Chapter 14 - THE LAST CONFESSION
The hospital room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Ethan sat beside the woman who gave him life.
The woman he had spent years believing was gone.
Her name was Clara.
She looked fragile.
But her eyes were strong.
The same eyes Ethan saw every morning in the mirror.
“I’m sorry.”
Those were the first words she said.
Ethan looked down.
“Why?”
“Because I left you.”
“You didn’t leave me.”
His voice cracked.
“You were taken from me.”
Clara started crying.
“I trusted Margaret.”
Everyone listened.
Even Detective Harris.
“After you were born, Margaret worked with your father.”
Ethan looked at Daniel.
“What?”
Clara nodded.
“They were partners.”
Daniel lowered his head.
“We made a mistake.”
Clara continued.
“Your father wanted out.”
“And Margaret?”
“She wanted control.”
Ava leaned forward.
“So she took Ethan?”
Clara nodded.
“She changed the records.”
“She convinced everyone I was dead.”
Ethan felt anger rising.
“All these years…”
Clara reached for his hand.
“I looked for you.”
Her voice trembled.
“But every time I got close…”
She looked at Margaret.
“She stopped me.”
The room became silent.
Margaret finally spoke.
“You’re acting like I’m the only villain.”
Everyone looked at her.
She laughed.
“You think this story is simple?”
Ethan stared.
“What are you saying?”
Margaret looked at Daniel.
“Tell him.”
Daniel said nothing.
“Tell him what you did.”
Ethan looked at his father.
“Dad?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Then whispered:
“I caused the accident.”
The words destroyed the room.
Ava covered her mouth.
Ethan stepped back.
“What?”
Daniel looked broken.
“I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
“Then why?”
“Because I found out Margaret was planning something.”
Ethan stared.
“You followed Ava?”
Daniel nodded.
“I was trying to stop Margaret.”
Ava looked confused.
“Then why did my car crash?”
Daniel looked away.
“Because Margaret changed the plan.”
The truth finally came out.
Margaret wanted Ava gone.
Daniel tried to interfere.
But his interference caused the crash.
Nobody was innocent.
Not completely.
Ethan looked at all of them.
His mother.
His father.
His wife.
The people who shaped his entire life.
And he realized something painful.
Sometimes the truth doesn’t set you free immediately.
Sometimes…
It destroys everything you thought you knew.
Then Detective Harris received another call.
He listened.
His face became serious.
“What happened?”
He looked at Ethan.
“We found Margaret’s final file.”
“What file?”
The detective swallowed.
“The one she created after the accident.”
A pause.
“It has your name on it.”
Ethan’s heart stopped.
“What does it say?”
The detective opened the file.
Then whispered:
“Project Ethan.”
Nobody understood.
Except Margaret.
May you like
Because she knew the final secret was about to be revealed.
TO BE CONTINUED…
