Chapter 5 - Bethany Finally Told Me Why
I didn’t go to my parents’ house.
I wanted to.
Instead, I called the child-welfare caseworker and gave her Jason’s information.
Then I called Bethany.
“Tell me what happened to Rosie.”
Her voice changed.
The arrogance disappeared.
“Mark—”
“All of it.”
Rosie had awakened during the night and gone looking for Grandma.
She heard voices downstairs.
Margaret, Bethany, and Jason were in the basement sorting through Emily’s papers.
Rosie entered carrying her stuffed rabbit.
She recognized Emily’s bag.
“She started asking questions,” Bethany said.
“So you hit her?”
“She grabbed the bag.”
“You hit a four-year-old over paperwork?”
“I panicked.”
The words came out small.
That didn’t make them less ugly.
Bethany admitted pulling Rosie away from the boxes.
Rosie fought her.
Bethany grabbed both arms.
Then Rosie screamed that she would tell Daddy.
Bethany slapped her.
Once.
Hard enough to bruise her face.
“What was so important?”
Bethany started crying.
Not theatrical crying.
The kind where someone is trying not to make noise.
“Mom has been using us for years.”
“Using us how?”
Bethany explained that Margaret had controlled much of the family’s finances because Dad hated paperwork.
When the duplex began losing money, Mom borrowed against it.
Then she used my information to strengthen refinancing applications.
Later, she pressured Bethany into helping cover payments through accounts Jason didn’t know about.
Emily discovered pieces of it.
“She was going to tell you.”
“When?”
“Right before the accident.”
My throat tightened.
Bethany rushed to correct what she knew I was thinking.
“Mark, nobody caused Emily’s crash.”
I hadn’t said that.
“The police report was clear,” she continued. “A truck hydroplaned. Mom didn’t do anything to Emily.”
“Then why hide her bag?”
“Because after Emily died, Mom realized the evidence was still inside.”
I leaned against my kitchen counter.
“Dad knows?”
“I don’t know how much.”
“And Jason?”
“He knows enough.”
Then Bethany gave me the first truth that complicated everything.
“She wasn’t hiding the papers just to protect herself.”
“Who was she protecting?”
May you like
Bethany whispered the answer.
“Dad.”
