the box?””
“Tomorrow.””
“Where?””
“I’ll send you the address.””
The call ended.
Nobody moved.
Then Noah spoke.
“Mom.””
“Yes?””
“Do you still love him?””
I knew exactly who he meant.
Mark.
I looked at the stairs.
At the empty space where he had stood.
At the years we shared.
“I don’t know.””
Noah nodded.
Then he asked the question I had been avoiding.
“Are you going to find out what else he did?””
I looked at Jason.
At the letters.
At the truth waiting in front of us.
“Yes.””
My phone buzzed.
A new message.
From Mark.
Three words.
I need to explain.
Then another message appeared.
This one had a photo attached.
I opened it.
And my blood turned cold.
It was a picture of Jason.
Standing outside our house.
Taken the night before he arrived.
The timestamp was impossible.
Because Jason had been there.
But the photo showed him leaving.
May you like
And beneath it, Mark had written:
You don’t know who you let back into our family.
