Chapter 4: The Brother My Father Buried Twice
"Ethan Carter?""
The name came out of my mouth like a question I was afraid to hear answered.
Dad stood motionless beside the kitchen island, his phone still pressed against his ear.
Diane had dropped her handbag. A lipstick, a set of keys, and several folded receipts lay scattered across the hardwood floor.
Nobody moved to pick them up.
"Rebecca," Dad finally said, "tell me exactly what you just told my daughter.""
The lawyer's voice came through the speaker.
"The original trust agreement names two beneficiaries. Maya Carter and Ethan Carter. Both were assigned equal interests, subject to the conditions established by your mother.""
Dad shook his head.
"Ethan is dead.""
"According to the documents I have, there is no death certificate attached to his beneficiary file.""
I stared at my father.
"You told me he died.""
Dad closed his eyes.
"Maya, please.""
"No. Don't say please. Tell me who Ethan is.""
Diane quickly bent down and gathered her belongings.
"This conversation is going nowhere.""
I turned toward her.
"Sit down.""
She froze.
Perhaps it was the first time I had ever spoken to her that way.
"Excuse me?""
"You heard me. You've spent years telling me I owe this family something. You've stolen my money, hidden my inheritance, and now I find out I have a brother. You're going to sit down.""
Diane looked at Dad.
He didn't defend her.
Slowly, she lowered herself into a chair.
Dad finally spoke.
"Ethan was my son from before I met your mother.""
I stared at him.
"Your son?""
He nodded.
"His mother was named Laura. We were together when I was twenty-three. We weren't married.
She became pregnant, and I was terrified. I had just started my career, and I didn't think I could handle being a father.""
"So what happened?""
"Laura left town. I received letters for a while. Then they stopped.""
"You told me he died.""
Dad rubbed his forehead.
"Years later, someone contacted me and said Ethan had died in an accident. I was told he was buried in Ohio.""
"Who contacted you?""
Dad looked toward Diane.
She immediately shook her head.
"Don't look at me.""
"Was it you?"" I asked.
Diane folded her hands.
"I was trying to protect Marcus.""
Dad's voice hardened.
"Did you tell me Ethan was dead?""
"I told you what I believed.""
"You told me his mother sent a death notice.""
"She did.""
"Where is it?""
Diane looked away.
Dad pushed his chair back.
"Where is the letter, Diane?""
She didn't answer.
Rebecca interrupted through the phone.
"Mr. Carter, I think we should arrange an in-person meeting. There's a reason I'm bringing this up now.""
Dad picked up the phone.
"What reason?""
"The independent trustee has received a request to release the original beneficiary records. Someone has recently contacted the firm claiming to be Ethan Carter.""
My heart began racing.
"Someone claiming to be him?""
"Yes, Miss Carter. He has provided identification and requested a meeting.""
Dad gripped the counter.
"Where is he?""
"He's currently in Ohio. He has agreed to travel here tomorrow.""
I felt a strange sensation in my chest.
My brother was alive.
The boy I had imagined sometimes when I was younger, wondering what it would be like to have someone who shared my father's eyes, had apparently been living somewhere without me.
And my father had known enough to tell me he was dead.
"Why didn't you look for him?"" I asked.
Dad's eyes filled.
"I thought he was gone.""
"You didn't even check?""
"I was told he had been buried.""
"By whom?""
Dad looked at Diane again.
She stood.
"I am not doing this anymore.""
She picked up her handbag.
Dad stepped away from the counter.
"You're staying.""
"You're not my father, Marcus.""
"No. But I'm the man whose signature appears on documents you claim I never signed.""
She turned toward me.
"Enjoy this, Maya. You think you're finally getting everything you deserve. But you have no idea what kind of person your brother is.""
I stepped closer.
"Have you met him?""
Her silence answered me.
Dad stared at her.
"You know Ethan?""
Diane grabbed her keys.
"I knew someone named Ethan.""
"Where?""
She shook her head.
Then she walked out of the kitchen.
The front door slammed.
Dad didn't follow her.
For the next several minutes, he sat staring at the documents.
I wanted to comfort him.
I wanted to believe he was another victim of Diane's manipulation.
But there was a question I couldn't ignore.
"Dad, why did you let me believe I was an only child?""
He looked up.
"Because I was ashamed.""
"Of what?""
"Of abandoning him.""
I pulled out the chair opposite him.
"Did you ever try to find him?""
He nodded.
"Once. About twelve years ago. I hired someone to look into Laura's last known address.
The house had been sold. Her neighbors said she'd moved away.""
"And then?""
"Then Diane told me the investigator had found Ethan's death certificate.""
I stared at him.
"Did you see it?""
Dad lowered his eyes.
"No.""
The answer landed harder than I expected.
He had believed his wife without asking for proof.
Just as he had believed her when she said my scholarship money was being handled.
Just as he had believed her when she said I was irresponsible.
Just as he had believed her when she said my grandmother was difficult.
I stood.
"I need some air.""
Outside, the evening air was cool.
I sat on the porch steps and opened my phone.
A new email had arrived from Rebecca.
The subject line read:
*CONFIDENTIAL — ETHAN CARTER BENEFICIARY FILE.*
I opened it.
There were several scanned documents.
A photograph.
A birth certificate.
A letter from my grandmother.
And an address.
The photograph showed a young man standing beside a motorcycle. He had dark hair, a strong jaw, and the same deep-set eyes as my father.
He looked about thirty.
On the back of the photograph, someone had written:
*Ethan, age 29.*
I zoomed in on his face.
Then I noticed something in the background.
A small wooden sign above the building behind him.
It read:
*CARTER & SONS AUTO RESTORATION.*
My phone vibrated.
An incoming message appeared from an unknown number.
Hi, Maya. My name is Ethan. Rebecca gave me your number.
A second message arrived.
I know this is going to sound strange, but I think we need to talk about what our grandmother left us.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
And there's something you should know about Diane.
My fingers tightened around the phone.
She came to see me six years ago. She offered me money to disappear.
I read it twice.
Before I could reply, Ethan sent one final message.
I refused. That's when she told me she could make sure neither of us ever got a dollar.
I looked through the glass front door.
My father was standing in the hallway, watching me.
Then my phone rang.
Ethan Carter.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A man's voice came through.
"Maya?""
"Yes.""
He was quiet for a moment.
Then he said, "I don't know how much your father has told you, but there's something he needs to explain before we meet.""
"What?""
May you like
Ethan took a breath.
"Your grandmother didn't just leave us money. She left us evidence that someone in your family planned her death.""
