The first secret
407 Words
Clara stared at her mother, searching her face for answers.
“What do you mean? What didn’t you tell me?”
Her mother sank into the couch, her hands trembling as she twisted the hem of her dress. “Your father wasn’t just… working at the garage. That was only part of it.”
Clara frowned. “I know. He did odd jobs—”
“No,” her mother cut in, her voice sharp. “He was involved with people. Dangerous people. He promised me he’d get out, but… he never did.”
The memory of the man at the door flashed in Clara’s mind—his cold eyes, his calm threats.
“You mean he borrowed money from them?”
Her mother nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Not just borrowed. He used it to invest in something for them. I don’t even know what. And when it failed, the debt doubled.”
Clara rubbed her temples, trying to process it. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I didn’t want you to hate him,” her mother whispered.
Before Clara could respond, the front door creaked open. Ben stepped in, his hood down, his shoes dripping water onto the floor.
He froze at the sight of their faces. “What happened now?”
“Where have you been?” Clara demanded.
“Out,” he muttered, heading toward his room.
Clara followed him, pushing the door open before he could slam it.
“You’ve been disappearing every night. Tell me the truth, Ben—are you in trouble?”
He met her eyes for a fraction of a second, and in that brief moment, she saw it—fear.
“I can handle myself,” he said, grabbing his backpack.
“Handle yourself? We’re drowning in debt and you’re sneaking around—”
“Clara, drop it!” he snapped, shoving past her and storming out the back door.
She stood there, her heart pounding. Something was wrong with Ben—something that could make their already fragile world shatter even faster.
Clara went back to the living room, where her mother was still staring at the floor. “We have two weeks to come up with fifty thousand,” she said quietly. “And I have a feeling Ben’s not telling us everything.”
Her mother looked up, her eyes haunted. “Then you need to find out. Fast.”
- Writer
