I froze.
“What are you talking about?”
“I can’t stay silent anymore. For thirty years, I’ve accepted that money every single month.”
“What for?”
My mother began crying.
“Because I once saw what he did. And if that night had never happened, our lives would have been completely different.”
My heart started pounding.
“What did Dad do?”
My mother opened her mouth, but before she could answer, we heard his voice.
“LINDA!”
My father was standing in the kitchen doorway. I had no idea how long he had been listening. His face was unusually cold.
“I asked you not to talk about this.”
My mother lowered her head.
“Robert, she’s a grown woman now. She has a right to know.”
My father approached the table.
“Not today.”
I stood up.
“Dad, what are you hiding from me?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he walked toward the door and turned the key. The sound of the lock made my blood run cold.