Chapter 7: The Lie He Buried
David lowered his eyes.
Nia stared at him.
“No.””
The word came out small.
David looked up.
“Nia—”
“No.””
She stepped backward.
“You don't get to say my name like that.””
Angela moved toward her.
“Nia, listen to me.””
Nia shook her head.
“You knew?””
Angela stopped.
“Did you know he did this?””
David's face crumpled.
“I never wanted you taken from her.””
“But you let it happen.””
“I thought I was protecting you.””
Nia laughed once, but there was no humor in it.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
She pointed at the torn gown.
“Protecting me.””
Then at the court documents.
“Protecting me.””
Then at David.
“You lied about me.””
David's voice dropped.
“I made one decision.””
“One?””
He swallowed.
“I made a terrible decision.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“What decision?””
David looked at his son.
“When Nia was born, someone threatened your mother.””
Angela's eyes narrowed.
“Don't use me to excuse yourself.””
“I’m not.””
“You are.””
David turned toward her.
“They said if I fought the custody order, they'd make sure neither of you ever saw each other again.””
Nia stared at him.
“Who?””
David hesitated.
Vanessa answered instead.
“Thomas.””
Everyone looked at her.
David closed his eyes.
Vanessa continued.
“My brother knew about the family business. He knew your father had debts. He knew Angela had no money for an attorney.””
Angela whispered, “So you used that against me.””
David nodded.
“I was scared.””
“You signed.””
“Yes.””
“You told the court I was unstable.””
“I was trying to keep them from taking you too.””
Angela's voice broke.
“They took her anyway.””
David looked at Nia.
“I thought Vanessa would keep you safe.””
Vanessa flinched.
“You knew what I was doing.””
“I knew you wanted a child.””
“That isn't the same thing.””
“No,” David said.
“It isn't.””
Nia looked at Vanessa.
“You told me my mother abandoned me.””
Vanessa's tears fell faster.
“I didn't know how to tell you.””
“You had eighteen years.””
“I was afraid.””
“Of what?””
Vanessa looked at David.
“Of losing everything.””
Nia's expression hardened.
“You already did.””
Marcus stepped between them.
“Dad, why would Thomas threaten Mom?””
David stared at him.
“Because Thomas wanted control of the company.””
Marcus frowned.
“What does that have to do with Nia?””
“Everything.””
The attorney finally spoke.
“Your family had a trust.””
Nia looked at her.
“What trust?””
“A substantial one. It was established before you were born.””
David nodded.
“Your grandfather created it for his first grandchild.””
Nia's face went blank.
“Me?””
“Yes.””
Marcus looked stunned.
“So Nia inherited it?””
“Eventually.””
The attorney corrected him.
“She became the beneficiary at birth.””
Vanessa whispered, “Thomas couldn't access it.””
David looked at the floor.
“So he needed Nia gone.””
Angela's eyes filled with anger.
“And you helped him.””
David didn't deny it.
Nia's voice trembled.
“How much?””
The attorney hesitated.
“Enough to change several lives.””
“How much?””
“Seven million dollars.””
The backstage room seemed to shrink.
Marcus stared.
“Seven million?””
The attorney nodded.
“The trust has grown since then.””
Nia looked at Vanessa.
“So that's why.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
“Then why?””
“I wanted you.””
Nia stared at her.
“You wanted my money.””
“I wanted to be your mother.””
“You could have loved me without stealing me.””
Vanessa had no answer.
Outside, the announcer called Nia's name.
“Nia Carter, please report to the stage.””
Her name echoed through the auditorium.
Nia closed her eyes.
For eighteen years, she had imagined hearing it.
But now it sounded like someone else's life.
Marcus looked toward the curtain.
“They're waiting.””
Nia wiped her face.
“I can't go out there.””
Angela stepped beside her.
“Yes, you can.””
Nia looked at her.
“Not like this.””
Angela gently touched the torn gown.
“Then don't.””
She opened her bag and pulled out a neatly folded black graduation gown.
Nia stared.
“You brought one?””
Angela nodded.
“I didn't know if they'd let you wear it.””
Nia's fingers trembled as she touched the fabric.
“I came because I found the records,” Angela said.
“But I also came because I remembered today.””
Nia looked at her.
“You remembered my graduation?””
“I remembered every birthday.””
Angela's voice cracked.
“Every Christmas. Every first day of school I wasn't allowed to see.””
Nia finally stepped into her mother's arms.
Angela held her tightly.
David turned away.
Marcus watched them.
Then his eyes landed on the torn papers.
Something was written on the back of one page.
He picked it up.
“Dad.””
David turned.
Marcus held out the page.
“This isn't a custody order.””
David's face changed.
“What?””
Marcus pointed.
“This is a bank authorization.””
The attorney took it.
Her eyes widened.
“That's impossible.””
Nia stepped closer.
“What?””
The attorney read the signature.
Then she looked at David.
“Someone withdrew money from Nia's trust.””
Angela went still.
“How much?””
The attorney checked the date.
“Two hundred thousand dollars.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
“Did you take it?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
The attorney looked at David.
“Who had authorization?””
David didn't answer.
Nia watched his face.
“Dad?””
David's phone suddenly rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression collapsed.
“It's Thomas.””
He answered.
No one spoke.
Then Thomas's voice came through.
“You should have left the past buried.””
David's hand tightened around the phone.
Thomas continued.
“Because if Nia reads the last page, she'll learn why you really gave her away.””
Nia stepped closer.
“What last page?””
May you like
The call ended.
And David looked at her like a man who had just realized there was nowhere left to run.
