PART 4 — The Letter
Marianne remained standing in the doorway.
Lucas looked from her to me.
“Why can’t she come?”
Marianne sighed.
“You’re tired.”
“That’s not an answer.”
She looked at him.
“Lucas, I just want you to be safe.”
I felt the anger rising inside my chest.
“You said the same thing twelve years ago.”
She looked at me.
“You don’t understand what happened.”
“Then explain it to me.”
“Not here.”
“Where then?”
She stayed silent.
Lucas turned his face toward the window.
“Leave, Grandma.”
Marianne looked deeply hurt.
“Lucas…”
“Leave.”
She looked at me.
“This is your fault.”
“What?”
“You should have left us alone.”
“You took my son away from me.”
“You don’t know what happened.”
“I know enough.”
She walked away.
I wanted to follow her, but Lucas held my hand.
“Don’t.”
“Why?”
“Because Dad said she becomes dangerous when she gets scared.”
I looked at him.
“Your father knew that?”
He nodded.
Later that morning, a lawyer came to the hospital.
He introduced himself as Mr. Verhoeven.
He wore a dark suit and carried a leather briefcase.
“Ms. Van der Meer?”
“Yes.”
“I represent Thomas.”
My heart stopped for a moment.
“Thomas is dead.”
“I know.”
He sat down.
“But before he died, he prepared several documents.”
He took out an envelope.
My name was written on it.
Eva Van der Meer.
My hands began to shake.
“This is for you.”
“When did he write this?”
“Three weeks before his death.”
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a letter.
Dear Eva, If you are reading this letter, it means you have found Lucas. I am sorry that I made you believe for twelve years that I took him away from you. That was never what I wanted. I tried to bring him back to you. Every time, someone stopped me. First my father. Then my mother. I thought I was strong enough to fight them. I was wrong.
My vision blurred with tears.
I continued reading.
Lucas is the one person I never gave up on. If I die, make sure he does not stay alone with my family. Find Eva. She is his mother. And she is the only person I trust.
I placed the letter on the table.
“Why didn’t he find me himself?”
The lawyer looked at me.
“Because he was controlled for years.”
“By Marianne?”
“By several people.”
He took out another folder.
“Thomas created a trust fund for Lucas.”
“How much?”
He told me the amount.
I looked at him in disbelief.
“I don’t care about that.”
“I know.”
He pushed another document toward me.
“Others care very much.”
At the bottom of the document were the words:
Guardian: Eva Van der Meer.
I looked up.
“He chose me as Lucas’ guardian?”
“Yes.”
“But he didn’t even know if I would ever find Lucas.”
“He hoped you would.”
“Why?”
The lawyer looked at the letter.
“Because Thomas knew you never willingly gave him up.”
My breathing stopped.
“What do you mean?”
“He discovered years ago that your signature on the surrender document was obtained through false information.”
I thought back to that day.
The document.
The tears.
Marianne.
My young hands.
I had always believed that I had made that choice myself.
But maybe I had never truly had a choice.
“Is there more?”
The lawyer nodded.
“Thomas was afraid Marianne would make Lucas disappear after his death.”
“Why?”
He looked toward the door.
“Because of the money.”
“Is that all?”
He shook his head.
“No. There is something else.”
“What?”
“Lucas is not only the heir to the family fortune.”
I waited.
“He is the heir to an old family trust that Thomas created years ago.”
“And?”
“Only Thomas could change the conditions.”
“Now that he is dead?”
“Everything goes to Lucas.”
I looked at my son.
Then I heard footsteps in the hallway.
Marianne appeared again.
But this time, she was not alone.
Beside her stood an older man.
A perfectly tailored suit.
Cold eyes.
The lawyer immediately stood up.
“You?”
The man looked at me.
“So you are Eva.”
A chill ran through me.
“Who are you?”
He answered:
“I am Thomas’ father.”
He looked at Lucas.
“And if it were up to me, he would never go home with you.”
