CHAPTER 5 — The Secret Margaret Had Hidden for Thirty Years
Margaret couldn't sleep.
Emily's scars haunted her.
Every cruel word she had spoken echoed inside her mind.
She wandered into the mansion attic searching for old family documents.
Maybe...
Anything that could explain why guilt suddenly felt heavier than pride.
As she opened dusty boxes, one envelope fell onto the floor.
It was addressed to her late husband.
CONFIDENTIAL
From: St. Anne Children's Foundation
Margaret frowned.
She didn't remember this.
Curious, she opened it.
Inside were photographs from thirty years earlier.
Children.
Families.
Volunteers.
One picture made her stop breathing.
There...
Standing beside a group of orphaned children...
Was her late husband, William Carter.
And beside him...
A young woman.
Emily's mother.
Sarah Carter.
Margaret's heart pounded.
"No..."
She searched further.
Another letter.
"Dear William, thank you for continuing to sponsor Sarah's children's education after my illness..."
Margaret slowly sank into a chair.
William had secretly supported Emily's family for years.
Without ever telling her.
Then she found one final letter.
Written shortly before William died.
"If anything ever happens to Sarah, promise me our family will never abandon her children."
Margaret burst into tears.
Instead...
She had done exactly that.
The next morning Margaret entered the dining room carrying the letters.
Nathan looked up.
Emily stood immediately.
"I'm sorry if I've caused trouble—"
Margaret interrupted.
"No."
Her voice trembled.
"I caused it."
She slowly walked toward Emily.
Then...
To everyone's astonishment...
Margaret dropped to her knees.
The entire household gasped.
Servants covered their mouths.
Emily rushed forward.
"No! Please don't—"
Margaret grabbed her hands.
"I judged you."
"I humiliated you."
"I treated you like dirt."
"When all along..."
"...my own husband tried to protect your family."
Emily stared in disbelief.
"What?"
Margaret handed her the letters.
Emily recognized her mother's handwriting instantly.
Tears streamed down her face.
"My mother..."
Nathan quietly wrapped an arm around his wife.
The mansion that had once been filled with whispers...
Now echoed only with sobbing.
But outside...
Television cameras had already surrounded the Carter estate.
Breaking news flashed across every major network.
CEO's Wife's Tragic Past Exposed.
Former Logging Camp Owner Arrested.
Nathan looked outside.
"This isn't over."
Because among the reporters...
One black SUV remained parked across the street.
Someone inside wasn't a journalist.
He had come...
May you like
Looking for Emily.
END OF CHAPTER 5
