Chapter 18 - The Second Recording
Three years after the funeral, Dad’s old phone finally stopped charging.
Before recycling it, I backed up everything.
There was one audio file I had never noticed.
It was only eighteen seconds.
Dad’s voice.
No Ethan.
No Patricia.
Just Dad.
“Claire, if you found this one, you’re digging too much.”
I laughed instantly.
Then:
“You don’t need every answer. You just need enough truth to choose your next step. After that, live.”
The recording ended.
I sat at Dad’s desk smiling through tears.
The phone that once exposed the worst betrayal of my life now gave me the simplest instruction.
May you like
Live.
So I did.
