Chapter 6 - THE LETTER HIDDEN IN HER MOTHER'S BIBLE
Mrs. Adamu refused to answer Stella.
That refusal only made Stella more determined.
The following weekend, she and Clara went through boxes containing belongings from Clara's parents.
Inside Clara's mother's Bible, they found another letter.
It was addressed to Clara.
Her mother's handwriting covered three pages.
"My sweet Clara, there are things adults hide because we convince ourselves silence protects children. Sometimes silence only passes pain to the next generation."
Clara's hands trembled.
The letter described a conflict involving both families.
Years earlier, Mrs. Adamu had borrowed money from Clara's father without her husband's knowledge.
A lot of money.
She had been trying to save a failing business venture.
Clara's father agreed on one condition: she had to tell her husband.
She never did.
Instead, when repayment became impossible, she forged documents to make it appear part of the money had been a gift.
Clara's father discovered it.
August 14 was the day he met his lawyer intending to expose everything.
He became seriously ill shortly afterward.
The letter did not accuse Mrs. Adamu of causing his illness.
But it explained why she had been terrified of the lawyer.
Clara lowered the pages.
"So that's it."
Stella looked devastated.
"My mom stole from your father."
"Maybe."
"No. She did."
Clara kept reading.
Then she reached another revelation.
The man Mrs. Adamu had called after seeing Ethan was named Richard Cole.
Clara stared.
Cole.
The same surname as attorney Daniel Cole.
The letter explained that Richard was Daniel's younger brother.
And years earlier, Richard had been business partners with Clara's father.
That was why the families knew each other.
Clara suddenly understood.
Ethan was Richard's son.
The feud between the families had existed long before Clara met him.
But she and Ethan had fallen in love without knowing the full history.
The final line of the letter made Clara cry.
"Whatever adults did before you were old enough to understand, never inherit our hatred."
Clara pressed the letter to her chest.
That evening, she called Ethan.
"I know."
"Know what?"
"About our families."
Silence.
"Your father knew mine."
"Yes."
"You knew?"
"Some of it."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because my dad asked me not to involve you until he could speak to your uncle."
Clara closed her eyes.
"Everybody keeps protecting me with lies."
"Clara—"
"No more."
She ended the call.
For the first time, Clara made a decision entirely for herself.
May you like
She would discover every truth.
Even if it destroyed what remained of her family.
