Chapter 5: The Secret Request
My father read the message three times.
I watched his eyes move across the screen.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Like he was hoping the words would rearrange themselves into something less painful.
They didn’t.
“Marcus?”” Vanessa asked.
He didn’t respond.
That was when I knew.
Whatever he was seeing was worse than the ticket.
“What does it say?”” I asked.
My father locked the phone.
“Maya.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“Not again.””
My voice cracked.
“I need to know.””
He looked at me.
And I saw the conflict in his eyes.
The part of him that wanted to protect me.
The part of him that knew hiding things was exactly what had caused this mess.
Finally, he handed me the phone.
The message was from the airline.
A confirmation.
Not of a cancellation.
Not of a name change.
A request.
“Passenger modification request received: Maya Carter.””
Below it was a date.
Two weeks earlier.
I looked up.
“This was done two weeks ago?””
Nobody answered.
My father turned toward Vanessa.
“Two weeks.””
Vanessa looked uncomfortable.
“I was going to tell you.””
“When?””
She didn’t respond.
“When Maya was already gone?””
“No.””
“After the plane left?””
Her silence answered for her.
I looked at Vanessa.
“How long were you planning this?””
She looked hurt.
Like my question offended her.
“I wasn’t planning anything.””
My father gave a short laugh.
“Your request was submitted two weeks ago.””
“It was just an idea.””
“An idea that involved changing my daughter’s travel information?””
Vanessa rubbed her forehead.
“You’re making me sound like a monster.””
“No.””
Marcus pointed at the phone.
“I’m telling you exactly what happened.””
Brielle sat down slowly.
She looked smaller than before.
“Mom…”
Vanessa looked at her.
“What?””
“Why didn’t you tell me the truth?””
Vanessa’s expression changed.
“What do you mean?””
“You said Maya was okay with staying.””
My heart sank.
I looked at Brielle.
“She told you that?””
Brielle nodded slowly.
“She said you wanted to spend time alone.””
I felt like the room tilted.
Because that was not just a lie about a vacation.
That was a lie about me.
Vanessa looked at the floor.
My father noticed.
“You told Brielle that Maya wanted this?””
Vanessa sighed.
“I didn’t want Brielle to feel guilty.””
“So you made Maya the villain?””
“No.””
“Yes.””
His answer was immediate.
Vanessa looked away.
My father walked toward the suitcase.
He touched the handle but didn’t open it.
“Whose clothes are these?””
Brielle looked down.
“Mine.””
“And Maya’s?””
I swallowed.
“My clothes are upstairs.””
Marcus closed his eyes briefly.
That small movement hurt more than anger.
Because he was disappointed.
Not just in Vanessa.
In the situation.
In the fact that his daughter had been standing there feeling unwanted in her own home.
“Maya,” he said.
I looked at him.
“I’m sorry.””
Those words broke something in me.
Because my dad didn’t apologize often.
Not because he was proud.
Because he always tried his best.
“I thought I was going with you,” I whispered.
“I know.””
“I thought we were excited together.””
“I know.””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Maya, I never wanted you to feel—”
I looked at her.
“Then why didn’t you ask me?””
She stopped.
That was the question.
The simple question.
And she had no answer.
My father’s phone buzzed again.
This time, he looked immediately.
His expression tightened.
“What?””
Vanessa looked nervous.
“What is it?””
Marcus didn’t answer.
He walked toward the table.
Opened the airline app.
Then opened another section.
The reservation history.
“There’s another action.””
My stomach dropped.
“What action?””
He looked at Vanessa.
“An account access request.””
Her face changed.
“What?””
“You accessed the reservation through my account.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
Marcus turned the phone around.
“The login came from your device.””
Silence.
Brielle looked at her mother.
“Mom…”
Vanessa’s voice became defensive.
“I was trying to fix things.””
“By going into my account?””
“I had access.””
“No.””
Marcus shook his head.
“You didn’t have permission.””
Vanessa looked angry now.
“I’m your wife.””
“And Maya is my daughter.””
The words landed hard.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then my father scrolled lower.
His finger stopped.
His face went completely still.
“What?”” I asked.
He didn’t answer.
“Dad?””
He looked at Vanessa.
Then at Brielle.
Then at me.
“There’s one more request.””
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed.
“What request?””
Marcus turned the phone around.
The screen showed a future travel change.
A request that had nothing to do with the vacation.
Nothing to do with the ticket.
May you like
And everything to do with me.
Because someone had tried to remove my name from another important document.
