Chapter 5: The Night He Died
Nobody answered.
Marcus stood in the center aisle with his phone hanging at his side.
“What happened to my father?””
Vanessa looked toward Derrick.
Derrick looked back at her.
Marcus's voice sharpened.
“Both of you. Answer me.””
The pastor stepped closer.
“Marcus, perhaps we should take this somewhere private.””
“No.””
Marcus shook his head.
“My father is the reason this whole thing started.””
He looked at Vanessa.
“And apparently everyone knew except me.””
Vanessa whispered, “Your father died of a heart attack.””
“I know.””
“Then why are you asking?””
“Because somebody just told me to ask what happened to him.””
Derrick walked toward the altar.
“Your father didn't simply collapse.””
Marcus stared at him.
“What are you saying?””
“I was there that night.””
Vanessa grabbed Derrick's arm.
“Don't.””
He pulled away.
“You've lied enough.””
Marcus stepped between them.
“You were there?””
Derrick nodded.
“Your father called me.””
“Why?””
“He knew Vanessa had been moving money.””
Vanessa's voice broke.
“That isn't what happened.””
Derrick ignored her.
“He asked me to meet him at his house.””
Marcus's expression tightened.
“What time?””
“11:40 p.m.””
Marcus remembered that night.
He had been out of town.
A work conference in Chicago.
His father had called him twice.
Marcus had ignored the calls.
The next morning, he learned his father was dead.
“I thought he was alone.””
“He wasn't.””
Marcus's heart began pounding.
“Who else was there?””
Derrick looked at Vanessa.
“She was.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
“You were there,” Derrick said.
“I left before he collapsed.””
Marcus stared at her.
“What time?””
“I don't remember.””
“You don't remember?””
“It was years ago.””
“Four years.””
She looked away.
Marcus stepped closer.
“Four years ago, you were already married to Derrick.””
Vanessa nodded.
“And my father knew.””
“Yes.””
“What were you doing at his house?””
She started crying.
“He called me.””
“Why?””
“Because he wanted to warn me.””
“About what?””
Vanessa looked at Derrick.
“About him.””
Derrick scoffed.
“He knew what you were planning.””
Marcus turned to Derrick.
“What was she planning?””
Derrick didn't answer.
Marcus slammed his palm against the pew.
“Answer me!””
Several guests flinched.
Derrick finally spoke.
“She wanted access to your father's estate.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
“That's why you were there?””
“No.””
“Then why?””
She wiped her face.
“Because your father offered me money.””
“How much?””
“Five hundred thousand.””
Marcus stared at her.
“To leave me?””
Vanessa nodded.
“And Derrick?””
“He was supposed to leave too.””
Marcus looked at Derrick.
“You took the money?””
Derrick shook his head.
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because your father told me Vanessa had already taken something from him.””
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
“What?””
Derrick looked toward the folder.
“An original document.””
“What document?””
Derrick's voice dropped.
“The ownership agreement for your family's property.””
Marcus felt his stomach turn.
His family owned several properties through a private trust.
He had never handled the paperwork personally.
“My father left everything to me.””
“Not everything.””
Derrick shook his head.
“There was a second beneficiary.””
Marcus stared at him.
“Who?””
Vanessa whispered, “Isaiah.””
Marcus's eyes widened.
“My father's estate was left to a child he didn't even know?””
“He knew,” Derrick said.
“But why?””
“Because your father believed Isaiah was his grandson.””
Marcus stared at Vanessa.
“What?””
Vanessa's face crumpled.
“He thought Isaiah was yours.””
Marcus couldn't speak.
Derrick stepped closer.
“Your father didn't know the truth.””
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
“What truth?””
“That Isaiah is mine.””
Marcus stared at him.
“Then why would my father put him in the trust?””
Derrick shook his head.
“He didn't.””
He pulled another document from the folder.
“He put the child of his bloodline in it.””
Marcus looked at the paper.
There was a name.
*Isaiah Marcus Carter.*
Marcus's breath stopped.
His own middle name.
His father's surname.
His eyes lifted slowly.
“That says my name.””
Derrick nodded.
“Exactly.””
Vanessa whispered, “Your father believed you were Isaiah's father.””
Marcus looked at her.
“But I'm not.””
“No.””
“Then how?””
Vanessa didn't answer.
Marcus suddenly remembered something.
A night three years earlier.
Vanessa had told him she was pregnant.
She had miscarried.
At least, that's what she had told him.
He had held her in the bathroom while she cried.
He had believed the baby was his.
But now Isaiah was eight months old.
The dates didn't match.
Marcus's voice became quiet.
“The baby you said you lost…”
Vanessa looked up.
Marcus finished.
“That was Isaiah.””
She closed her eyes.
“Yes.””
Marcus backed away.
“You told me my baby died.””
“I was scared.””
“You were carrying Derrick's child.””
“Yes.””
“And you told me it was mine.””
“Yes.””
“And then you hid him.””
“Yes.””
Marcus's eyes filled with tears.
“Why?””
Vanessa's answer was barely audible.
“Because your father offered me money if I gave the baby to him.””
Marcus stared.
“You sold my brother?””
Vanessa looked horrified.
“No.””
Derrick stepped forward.
“She didn't.””
Marcus turned.
“Then what happened?””
Derrick took a breath.
“Your father didn't want Isaiah.””
He looked at Marcus.
“He wanted you.””
Marcus frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Derrick's eyes hardened.
“He believed Vanessa was carrying your child because that's what she told him.””
Marcus stared at the documents.
“So the trust…”
“Was designed to protect your supposed son.””
“And when my father found out?””
Derrick looked toward Vanessa.
“She panicked.””
Vanessa whispered, “He was going to expose me.””
“So you stopped him?””
Her head snapped up.
“I didn't kill him!””
Marcus froze.
“I never said you did.””
Vanessa's face drained.
Derrick slowly turned toward her.
“You just did.””
Nobody moved.
Marcus stared at Vanessa.
“You said you didn't kill him.””
Vanessa's breathing became frantic.
“I meant—I meant I didn't hurt him.””
Derrick stepped forward.
“Then explain the security footage.””
Marcus looked at him.
“What footage?””
Derrick removed his phone.
“There was a camera in your father's study.””
Marcus stared at the screen.
Derrick pressed play.
The video showed a dark room.
A clock.
11:52 p.m.
Then Vanessa entered.
Marcus watched her walk toward his father.
His father was alive.
They argued.
The audio was faint, but one sentence was clear.
Vanessa leaned toward him.
“You're not giving Marcus anything.””
Marcus's face tightened.
Then the screen showed his father reaching for something.
Vanessa grabbed his wrist.
The video suddenly cut to black.
Marcus looked at Derrick.
“Why does it end there?””
Derrick's expression changed.
“Because someone deleted the rest.””
“Who?””
Derrick looked toward Vanessa.
She whispered, “I don't know.””
Then Marcus's phone buzzed again.
A new message appeared.
*THE REST OF THE VIDEO IS IN YOUR FATHER'S GRAVE.*
Marcus stared at the screen.
May you like
Then another message appeared.
*GO ALONE.*
