Chapter 5 - The Unfolding Truth
Her trembling hand hovered over the envelope for a long moment, afraid to touch it, as if the paper itself might vanish if disturbed. Slowly, carefully, her calloused fingertips closed around the edge of the paper. It was heavy, sealed tightly with wax at the fold.
Beside the envelope, tucked carefully into a side seam within the burlap, was a simple sheet of lined notebook paper, folded twice. Mrs. Rose picked up the note first, her heart hammering against her ribs with a sudden, suffocating panic. Her thumb unfolded the creases, revealing Marcus's distinctive, jagged handwriting.
The letters were slightly smeared at the bottom, as though written in great haste or under immense strain. As her eyes scanned the single line of text written across the page, a profound stillness settled over the cold room.
May you like
The note read: I'm sorry mom, you de no harm!
The words were crude, hurried, and broken, but they carried the weight of an apology that had been choked back in the presence of the woman standing on the porch. The realization hit her like a physical blow—the coldness at the gate had been a performance, a desperate shield constructed to conceal something far more dangerous.
