Chapter 14 - Michael Finally Heard His Father
Michael opened Thomas’s letter standing beside the dining table.
Nobody interrupted him.
His hands began trembling on the second page.
By the third, tears were falling.
His father had written everything he never managed to say aloud.
Lucas might be yours.
The report your mother provided cannot be trusted.
I should have stopped this earlier.
Do not repeat my cowardice.
Michael sank into a chair.
Diane moved toward him.
“Michael.”
He lifted one hand.
“Don’t.”
She stopped.
I had never heard him use that tone with her.
He looked at his mother.
“You knew.”
Diane straightened.
“I believed I was protecting you.”
“You knew.”
“Your marriage was already failing.”
“You knew Lucas might be mine.”
“Natalie was unstable.”
“Natalie raised my son for ten years while I called her a liar.”
Diane’s eyes filled with tears.
“You were young.”
“I was twenty-seven.”
The same response I had given him.
Michael laughed bitterly.
“I wasn’t a child.”
“No.”
Diane stepped closer.
“But you were my child.”
“And that was enough for you to think you could control my life?”
“I saved you from a terrible marriage.”
“You stole my son.”
The words landed hard.
Diane recoiled.
“I did not steal anyone.”
“You gave me a fake test.”
“You convinced Dad to keep quiet.”
“You hid his letters.”
“And when I finally found Lucas, you lied to him about Claire and Natalie.”
Diane turned toward me.
“This woman is enjoying this.”
Michael stood so fast his chair fell backward.
“Stop.”
Diane froze.
“Do not blame Claire.”
“She had nothing to do with this.”
“She didn’t make me weak.”
“She didn’t turn me against you.”
“She didn’t destroy this family.”
His voice broke.
“You did plenty of that yourself.”
Diane began crying.
For years, tears probably changed the direction of every argument in that house.
They did not work this time.
Michael picked up the trust papers.
“What did you do with Dad’s money?”
“I used it for this house.”
“And your car.”
“I deserved something after taking care of your father.”
Rachel looked disgusted.
Michael closed his eyes.
“Did Dad know?”
“He knew some.”
“Did he know you never repaid it?”
Silence.
Michael nodded.
“You’re selling the house.”
Diane stared at him.
“You cannot order me to sell my home.”
“I’m not ordering you.”
“I’m telling you I’m done paying for it.”
Her face changed.
Michael continued.
“And the trust attorney will decide what happens with the missing funds.”
“You would do that to your own mother?”
Michael looked at her for a long time.
Then he said quietly, “You taught me that family means protecting people from consequences.”
“I’m done believing you.”
Diane pointed toward me.
“This is because of her.”
Michael shook his head.
“No.”
“This is because you slapped her and got angry enough to reveal a secret you thought would hurt her.”
His voice hardened.
“But all you really did was make everyone start asking questions.”
Diane looked around the room.
At Michael.
At Rachel.
At me.
Nobody lowered their eyes.
For the first time, the matriarch had no one left to silence.
Then my phone rang.
Natalie.
I answered.
May you like
Her voice was panicked.
“Claire, Lucas is gone.”
