Chapter 9: My Mother Finally Told the Truth
I had never driven so fast in my life.
Daniel followed in a separate vehicle while Jonathan stayed on the phone with the hospital administration.
When we reached the entrance, two security officers were already waiting.
"Where is my mother?""
"Private room 412," one of them answered.
"A visitor is inside.""
"Did she allow him in?""
The officer hesitated.
"He presented himself as a family member.""
I pushed through the doors.
The elevator seemed to take forever.
When I reached the fourth floor, I heard voices coming from my mother's room.
Richard was speaking.
"You've kept this secret long enough, Evelyn.""
My mother answered quietly.
"Please leave.""
"You owe Michael the truth.""
"I said leave.""
I opened the door.
Richard stood beside the window.
Camille was sitting in the visitor's chair, holding my mother's handbag.
My mother was pressed against the pillows.
Her face was pale.
"Get away from her.""
Richard turned.
"Adrian. Finally.""
I walked directly toward Camille.
"Put the bag down.""
She looked at me.
For a moment, I saw something resembling regret.
Then it disappeared.
"You're making a terrible mistake.""
"Put it down.""
She slowly placed the handbag on the chair.
Richard adjusted his jacket.
"Your mother and I were having a conversation.""
"Without permission?""
"She has questions to answer.""
"Not to you.""
He smiled.
"Then perhaps she should answer them to you.""
I turned toward my mother.
"Mom, are you all right?""
She nodded, but her hands were trembling.
Camille stood.
"Adrian, we need to talk.""
"No.""
"Please.""
I looked at her.
"You had your chance to talk. You chose to drug my mother, take her documents, and attempt to transfer her property.""
Her expression hardened.
"That's not what happened.""
"Then explain the recordings.""
She glanced at Richard.
He gave a small shake of his head.
It was subtle.
But I saw it.
Camille sat down again.
Richard stepped forward.
"Adrian, you're confusing several unrelated matters.""
"Your company tried to take my mother's house.""
"An administrative misunderstanding.""
"You submitted fraudulent authority documents.""
"That's an allegation.""
"You went into my home and removed my father's estate records.""
Richard smiled.
"Those records belonged to the company.""
"My father's name is on them.""
"Your father was a complicated man.""
I stepped closer.
"Tell me what happened to him.""
For the first time, Richard's smile disappeared.
"You're listening to old recordings from a disgruntled employee. You have no idea what really happened.""
"Then tell me.""
He looked at my mother.
"Perhaps Evelyn should explain.""
My mother began crying.
"Richard, please.""
He leaned toward her.
"You've protected this secret for twenty-seven years. Don't stop now.""
I turned sharply.
"What secret?""
My mother looked at me.
Then she whispered:
"Your father wasn't supposed to meet Richard alone that night.""
I sat beside her.
"Who else was there?""
She closed her eyes.
"Thomas.""
I remembered the photograph.
My uncle had been there.
"Why?""
"Your father had discovered the stolen money. Thomas knew about the transfers, but he didn't know how much Richard had taken.""
"Did Thomas tell Richard where Dad was?""
My mother shook her head.
"No. He went there to help your father.""
Richard laughed.
"That's a convenient story.""
I stood.
"Be quiet.""
He raised his eyebrows.
"You don't speak to me that way.""
"I just did.""
My mother reached for my hand.
"Adrian, listen to me.""
I sat again.
She took a shaky breath.
"Your father called me at 9:17 that night.""
I froze.
"What did he say?""
"He told me to lock the doors and keep you inside. He said he was going to meet Thomas and would be home before midnight.""
"Did he sound frightened?""
"Yes.""
She swallowed.
"He told me that if anyone came looking for his papers, I should say I knew nothing.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"Then what happened?""
"At 11:40, Thomas came to the house.""
I looked at her.
"Uncle Thomas?""
She nodded.
"He was covered in blood.""
I stopped breathing.
"He told me your father was hurt. He said there had been an argument at Richard's property. He asked me to call an ambulance, but then he told me not to mention Richard's name.""
"Why?""
"He said Richard had people watching the house.""
I looked toward the window.
Richard was no longer smiling.
My mother continued.
"Thomas took you upstairs and locked you in your bedroom. Then he came back down and gave me a small envelope.""
"What was inside?""
"Your father's original company documents.""
"Where are they?""
She looked at me.
"I hid them.""
"Where?""
"In the sewing machine.""
I stared at her.
"The old machine?""
She nodded.
"The one your father bought me.""
My mind raced.
That machine had been in the sewing room for twenty-seven years.
I had offered to replace it dozens of times.
My mother had refused.
She always said it was the only thing she had left that still carried my father's fingerprints.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?""
"Because Thomas told me the police had already been given a false version of events. He said Richard had arranged everything before the accident.""
Richard stepped forward.
"Enough.""
Daniel immediately moved between him and the bed.
Richard raised both hands.
"You're letting her imagination run wild.""
My mother looked at him.
For the first time, she didn't lower her eyes.
"You threatened me.""
Richard's expression tightened.
"You should be careful.""
"No.""
Her voice trembled, but she continued.
"You told me my son would disappear if I went to the police.""
Richard stared at her.
"You were grieving. You didn't understand what was happening.""
"I understood enough.""
Camille stood suddenly.
"Mom, stop.""
My mother looked at her.
"Don't call me that.""
Camille froze.
I turned toward my wife.
"Why did you come here?""
She looked at me.
"I wanted to make sure Evelyn was safe.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Safe from whom?""
She didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
"How did you know about my father?""
Her eyes shifted toward Richard.
That was all the answer I needed.
"Did you marry me because of the inheritance?""
"Adrian, that's absurd.""
"Did you know my father's company shares would eventually belong to me?""
She remained silent.
"Camille.""
Finally, she said, "I knew there were family assets.""
"How long?""
"Before we got married.""
The room seemed to shrink around me.
I remembered our wedding.
Her father giving a toast.
Camille crying when I promised to love her forever.
All those years.
Ten years of shared holidays, anniversaries, private jokes, and conversations about having children.
Had any of it been real?
"Did you ever love me?"" I asked.
Her face changed.
"Of course I did.""
"Then why did you do this?""
She looked at the floor.
Richard interrupted.
"Adrian, emotional conversations won't change the facts.""
I turned toward him.
"Get out.""
He smiled.
"You cannot make me leave.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"The hospital has been notified that you're an unauthorized visitor. Security is waiting outside.""
Richard's smile disappeared.
Camille grabbed his arm.
"Father, let's go.""
But before they reached the door, my mother spoke.
"Richard.""
He stopped.
She looked at him with tears running down her face.
"Tell him what happened to Thomas.""
Richard said nothing.
My mother continued.
"You told me he left the country. You told me he was afraid of being arrested.""
Richard's jaw tightened.
"That's what happened.""
"No.""
She shook her head.
"Thomas called me three months later. He told me he was coming home. He said he had evidence that would clear your father's name.""
I stared at her.
"Thomas called you?""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because he never arrived.""
I looked at Richard.
"Where was he?""
Richard's expression was unreadable.
My mother spoke again.
"Three days after that phone call, someone sent me a photograph of Thomas's car.""
Her voice broke.
"It was at the bottom of a ravine.""
Nobody moved.
Richard finally spoke.
"Your uncle was involved in criminal activity. His death was unfortunate.""
I stepped toward him.
"Was it an accident?""
He looked me directly in the eyes.
"That's what the authorities concluded.""
I stared at him.
Then I said quietly:
"You seem to have a lot of accidents in your family.""
Richard's face darkened.
Daniel opened the door.
Two hospital security officers entered.
"Mr. Bennett, you need to leave.""
Richard straightened his jacket.
"This isn't over.""
"No," I replied.
"It isn't.""
He walked out.
Camille followed, but she stopped at the doorway.
"Adrian.""
I didn't look at her.
"Please. Just give me five minutes.""
"Ten years wasn't enough?""
Her eyes filled.
"I can explain everything.""
I finally turned.
"Then start by telling me why you were at the property where my father died.""
She stared at me.
Her lips parted.
Then closed.
For the first time, she looked genuinely frightened.
She walked out without answering.
An hour later, Jonathan arranged for a forensic investigator to inspect my mother's sewing machine.
We couldn't risk losing the original documents.
I wanted to return home immediately, but my mother was too exhausted to travel.
She asked me to sit beside her.
"Adrian?""
"Yes, Mom?""
"There's something else about Camille.""
I felt my shoulders tighten.
"What?""
She reached for her handbag.
From its inner pocket, she removed a folded photograph.
It showed Camille standing beside my father.
The date on the back was October 1998.
The same month my father died.
But this photograph was different from the one Peter had shown us.
In this one, Camille was holding a little boy's hand.
I stared at the child.
He looked about six years old.
"Who is that?""
My mother shook her head.
"I don't know.""
I turned the photograph over.
There was a handwritten note.
*Michael, meet my son. He deserves to know who his father is.*
I looked at my mother.
"Who wrote this?""
She swallowed.
"Your father.""
I stared at the photograph again.
Then I noticed the boy's face.
The shape of his nose.
The familiar expression.
And the small scar above his left eyebrow.
I had seen that scar before.
In photographs of Richard Bennett as a child.
My phone vibrated.
Daniel had sent a message.
*We found the original birth records connected to Camille's family. There's a serious discrepancy.*
A second message followed.
*The boy in the photograph is not Richard Bennett's son.*
Then came the final message.
*His biological father is listed as Michael Cole.*
I looked at my mother.
She was crying.
And suddenly I understood why Richard Bennett had spent twenty-seven years trying to erase my father's past.
My wife hadn't simply married into the family.
She was connected to my father by a secret nobody had ever told me.
May you like
And the next document Daniel sent contained a name I had never heard before.
*Camille's real father.*
