Chapter 6: The Birthday Girl Told the Truth
Nobody moved.
Ava sat on the sofa, clutching her stuffed rabbit against her chest.
Vanessa stared at her daughter as if she had just betrayed her.
I looked at Ava's arm.
There was a small red mark near her elbow, but no swelling.
“Sweetheart,” I said gently, “can you tell me what really happened?””
Vanessa immediately stepped forward.
“She's confused. She's eight years old. She doesn't understand what she's saying.””
Ava shook her head.
“I do understand.””
“Baby, Mommy is trying to help.””
“You told me to say Nia pushed me.””
Vanessa crouched.
“Ava, stop.””
The little girl pulled away.
“You said Daddy would send Nia to another house if he thought she was bad.””
I felt something tighten in my chest.
I had spent years believing Vanessa loved both girls equally.
Now I was watching her teach her own daughter to lie about her stepsister.
I knelt in front of Ava.
“Did Nia touch you?””
Ava shook her head.
“No.””
“Then how did your arm get hurt?””
Ava looked down.
“I fell.””
“Where?””
“In the kitchen.””
I glanced toward the kitchen doorway.
“What happened?””
Ava took a breath.
“I was trying to get the pink cupcake box from the counter. Nia told me not to climb on the chair because it was wobbly.””
I looked toward Nia.
She was staring at the floor.
Ava continued.
“But I climbed anyway. Then I slipped.””
Vanessa stood abruptly.
“That's enough!””
Ava jumped.
I turned toward my wife.
“Don't shout at her.””
Vanessa's voice rose.
“She doesn't know what she's talking about!””
Ava started crying.
I put an arm around her.
“It's okay, sweetheart.””
Vanessa paced across the living room.
“This is unbelievable. Both of you are making me look like some monster.””
I stood.
“No one is making you look like anything. We're listening to what actually happened.””
She pointed toward Nia.
“She has manipulated Ava against me.””
Nia finally spoke.
“I didn't!””
Vanessa snapped her fingers.
“Go upstairs.””
I stepped between them.
“Don't order her around.””
Vanessa stared at me.
“Are you serious?””
“Completely.””
I looked at both girls.
“Ava, why don't you go upstairs with Nia? You can watch a movie together.””
Ava hesitated.
“Will you come too?””
“In a few minutes.””
She took Nia's hand.
As they climbed the stairs, I noticed something unusual.
Nia didn't pull away.
For months, she had apparently been made to believe that even standing beside Ava was a problem.
Now the two girls were walking upstairs together.
Vanessa watched them disappear.
Then she turned toward me.
“You're ruining everything.””
I placed my car keys on the table.
“Explain what you told Ava.””
“I didn't tell her to lie.””
“She just said you did.””
“She misunderstood.””
“Then why did you want Nia sent away?””
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“Because this family cannot function with her constantly creating conflict.””
I looked at her.
“She's a child.””
“And she's making my life miserable!””
The words came out before she could stop herself.
I stared at her.
Vanessa pressed her lips together.
Then she softened her voice.
“Marcus, you don't see what happens when you're gone. Nia challenges everything I say. She refuses to accept me. She makes Ava feel guilty for having a mother.””
I walked toward the dining table.
“Do you hear yourself?””
“I am trying to protect my daughter.””
“From what? A twelve-year-old girl?””
“From someone who resents her!””
I stopped.
“Nia has never resented Ava. She has been buying her birthday presents with her allowance for years.””
Vanessa scoffed.
“That's not the point.””
“What is the point, Vanessa?””
She stared at me.
I waited.
Finally, she said something that confirmed what I had begun to suspect.
“You don't understand what it's like to live in a house where everything revolves around Rachel's daughter.””
I took a slow breath.
“Rachel's daughter is my daughter.””
“And Ava deserves the same opportunities!””
“She has them.””
“Not if everything goes to Nia!””
I went still.
There it was.
The inheritance.
The trust.
The money Rachel had protected for our daughter.
I walked to the office and returned with the blue folder.
Vanessa's eyes immediately moved to it.
“What's that?””
“Rachel's documents.””
She stepped backward.
“Marcus, don't.””
“Why? Is there something in here you don't want me to see?””
She shook her head.
“You're misunderstanding the situation.””
I opened the folder and placed Rachel's letter on the table.
“Evelyn told me about the trust.””
Vanessa's expression changed.
“What did she tell you?””
“That you contacted her. That you wanted access to Nia's financial information. That you asked whether you could change the beneficiary arrangements.””
Vanessa stared at me.
Then she laughed.
“That's ridiculous. I was asking questions on your behalf.””
“Why?””
“Because we're married!””
“That doesn't give you control over Rachel's estate.””
Her eyes narrowed.
“So that's what this is about? Money?””
I looked at her.
“That's what you tell me.””
She moved toward the table and grabbed the letter.
I took it from her hand.
“Don't touch it.””
“You have no idea what Rachel was like with money!””
“Maybe. But I know what you're like with my daughter.””
Vanessa's face twisted.
“You think you're protecting Nia, but you're making her impossible to live with.””
I stepped closer.
“Then you won't have to live with her.””
She blinked.
“What?””
“You heard me. You and I are going to discuss living arrangements separately.””
For several seconds, she didn't speak.
Then her eyes filled.
“Are you throwing me out?””
“I haven't made that decision yet. But Nia will not be treated this way again.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“You can't do this to me.””
I looked toward the staircase.
“Watch me.””
She suddenly changed tactics.
She walked over and took my hand.
“Marcus, please. I was stressed. I made mistakes. We can fix this.””
I pulled my hand away.
“By doing what?””
“I'll apologize to Nia. I'll put the gifts out. I'll make sure she gets everything she deserves.””
“That's not enough.””
“Then tell me what you want!””
I looked at her.
“I want to know why Rachel was afraid of you.””
Vanessa froze.
I continued.
“I want to know what happened with her cousin's business. I want to know why you contacted a lawyer about removing Nia. And I want to know what you planned to do with her inheritance.””
Vanessa's expression became unreadable.
Then she said quietly:
“You should ask your daughter what Rachel told her before she died.””
I frowned.
“What does Nia have to do with this?””
Vanessa glanced toward the stairs.
“Rachel left something with her.””
I stared at my wife.
“What?””
“Something she never told you about.””
I took a step closer.
“Explain.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“Ask Nia.””
I went upstairs.
Nia and Ava were sitting on the bedroom floor, watching a cartoon on the television.
Ava was leaning against Nia's shoulder.
When I entered, Nia immediately paused the show.
“Everything okay?”” I asked.
Ava nodded.
“Can we have popcorn?””
I smiled.
“Of course.””
She jumped up and ran toward the door.
Once she was gone, I sat beside Nia.
“Sweetheart, I need to ask you something.””
She looked nervous.
“Did Mom ever leave you anything before she died? Something you haven't shown me?””
Nia's eyes widened.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she reached into the drawer of her bedside table.
She removed a small pink envelope.
The edges were worn, and the paper had faded.
“I was supposed to give this to you when I turned thirteen,” she whispered.
I stared at the handwriting.
Rachel's.
My hands trembled.
“Where did you get this?””
“Mom gave it to me before she died. She said to keep it somewhere safe and not let anyone else read it.””
I carefully opened the envelope.
Inside was a photograph of Rachel holding baby Nia.
On the back, Rachel had written:
My little girl, if Vanessa ever tells you that you don't belong in your father's home, remember that I chose this home for you because I believed your father would always protect you.
I swallowed hard.
There was another sheet of paper.
This one contained only three sentences.
Marcus, I need you to know that Vanessa didn't enter our lives by accident.
She knew about the inheritance before she met you.
And she wasn't the only person looking for it.
I read the final line again.
Then I turned the paper over.
A name was written beneath Rachel's signature.
*DANIEL REED.*
My older brother.
The man who had stood beside me at Rachel's funeral.
The man who had encouraged me to marry Vanessa.
The man who had told me, repeatedly, that she was exactly the woman I needed.
I looked at Nia.
“Did Vanessa know you had this?””
Nia nodded slowly.
“She found the envelope last month. She told me not to tell you.””
My throat tightened.
“What did she say?””
Nia's eyes filled.
“She said Uncle Daniel would be very angry if Dad found out what happened before Mom died.””
I stared at the letter.
Before Rachel died.
My brother.
Vanessa.
And a secret that apparently connected them both.
Then my phone rang.
Daniel's name appeared on the screen.
I answered.
“Hello?””
His voice was unusually tense.
“Marcus, listen to me. I just heard you've been talking to Evelyn Harrison.””
I looked at Rachel's letter.
“Yes.””
There was a pause.
Then Daniel said something I never expected to hear.
“Whatever she tells you, don't believe it. Rachel wasn't telling you the truth about Vanessa.””
I stood slowly.
“Daniel, what exactly happened between you and my wife?””
Silence.
May you like
Then my brother whispered:
“Marcus, there's something you need to know about the night Rachel died.””
