Chapter 6: The Family Photo
Nobody breathed.
The voice came closer.
Slow footsteps moved through the corridor outside.
Nia looked at David.
“Thomas is here?””
David nodded.
Angela grabbed Nia's hand.
“We need to leave.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“There's nowhere to go.””
Nia pulled her hand away.
“No.””
Everyone looked at her.
She held the photograph against her chest.
“I've spent my whole life being told where to stand, what to believe, and who to trust.””
Her eyes settled on Vanessa.
“I'm done.””
Vanessa's face tightened.
“Nia, listen to me.””
“No.””
“Nia—”
“You don't get to tell me what to do anymore.””
The footsteps stopped outside.
A shadow appeared beneath the door.
David moved in front of Nia.
Angela stood beside him.
Vanessa looked terrified.
A knock came.
Then a man's voice.
“Vanessa.””
She closed her eyes.
Thomas opened the door.
He stepped inside wearing a dark blue suit, smiling as if he had simply arrived to congratulate a graduate.
Then he saw David.
The smile disappeared.
“You.””
David stared at him.
“Thomas.””
Thomas looked toward Nia.
His expression changed.
“You must be Nia.””
Nia didn't answer.
Thomas smiled again.
“I've heard so much about you.””
“From who?””
Thomas glanced at Vanessa.
“Your family.””
Nia laughed bitterly.
“My family apparently has a lot of stories.””
Thomas looked at the torn gown.
“What happened?””
Vanessa answered quickly.
“An accident.””
Nia stared at her.
“A very strange accident.””
Thomas's eyes moved to the folder.
Then to the scattered documents.
His face became unreadable.
“Where did you get those?””
Angela stepped forward.
“They belong to Nia.””
Thomas looked at her.
“You should have stayed away.””
Angela's voice was steady.
“You should have told the truth.””
Thomas smiled.
“Truth is complicated.””
David stepped forward.
“No. Fraud is complicated.””
Thomas's smile vanished.
Nia looked at David.
“What did he do?””
David didn't answer.
Thomas did.
“I protected this family.””
“You stole my inheritance,” Nia said.
Thomas's expression barely changed.
“You don't know what you're talking about.””
“I know my father said the papers were forged.””
Thomas looked at David.
“You're still telling her that?””
“It's the truth.””
Thomas shook his head.
“You always were a terrible liar.””
Nia stepped between them.
“Then tell me.””
Thomas looked at her.
“Tell you what?””
“Everything.””
The room fell silent.
Thomas sighed.
“You were born into a family that was falling apart.””
Nia stared at him.
“My family?””
“Your grandfather was dying. Your father was reckless. Your mother was desperate.””
Angela said, “Don't rewrite it.””
Thomas ignored her.
“There was money.””
Nia's jaw tightened.
“How much?””
Thomas hesitated.
“Enough to destroy people.””
“And you wanted it.””
“I wanted to protect it.””
“For yourself.””
“For the family.””
Nia looked at Vanessa.
“And she helped you.””
Vanessa whispered, “I was afraid.””
Thomas turned toward her.
“You were paid.””
Vanessa flinched.
Nia noticed.
“How much?””
Vanessa looked at the floor.
“How much did he pay you?””
“I don't remember.””
“You remember.””
Vanessa's eyes filled.
“Two hundred thousand dollars.””
Nia went still.
David closed his eyes.
Angela whispered, “Oh, Vanessa.””
Nia looked at her stepmother.
“You sold my future for two hundred thousand dollars?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I didn't know what he was planning.””
“You signed the papers.””
“I thought it would only be temporary.””
Thomas suddenly said, “Enough.””
Nia turned toward him.
“No.””
Thomas's eyes hardened.
“You don't understand what you're accusing me of.””
“Then explain the signature.””
Thomas looked at the document.
“That signature is legitimate.””
David stepped forward.
“It's not.””
Thomas smiled.
“I have witnesses.””
Angela's eyes narrowed.
“Who?””
Thomas didn't answer.
Nia noticed his hesitation.
“Who?””
Thomas looked at Vanessa.
She looked terrified.
Then Nia remembered something.
The family photograph.
The woman holding the baby.
Her aunt.
And the writing on the back.
She flipped the photograph over.
There was more writing beneath the biological mother's name.
A date.
A hospital room number.
And one final sentence.
Nia's eyes moved across the handwriting.
Her face changed.
“Mom…”
Angela looked at her.
“What?””
Nia held the photograph out.
“Why does this say my aunt was the one who signed the custody agreement?””
Angela stared at it.
Thomas went pale.
David grabbed the photograph.
“Where did you get that?””
Nia pulled it back.
“It was in the folder.””
Thomas took one step toward her.
“Nia, give me that.””
She stepped backward.
“No.””
Thomas's voice hardened.
“Give it to me.””
“No.””
Vanessa suddenly whispered, “Thomas…”
He turned.
“What?””
Vanessa's eyes were full of tears.
“You never told me about the second signature.””
Thomas froze.
David looked at him.
“What second signature?””
Angela stared at Vanessa.
“What are you talking about?””
Vanessa pointed at the folder.
“There was another page.””
Thomas's face drained of color.
Nia looked down.
A thin sheet had slipped halfway out of the folder.
At the bottom was a signature.
Not David's.
Not Angela's.
Not Vanessa's.
Nia slowly pulled the page free.
Everyone stared at the name.
Thomas whispered, “No.””
Nia looked at him.
“You know this person.””
Thomas backed toward the door.
“Nia, don't read it.””
She looked at the signature.
Then at Thomas.
“Why?””
He said nothing.
Nia's fingers tightened around the page.
“Why are you afraid of my aunt?””
Thomas's face broke.
May you like
And for the first time, he whispered the sentence that made Angela cover her mouth.
“Because she isn't dead.””
