Chapter 3 - THE LETTER FROM SOPHIE’S MOTHERThe next morning, Richard received another message.
This time, there was an attachment.
A photograph.
He opened it.
And immediately recognized the handwriting.
His wife’s.
Emma Sterling.
His heart stopped.
Emma had been gone for three years.
But he knew her handwriting better than anything.
The message attached said:
“She never wanted you to find this.”
Richard stared at the screen.
Who was “she”?
Vanessa?
His hands shook slightly as he opened the file.
It was a scanned letter.
A letter written by Emma one month before she died.
Richard began reading.
Richard,
If you are reading this, something happened that prevented me from telling you myself.
His breathing became heavier.
Emma continued:
I need you to be careful about the people who come into Sophie’s life after me.
Richard stopped.
Because Emma had never been suspicious.
She was kind.
Trusting.
She always saw the best in people.
But this letter sounded afraid.
Someone is trying to get close to our family for the wrong reasons.
Richard looked toward the hallway.
Toward Sophie.
The words felt impossible.
I don’t know who I can trust anymore.
Then the final line:
Please don’t let Sophie grow up believing she is difficult to love.
Richard closed his eyes.
Because that was exactly what was happening.
Sophie had started believing she was the problem.
And Richard finally understood.
Emma had known.
She had tried to warn him.
But she never got the chance.
That evening, Richard confronted Vanessa.
But this time…
He was ready.
No anger.
No accusations.
Only questions.
“Why did Jonathan Cross send you money?”
Vanessa froze.
For the first time, her perfect expression disappeared.
“What?”
Richard placed the documents on the table.
“I know everything.”
She looked at the papers.
Then back at him.
“You investigated me?”
“Yes.”
Her face changed.
“You don’t trust me.”
Richard looked at her.
“No.”
The honesty shocked her.
“I don’t.”
Silence.
Then Vanessa laughed softly.
“You really think I’m the villain.”
Richard answered quietly:
“I think my daughter is afraid of you.”
That sentence hurt more than anything.
Because Vanessa realized something.
She had lost.
Not because Richard hated her.
But because he finally saw the truth.
And then Vanessa said something that made Richard’s blood run cold.
“You should ask yourself why Sophie always chooses her mother’s things over you.”
Richard frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Vanessa smiled.
A cold smile.
“It means Emma left behind more secrets than you know.”
And then she walked away.
Richard stood there.
Confused.
Because Vanessa had just revealed something.
She knew things about Emma.
Things she should not know.
And suddenly Richard realized…
Vanessa wasn’t just hiding her own past.
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She was hiding something about Sophie’s mother.
Something that could explain everything.
