Chapter 14 - The Second Betrayal
Caroline stood.
“You lied to me.”
Michael didn't deny it.
Margaret stepped forward.
“You don't understand what you're holding.”
Caroline laughed.
“You mean my own history?”
“It's more complicated than that.”
“My father.”
Margaret's expression changed.
“My mother.”
Michael looked away.
“The money.”
Margaret said:
“You think this is about money?”
“Isn't it?”
“No.”
“Then tell me what it's about.”
Margaret remained silent.
Caroline stepped closer.
“Why did you want me to marry Michael?”
Margaret looked at her.
“Because your father made a promise.”
“What promise?”
“He promised to return what belonged to us.”
Caroline shook her head.
“My father didn't steal anything.”
Margaret's voice became cold.
“He took something.”
“What?”
“You.”
Caroline froze.
Margaret continued.
“You were never supposed to know.”
Michael looked at his mother.
“Enough.”
Margaret turned.
“You're the one who started this.”
Michael's expression hardened.
“You told me to marry her.”
“I told you to find the truth.”
“You told me she had access.”
“She does.”
Caroline stared.
“To what?”
Margaret looked at her.
“Your father's final account.”
Caroline shook her head.
“I don't have it.”
Margaret smiled.
“Yes, you do.”
“How?”
“Your father hid it where no one would think to look.”
Caroline thought of the wedding.
The apartment.
Her childhood.
The box.
The ring.
Then she looked down at her wedding ring.
Margaret noticed.
Her eyes widened.
“No.”
Caroline slowly removed the ring.
Michael stared.
“What are you doing?”
Caroline examined the inside.
There was a tiny inscription.
A date.
A sequence of numbers.
Grace took it.
Her eyes widened.
“This isn't a date.”
“What is it?”
“A code.”
Margaret stepped forward.
“Give it to me.”
Caroline pulled it away.
“No.”
Margaret's face changed.
“You have no idea what you're doing.”
Caroline looked at her.
“Then maybe you should have told me the truth.”
Suddenly Michael reached for the ring.
Caroline stepped back.
Grace moved between them.
“Don't.”
Michael stopped.
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression became terrified.
He answered.
No one spoke on the other end.
Then Michael whispered:
“Where are you?”
He listened.
Then dropped the phone.
Caroline asked:
“Who was that?”
Michael looked at her.
“Your father.”
Caroline froze.
“That isn't possible.”
Michael's face was pale.
“I know.”
“Then who called?”
Michael looked toward the window.
“I don't know.”
A second later, Caroline's phone vibrated.
One message appeared.
You have ten minutes.
Below it was a photograph.
Caroline stared.
The photograph showed her father.
May you like
Alive.
And standing beside him was the woman Caroline had believed was her mother.
