Chapter 6: The Empty Chair
For three seconds, nobody moved.
Then the auditorium erupted.
Parents stood.
Students shouted.
Teachers rushed toward the aisles.
Emergency lights washed the burgundy seats in a dull red glow.
I couldn't see Vanessa.
I couldn't see my mother.
I couldn't see Marcus.
“Mom!””
“Ethan!””
Her voice came from somewhere to my left.
I pushed through the crowd.
A hand grabbed my shoulder.
I spun around.
Marcus.
“Stay with me.””
“Where's my mother?””
“She was right behind me.””
Vanessa appeared through the red light.
“She went toward the stage.””
Marcus cursed.
“We need to get her.””
We ran.
I heard Dr. Reynolds shouting instructions behind us.
“Everyone stay seated! Teachers, secure the exits!””
But the auditorium was already chaos.
We reached the stage.
Sarah stood beside the podium, clutching the edge.
I ran to her.
“Mom!””
She grabbed my face with both hands.
“Are you okay?””
“I’m fine.””
She looked over my shoulder.
“Where's Vanessa?””
“She’s here.””
Vanessa came running toward us.
Then she stopped.
Her eyes locked on the empty podium.
The valedictorian speech was still displayed on the giant screen.
My name glowed above a photograph of me.
*ETHAN CARTER*
Vanessa whispered, “Oh God.””
“What?””
She pointed toward the front row.
“Your father's seat.””
I looked.
There was a reserved chair.
White card.
*CHARLES CARTER — FAMILY*
I stared at it.
“That's my grandfather.””
Sarah shook her head.
“No.””
I turned.
“What?””
“That seat wasn't supposed to be there.””
Vanessa's face went white.
“Then who put it there?””
Nobody answered.
Marcus walked toward the chair.
He crouched.
Underneath it was a black envelope.
He picked it up.
My name was written across the front.
*ETHAN.*
I reached for it.
Marcus held it back.
“No.””
“Give it to me.””
“You don't know what this is.””
“I know it's addressed to me.””
He looked at Sarah.
She nodded weakly.
Marcus handed it over.
The envelope was heavy.
Inside was a single key.
And a photograph.
I looked at the photograph.
My mother was standing outside the hospital.
She was holding baby me.
Beside her stood Charles Carter.
My supposed grandfather.
But Charles wasn't looking at Sarah.
He was looking at another woman.
A young Black woman with long braids.
I turned the photograph over.
There was writing on the back.
*She knows what happened to the first baby.*
I looked at Vanessa.
“Who is she?””
Vanessa stared at the photograph.
“I don't know.””
Marcus did.
He whispered her name.
“Angela.””
Sarah's face went blank.
“Marcus…”
I looked at my mother.
“You know her.””
She didn't answer.
“You know her.””
“I haven't seen her since—”
She stopped.
“Since when?””
“Since the hospital.””
My heart hammered.
“What first baby?””
Sarah backed away.
“Ethan, please.””
“No.””
The emergency lights suddenly flickered off.
The auditorium fell completely dark.
Then the main lights returned.
Bright.
Normal.
Almost peaceful.
But something had changed.
The stage door was open.
Dr. Reynolds stood there.
His tie was crooked.
His face was pale.
“Where's Vanessa?””
I turned.
She was gone.
Marcus swore.
I looked around.
My mother grabbed my hand.
“She took the phone.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“Vanessa.””
She pointed toward the aisle.
Vanessa was nowhere.
The auditorium doors were still locked.
I ran to the nearest exit.
Nothing.
No sign of her.
Then my phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
A video had arrived.
I opened it.
The screen showed a dark room.
A metal table.
A hospital bracelet.
Then a man's voice.
“Ethan Carter, if you're watching this, your mother has already told you one lie.””
The camera moved closer to the bracelet.
The name printed across it made my blood run cold.
*BABY CARTER.*
The voice continued.
“The second lie is the one that will destroy your family.””
I stopped breathing.
Marcus grabbed my shoulder.
“Turn it off.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
He didn't answer.
The video continued.
A woman's voice came from behind the camera.
“Tell him who his real mother is.””
Marcus's face collapsed.
Sarah screamed.
And the video cut to a photograph of the woman from the hospital.
Angela.
Underneath her face were four words:
*ETHAN'S BIOLOGICAL MOTHER.*
I looked at Sarah.
She was crying so hard she could barely stand.
Then someone behind me whispered:
“That's not Angela.””
I turned.
Dr. Reynolds was staring at the screen.
May you like
And he was holding another photograph.
“That's her sister.””
