Chapter 10 - THE WOMAN I THOUGHT I KNEW
The security room was silent.
Too silent.
The image on the screen remained frozen.
Clara Reed.
Standing outside my mother's bedroom.
The same woman who sat beside my dying mother.
The same woman who held her hand.
The same woman I had started to believe was the only honest person in the Hale family.
Now she was on camera.
Entering a room she shouldn't have entered.
Taking something.
Hiding something.
I stared at the screen.
"No."
The word came out before I could stop it.
Because my mind refused to accept what my eyes were seeing.
The security manager looked nervous.
"Mr. Hale..."
"Play it again."
He did.
The footage repeated.
Clara walking down the hallway.
Opening the door.
Entering my mother's room.
Leaving eleven minutes later.
No panic.
No hesitation.
Like she knew exactly what she was doing.
I felt anger rising.
Not because she had a secret.
Everyone had secrets.
But because I trusted her.
I walked out of the security room.
I found Clara in the kitchen.
She was making tea.
The same tea she made for my mother.
The same tea she used when my mother couldn't sleep.
She looked up.
And immediately knew something was wrong.
"Bennett?"
I placed my phone on the table.
The video was playing.
Her face changed.
Not surprise.
Not confusion.
Pain.
She closed her eyes.
"You found it."
My jaw tightened.
"Explain."
She didn't speak.
"Explain, Clara."
She slowly put the cup down.
"I knew this would happen."
"What would happen?"
"That eventually you would see me as everyone else sees me."
I frowned.
"What does that mean?"
She looked at the screen.
"I knew you would think I came here to hurt your family."
"Didn't you?"
The question hurt her.
I saw it.
But she didn't run.
She didn't get angry.
She simply whispered:
"No."
"Then why were you in my mother's room?"
Silence.
Then she answered.
"Because she asked me to."
I froze.
"What?"
Clara looked at me.
"Your mother asked me to take the letter."
I stared.
"Why?"
"Because she wanted to protect you."
I almost laughed.
"Protect me?"
"Yes."
"By hiding the truth?"
Clara shook her head.
"No."
Her voice became emotional.
"By stopping you from finding the wrong truth."
That sentence made me pause.
"What are you talking about?"
Clara took a breath.
"Your mother knew Victor would come back."
I said nothing.
"She knew he would try to make you believe she was the enemy."
"How?"
"Because he did it before."
I stepped closer.
"Tell me everything."
Clara looked toward the window.
"My mother didn't disappear because she ran away."
A chill went through me.
"Then why?"
Clara looked at me.
"Because someone made her disappear."
I returned to my mother's room.
She was awake.
She looked tired.
Older.
Not because of cancer.
Because of guilt.
"I know about Clara."
My mother closed her eyes.
"I figured you would."
"She didn't steal the letter."
"No."
"She took it because you asked her."
My mother nodded.
"Yes."
I stared.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I knew you would react exactly like your father."
That angered me.
"Like my father?"
"You would attack first."
I stopped.
Because maybe she was right.
My mother looked at me.
"Bennett, you have his instincts."
I looked away.
"But you have a choice he didn't."
"What choice?"
"Whether you repeat his mistakes."
The room became quiet.
Then I asked:
"What happened to Rose?"
My mother's eyes filled.
"I found her."
I already knew that.
"But you said she disappeared."
My mother nodded.
"She did."
"What does that mean?"
She whispered:
"She disappeared because she was running."
"From who?"
May you like
My mother's voice became barely audible.
"From Victor."
