For The Pain You Caused

The Truth He Buried

Chapter 10 " The Truth He Buried"

I did not sleep that night.

I tried.

God knows I tried.

But every time I closed my eyes, I saw the photograph.

My father.

Damian.

Victor Dampson.

All standing together years before I knew any of them were connected.

Then I heard Damian's voice again.

Because I loved you before I ever knew I was supposed to stay away from you.

I hated that sentence.

Not because it sounded like a lie.

Because it sounded like the truth.

And somehow, the truth frightened me more.

I sat on the edge of my bed until the sky outside my window began to turn grey.

My phone lay beside me.

Damian had called three more times.

I ignored every one.

At 6:17 a.m., another message came.

Please let me explain.

I stared at it.

Then another.

I should have told you everything three years ago.

My fingers hovered over the screen.

Then a final message appeared.

But if I had, you would not be alive today.

I stopped breathing.

I called him.

He answered before the first ring finished.

Amara.

Where are you?

Home.

Are you alone?

Yes.

Lock your door.

I frowned.

Why?

Because I need to come see you.

No.

The answer came immediately.

I am not asking you to forgive me.

Good.

I am asking you to let me explain before someone else decides what the truth should be.

I was silent.

Then I asked the question that had been burning inside me all night.

Did you know my father before you met me?

Damian did not answer.

That was enough.

I closed my eyes.

How long?

Amara

How long did you know him?

Years.

The word landed softly.

But it destroyed something inside me.

How many years?

Seven.

Seven.

I looked around my bedroom.

Seven years.

That meant Damian knew my father when I was seventeen.

Before I ever met him.

Before the café.

Before the first kiss.

Before every promise.

Before everything.

Did my father know you loved me?

Yes.

Did he approve?

At first.

At first?

Damian sighed.

Your father trusted me.

Then what changed?

Victor.

My stomach tightened.

What did Victor Dampson want?

He wanted control.

Over what?

Everything.

Damian's voice became quieter.

But especially me.

I stood.

And my father?

Your father got in his way.

What did Dad know?

Too much.

The line went quiet.

I pressed my hand against my forehead.

You keep saying things like that.

Then tell me the truth.

I am trying.

No. You are still choosing what I get to know.

Another silence.

Then Damian said something that made my heart stop.

Your father did not ask me to leave you because he hated me.

I already know that.

No.

You do not.

His voice was different now.

Amara, your father asked me to leave you because Victor had threatened your life.

I froze.

What?

He had proof.

What proof?

Damian breathed heavily.

A photograph.

The same photograph I found last night?

No.

Another one.

My heart began racing.

What was in it?

You.

I could not speak.

Damian continued.

You were standing outside your university.

Victor had people watching you.

For how long?

Months.

Why?

Because he wanted to know what you meant to me.

I closed my eyes.

And what did you tell him?

Nothing.

You told him about me.

Before I knew you.

I know.

Why?

Because your father asked me to help him.

Help him with what?

Keeping you safe.

I sat down again.

Then why did you leave me?

Because Victor gave me a choice.

My voice barely came out.

What choice?

You or your life.

I swallowed.

And you chose me?

Yes.

I stared at the wall.

But you still broke my heart.

I know.

You made me hate you.

I know.

You made me believe I was not enough.

His voice cracked.

I know.

For the first time, I heard something I had never heard from Damian before.

Fear.

Not fear of losing his company.

Not fear of Victor.

Fear of what his choices had done to me.

Then why did you not come back?

Because I thought you would be safer without me.

I laughed bitterly.

You thought destroying me would keep me safe?

No.

He paused.

I thought making you hate me would keep you alive.

My eyes filled with tears.

I hated him for making me cry.

I hated myself for still caring.

And most of all, I hated that the story I had carried for three years was beginning to fall apart.

Did my father know you were in love with me?

Yes.

Did he know I loved you?

Yes.

Then why did he let you leave?

Because he was dying.

The room went silent.

I remembered the letter.

My father's handwriting.

The words.

I asked him to leave you.

But there was another sentence I could not forget.

Ask him what he sacrificed to keep you safe.

I whispered the words aloud.

What did you sacrifice?

Damian did not answer.

Damian?

He breathed in slowly.

Everything.

Before I could ask what that meant, someone knocked on my bedroom door.

I froze.

Who is it?

Nia's voice came from outside.

It is me.

I ended the call.

I opened the door.

Nia stood there holding a cup of coffee.

She looked at my face.

You have been crying.

I took the cup.

I am fine.

You always say that when you are not.

She walked inside.

Did Damian call?

I looked away.

Yes.

What did he say?

That he knew Dad for seven years.

Nia closed her eyes.

I knew it.

I turned toward her.

You knew?

I knew he had known Dad for years.

Why did you never tell me?

Because Dad made me promise.

I laughed.

Another promise.

Everyone keeps making promises about my life except me.

Nia sat beside me.

There is something else.

I looked at her.

What?

She reached into her handbag.

And pulled out an old phone.

My heart stopped.

Where did you get that?

Dad's things.

I stared at it.

It was the same model my father used.

The same cracked corner.

The same small scratch near the camera.

I remembered it immediately.

That is Dad's phone.

Nia nodded.

I thought it was lost.

It was.

Then how!

I found it after his funeral.

Why did you never tell me?

Because I was afraid of what was inside.

She switched it on.

The screen flickered.

For a few seconds, nothing happened.

Then the phone came alive.

There were only three saved recordings.

Nia looked at me.

Do you want to hear them?

I nodded.

She pressed play.

My father's voice filled the room.

If you are hearing this, then something has gone wrong.

My body went cold.

The recording continued.

Amara must never know about Victor Dampson.

I looked at Nia.

She stared at the phone.

My father continued.

Not until she is old enough to understand that some enemies do not need to touch you to destroy you.

The recording stopped.

I looked at Nia.

Play the next one.

She did.

My father's voice returned.

Damian is not the danger.

I closed my eyes.

I already knew that.

But then he said something that changed everything.

The danger is the person Damian believes he can trust.

The recording ended.

Neither of us moved.

I stared at the phone.

Who does Damian trust?

Nia whispered.

I do not know.

The third recording began playing automatically.

My father's voice sounded weaker.

If Victor discovers who betrayed him, he will come for my family.

There was a pause.

Then...

And if I die before I can tell Amara the truth, she must never trust.....

The recording cut off.

I stared at the phone.

Never trust who?

Nia tried to replay it.

Nothing.

The battery icon flashed.

Then the phone died.

I stood.

No.

No, no, no.

I grabbed it.

Turn on.

Nothing.

Nia looked at me.

Maybe the recording can be recovered.

Maybe.

My phone began ringing.

I looked at the screen.

Damian.

Again.

I answered.

What?

His voice was urgent.

Amara, listen to me.

I am listening.

Did you find your father's phone?

My heart stopped.

How do you know about it?

Damian said nothing.

Then I heard him whisper something I never expected.

Because I was the one who gave it to your sister.

I stared at Nia.

She looked just as shocked.

Why?

Because your father recorded something on it.

What?

A warning.

About Victor?

No.

Then about who?

Damian's breathing became uneven.

About me.

My fingers tightened around the phone.

What did he say about you?

Damian was silent for several seconds.

Then he spoke.

He said if anything happened to him, I should never let you find out what I did for Victor.

My heart sank.

What did you do?

The line went silent.

Damian?

He finally answered.

I was the reason Victor found your father.

I could not breathe.

And before I could ask another question

The call disconnected.

I looked at Nia.

Neither of us spoke.

Because suddenly, the mystery was no longer about why Damian had left me.

It was about what he had done before he ever became the man I loved.

And for the first time, I wondered if the man who had broken my heart...

had once helped break my family too.