Evelyn stood with her chin raised, a cold, triumphant smile playing on her lips. She believed she had won. In her mind, Maya was just a frightened young adult who wouldn’t dare tear her own home apart.
“Give me the letter, Maya,” Evelyn whispered, extending her palm with absolute authority. “We can pretend this never happened.”
Maya glanced past Evelyn’s shoulder. At the end of the dark corridor, near the shadows of the doorway, she saw a faint silhouette movement. Richard hadn’t gone all the way to the kitchen—he had stopped just around the corner, feeling that something was wrong.
Maya took a deep breath, knowing this was her only chance. Instead of handing over the letter, she raised her voice, speaking clearly and loudly enough for the whole hallway to echo.
“‘Dear Dad, I’m writing this from the bus station… Evelyn told me if I didn’t leave tonight, she would make sure you lost your business…'” Maya read the words directly from Clara’s handwritten letter, her voice shaking with emotion.
Evelyn’s eyes widened in pure terror. “Shut up! Be quiet!” she snapped, reaching out violently to snatch the paper.
“Is that true, Evelyn?”
A heavy, broken voice cut through the air. Evelyn froze in mid-motion.
Richard stepped out from the darkness into the dim hallway light, his hands trembling violently and tears welling up in his eyes. He wasn’t looking at Maya—his stare was fixed entirely on his wife.
To be continued in Episode 5…
