Chapter 5 - Fifteen Years of Lies
Lily spoke slowly, stopping every few sentences as though she feared someone might suddenly burst through the door.
"The first year after you left... everything was normal."
Rebecca bought her school uniforms.
She attended music lessons.
She received birthday presents.
Then the money transfers became larger.
Rebecca's husband lost his business.
Debt collectors began visiting.
Everything changed almost overnight.
"They sold my piano."
"They said I didn't deserve expensive things."
Soon afterward, Lily was pulled from her private school.
Rebecca claimed she had transferred her to a less expensive academy.
That was another lie.
For nearly two years Lily studied entirely from old textbooks at home while spending most of each day cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, and caring for Rebecca's children.
"But the photos..." Daniel whispered.
Lily walked toward the wardrobe.
From beneath a loose floorboard she removed a worn envelope.
Inside were dozens of printed photographs.
The exact same photographs Daniel had received overseas.
Only...
There were hundreds more.
Each image had been taken on the same day.
Different dresses.
Different hairstyles.
Different birthday cakes.
Rebecca had changed Lily's clothes repeatedly, photographing her from different angles before storing everything away.
One afternoon had become years of fake memories.
Daniel stared silently.
Every holiday photograph...
Every graduation...
Every smiling picture...
Had been staged.
His hands began to shake.
"I believed them."
Lily gently touched his arm.
"I know."
"I never blamed you."
Those words hurt even more.
Because after everything she had suffered...
May you like
She was comforting him.
---
