Chapter 7 - The Woman Who Should Be Dead
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The woman standing in the doorway looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“Mara.”
My entire body froze.
That voice.
That voice had lived in my memories for ten years.
“Mom?”
The word escaped before I could stop it.
Ellie woke slightly in my arms.
The woman covered her mouth.
“She’s beautiful.”
I couldn’t breathe.
“This isn’t possible.”
My mother stepped closer.
“I know.”
I backed away.
“No.”
Ten years of grief.
Ten years of believing I was alone.
And now she was standing in front of me.
Alive.
Grant stared at her.
“What is this?”
Charles answered.
“The truth.”
My mother looked at me.
“I wanted to come back.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
Pain crossed her face.
“Because I was protecting you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Everyone says that.”
She looked hurt.
“I know.”
She reached into her bag.
And pulled out a small envelope.
“My final message.”
I stared.
“Final?”
She nodded.
“The message I prepared in case I couldn’t return.”
Inside was a letter.
My handwriting.
No.
Not mine.
My father’s.
A message written for me.
Mara, if your mother returns, trust her. She was never the enemy.
My eyes blurred.
I looked at my mother.
“What happened?”
She took a deep breath.
“Your father discovered someone was trying to take control of Bluebird.”
“Who?”
She looked toward Grant.
“Your husband’s family.”
My blood ran cold.
“Grant’s family?”
She nodded.
“Years ago, they tried to access Kingsley assets.”
“And now?”
“They found another way.”
My mother looked at Ellie.
“Through her.”
The room became silent.
Then my phone rang.
Daniel.
I answered.
His voice was urgent.
“Mara.”
“What happened?”
“I found something.”
“What?”
A pause.
Then:
“Grant’s custody case isn’t just about Ellie.”
I tightened my grip.
“What else?”
“He prepared documents to declare you mentally unstable.”
My stomach dropped.
“On what grounds?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Your mother.”
I froze.
“What?”
“He plans to use your mother’s return against you.”
Silence.
“He’s going to claim you’re lying.”
I looked at my mother.
The woman I just got back.
The woman who was supposed to save me.
May you like
Grant wanted to use her existence…
To destroy me.
