Chapter 8 – The Mother Who Was Still Lying
Emily stared at the photo on her phone.
Her hands went cold.
The image was clear.
Too clear.
Richard Bennett stood outside a private parking garage.
His gray suit was still the same one he had worn at graduation.
Beside him was Caroline.
Her mother.
The woman who had appeared broken in the video.
The woman who had cried and admitted her silence.
The woman who supposedly wanted to protect Emily.
They were standing together.
Talking.
Planning.
Emily zoomed in on the picture.
The timestamp appeared at the bottom.
11:47 A.M.
Only thirty minutes after Richard slapped her in front of hundreds of people.
Only thirty minutes after Caroline pretended to defend her daughter.
Emily felt something inside her collapse.
"No..."
Professor Hughes noticed her expression.
"What is it?"
Emily handed her the phone.
The dean looked at the image.
Her face changed.
Daniel immediately stepped closer.
"Who sent this?"
Emily looked at the number.
Unknown.
"No name."
Daniel took out his phone.
"I'll trace it."
But Emily barely heard him.
Because one thought kept repeating.
Her mother lied.
Again.
That evening, the Bennett family mansion was surrounded by reporters.
The perfect home that had appeared in magazines for years was now a symbol of scandal.
Richard Bennett stood at the entrance.
Calm.
Controlled.
Exactly like always.
He gave interviews.
He denied everything.
He played the victim.
"My daughter is experiencing emotional distress," he told reporters.
"She has misunderstood family decisions."
"Everything I did was to protect her."
Emily watched the interview from Daniel's office.
She almost couldn't believe it.
After everything.
After all the evidence.
He was still acting.
"He doesn't feel guilty."
Daniel looked at the screen.
"No."
"Men like Richard Bennett don't believe they do wrong."
"They believe they are correcting the world."
Emily looked away.
Then her phone rang.
This time, the number wasn't hidden.
It was Caroline.
Everyone in the room became silent.
Emily stared at the screen.
For years, she had waited for her mother to call.
To apologize.
To explain.
Now that moment had arrived.
Slowly, she answered.
"Hello."
A few seconds passed.
Then Caroline spoke.
"Emily..."
Her voice was shaking.
"Please listen to me."
Emily closed her eyes.
"I watched your video."
A pause.
"I know."
"You knew?"
Caroline sounded like she was crying.
"I knew he would eventually try to destroy you."
Emily laughed bitterly.
"Eventually?"
"Mom, he already did."
"No."
Caroline whispered.
"You don't understand."
"Your father didn't start this today."
"He started it years ago."
Emily looked at Daniel.
The same words again.
Years ago.
"Then why were you with him this morning?"
Silence.
A long silence.
And Emily knew.
The silence told her everything.
"Mom."
"Why were you meeting him?"
Caroline finally answered.
"Because I was trying to get the last piece of evidence."
Emily froze.
"What?"
"The original contract."
"The one proving Richard stole your research."
Emily frowned.
"Then why did you look like you were working with him?"
Caroline's voice broke.
"Because I had no choice."
Emily stood.
"No choice?"
"You always had a choice."
The words hurt.
But they were true.
Caroline became quiet.
Then she whispered:
"There is something you don't know."
"What?"
"Your father isn't the only person who wanted your research."
Emily felt a chill.
"What are you talking about?"
Caroline took a shaky breath.
"Six years ago, Richard sold information about your research to someone else."
"Someone dangerous."
Daniel immediately looked up.
Emily noticed.
He had heard.
"Who?"
Caroline answered:
"The person funding Bennett Holdings."
Emily waited.
Then came the name.
A name that changed everything.
"The Blackwell Group."
Daniel's face went pale.
Emily looked at him.
"You know them?"
Daniel nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"Who are they?"
Daniel stared at the phone.
Then at Emily.
"They are the reason Richard Bennett became powerful."
A pause.
"And they are the reason your father was willing to destroy his own daughter."
Emily felt her heart sink.
Because suddenly she realized something.
May you like
Her family betrayal was only the beginning.
The real enemy had been hiding behind them the entire time.
