Chapter 5 – The Letter That Changed Everything
Evelyn sat on her bed, staring at the box of letters. She had spent seven years thinking that Adrian had just left her. She had convinced herself that he didn't care about her, that he had never really loved her. Now, everything she had believed felt like a lie. Adrian had written to her. He had never stopped thinking about her. But someone had made sure she never knew. Her hands shook as she picked up another letter, her heart pounding.
The ribbon around the envelope was old and faded. She untied it slowly, almost scared to open it. But she did. The letter was dated two years after he disappeared. Two whole years. Adrian had been alive, thinking about her, writing to her, while she had been trying so hard to forget him. She opened the letter, her hands trembling, and began to read.
---
The Second Letter
"Evelyn,"
"It's been two years since I last saw you. Since I last heard your voice."
"I don't even know if you'll ever read this. But I need to write it anyway."
"I've tried to leave this place so many times. Every time I get close, something pulls me back. They're always watching. Always listening."
"But today, something changed."
"I found something. A name. A clue. And if I'm right… someone close to you is the reason we were separated."
"Someone you trust."
"I don't know who yet. But I swear, Evelyn—I'll find out."
"And when I do, I'm coming back to you."
"I love you. I always have."
"– Adrian."
---
Evelyn felt her breath stop. "Someone close to you is the reason we were separated." She squeezed the letter so tightly her fingers hurt. Who? Who could have done this to her? Who would want to keep Adrian away from her? It didn't make sense. The sinking feeling in her stomach told her it was someone she trusted. Someone who had lied to her all this time. She had to find out the truth. She had to get answers. And she knew exactly where to start.
The next morning, Evelyn found herself standing in front of her mother. Her hands were shaking, but she clenched them into fists to stop it. Her mother looked up from her tea and raised an eyebrow. "You're up early," she said, not really noticing how serious Evelyn looked. Evelyn didn't say anything back. She just pulled the letter from her bag and slammed it on the table in front of her.
Her mother didn't seem surprised. She didn't even look at the letter at first. Evelyn could feel the anger building inside her. "Did you know?" she asked, her voice barely steady. Her mother glanced up, confused. "Know what?" she asked, acting like nothing was wrong. "That Adrian wrote to me," Evelyn spat. The silence that followed was deafening. Then her mother sighed, looking tired.
"Evelyn," her mother said softly, "it's been seven years."
"That's not an answer," Evelyn shot back, frustrated. "Did you know about these letters?" Her mother didn't respond at first. Then, she finally glanced at the letter. But still, she didn't look guilty. She just looked... exhausted. Evelyn waited, heart pounding, for her answer. Then, her mother paused, looking down at the letter. For the first time, she seemed to hesitate.
"You knew," Evelyn whispered, her voice shaking.
Her mother closed her eyes. "It was for your own good."
Evelyn felt a wave of anger crash over her. She took a step back, shaking her head. "You… kept them from me?" she asked, disbelief thick in her voice. Her mother didn't meet her eyes. She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I was trying to protect you," she said quietly.
"Protect me from what?" Evelyn felt like she was going to scream. Her mother finally looked at her, and Evelyn saw something she had never seen before: guilt. "You don't understand, Evelyn," her mother said quietly. "There are things you don't know."
"No," Evelyn said, her voice cracking. "The only thing I don't know is why my own mother kept me from the person I loved."
Her mother's expression hardened. "Because loving him would have gotten you killed," she said, her voice cold.
The words hit Evelyn like a punch to the stomach. Silence filled the room, heavy and thick. Evelyn tried to process what her mother had said, but it was like the world was spinning too fast. "What... are you talking about?" she asked, barely able to get the words out.
Her mother exhaled, her face unreadable. "It wasn't just about keeping you apart," she said. "It was about keeping you alive."