Chapter 10: My Dead Mother Called Me
For twelve years, I had visited my mother's grave every Christmas.
For twelve years, I had placed flowers beside her name, spoken to a piece of polished granite, and told myself that losing her had been the greatest tragedy our family would ever experience.
Now, a woman claiming to be my mother was crying on the other end of the phone.
And I didn't know whether to believe her.
“Mom?”” I whispered.
“I know you have questions, sweetheart.””
“Questions?””
My voice cracked.
“You've been dead for twelve years!””
She began sobbing.
“I know.””
“I watched them bury you.””
“I know, Marcus.””
“I held your hand at the funeral!””
“I know!””
Her voice broke.
I gripped the conference table so tightly that my fingers hurt.
“Then who did we bury?””
Silence.
Finally, she whispered, “My sister.””
I stared at the phone.
“My aunt Elizabeth?””
“Yes.””
I couldn't breathe.
My mother had an older sister named Elizabeth. She had disappeared from our family when I was six. My father always said she had moved overseas after a disagreement.
I remembered her vaguely.
She had red hair, green eyes, and a habit of bringing me chocolate whenever she visited.
“You're telling me Aunt Elizabeth was buried under your name?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because your father believed someone was trying to kill me.””
I looked at Ethan.
He was watching me with concern.
I motioned for him to remain quiet.
“Who?””
“My husband.””
The words came out so quietly that I almost missed them.
“Dad?””
“Yes.””
I shook my head.
“No. Dad loved you.””
“He did. But he was also capable of terrible things.””
My mother explained that twelve years earlier, my father had discovered financial irregularities involving a private investment company.
He believed several people were stealing from him.
One of those people was a business partner named Arthur Bennett.
Arthur had been secretly transferring money into offshore accounts and using forged documents to conceal the transactions.
When my father confronted him, Arthur threatened to expose a secret that could destroy the Hale family.
My mother had discovered the truth.
And shortly afterward, someone attempted to poison her.
“Your father arranged for me to disappear,” she said.
“He believed the people threatening us would stop searching once they thought I was dead.””
“Why didn't you contact me?””
“I wanted to.””
“Then why didn't you?””
“Because your father told me that if I contacted you, you would become a target.””
I closed my eyes.
“Did he tell you about my accident?””
“Yes.””
“Did he tell you about Julian?””
“Yes.””
“Did he tell you Vanessa was my half-sister?””
She began crying again.
“Yes.””
I felt anger rising.
“You knew everything, and you let me live through this?””
“Marcus, I was trying to protect you.””
“By letting me believe my mother was dead?””
“I had no choice.””
“You always had a choice!””
The conference room went silent.
Ethan lowered his eyes.
My mother continued crying.
Then she said something I wasn't prepared for.
“Your father didn't arrange my disappearance because he was afraid of Arthur.””
“Then why?””
“Because Arthur was your biological father.””
I stopped breathing.
“What?””
“Thomas wasn't your biological father, Marcus. He raised you. He loved you. But the man who fathered you was Arthur Bennett.””
I looked at Ethan.
His surname suddenly seemed enormous.
“Arthur Bennett?””
“Yes.””
“Is that why you disappeared?””
“Yes. Arthur wanted access to you. He believed that because you were his biological son, he had a claim over your father's company.””
I sank into my chair.
Everything was becoming more complicated.
My father had hidden my biological mother.
He had hidden my biological father.
He had hidden Vanessa.
He had hidden Noah.
And now, after all these years, my mother was telling me that the man responsible for my existence had been involved in destroying our family.
“Where are you?”” I asked.
“I'm in Boston.””
“Give me the address.””
“Marcus—”
“Please. I need to see you.””
There was a long pause.
Then she gave me an address.
Before hanging up, she whispered:
“There's something else. Arthur has a daughter.””
I closed my eyes.
“Another one?””
“Yes. Her name is Catherine. She's been looking for you.””
“Why?””
“Because she believes Arthur left her something in your father's estate.””
The call ended.
I sat motionless.
Ethan finally spoke.
“Marcus, are you all right?””
I laughed once.
“No.””
He moved closer.
“What did she say?””
I looked at him.
“She says Arthur Bennett is my biological father.””
Ethan went pale.
“My father's name was Arthur Bennett.””
I stared at him.
“You mean—”
“Yes.””
He shook his head.
“If your mother is telling the truth, we might have the same biological father.””
I looked at the photograph of Thomas holding a newborn baby.
Then at Ethan.
“Apparently, we have a talent for discovering siblings.””
For the first time, he smiled.
But the smile disappeared when his phone vibrated.
He read the message.
Then he showed it to me.
It was from an unknown number.
Stop investigating Arthur Bennett. The next accident won't leave you in a wheelchair.
That evening, Detective Morris arranged a secure meeting with my mother.
She arrived at the private residence wearing a dark coat and a gray scarf.
The moment I saw her, I forgot every question I had prepared.
She looked older.
Her hair was almost completely silver.
There were lines around her eyes that hadn't been there when I was twenty-four.
But she still had the same gentle smile.
“Marcus.””
I couldn't move.
Then she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around me.
For several seconds, I was a child again.
I buried my face against her shoulder.
“Why did you leave me?””
She held me tighter.
“I'm sorry.””
“Why didn't you come back?””
“I was afraid.””
I pulled away.
“Of what?””
She looked toward Detective Morris.
“Of Arthur.””
Then she reached into her handbag and removed a photograph.
It showed a young man standing beside my mother.
He had my eyes.
My jaw.
My smile.
“This is Arthur Bennett,” she said.
I stared at the photograph.
“Why did Thomas raise me?””
“Because he loved me. Because he believed you deserved a father who would never abandon you.””
I looked at her.
“Did Thomas know I wasn't his biological son?””
“Yes. From the beginning.””
“Then why did he never tell me?””
“Because he was afraid you would search for Arthur.””
She lowered her voice.
“And he was right.””
Detective Morris stepped closer.
“Mrs. Hale, did Arthur have any involvement in Thomas's death?””
My mother nodded.
“He arranged the meeting that night.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“What meeting?””
“Thomas believed Arthur wanted to negotiate a settlement. But Arthur had already made arrangements with Julian.””
I stared at her.
“Julian?””
“Yes. Arthur promised him control of the company if he helped remove Thomas and Marcus.””
The detective immediately took notes.
Then my mother looked at me.
“Marcus, there's one more thing. Arthur didn't just want the company.””
“What did he want?””
She placed a folded document on the table.
It was a legal agreement dated six months before my accident.
The final page contained a clause transferring control of Hale International to a private holding company if I became permanently incapacitated.
I recognized the signature.
Julian's.
But beneath it was another signature.
Arthur Bennett.
My biological father.
My mother whispered:
“He planned your accident long before Julian did.””
May you like
And suddenly, I understood that the man behind everything wasn't my brother.
It was the father I had never known.
