Chapter 6 - THE EIGHTY THOUSAND
Ethan drove to Helen’s house again.
“What did Dad mean?”
Helen looked exhausted.
Aaron’s planned construction-management company had not been entirely his idea.
Two years earlier, Ethan had wanted to start a small property renovation partnership after college.
Aaron offered to build the business first and bring Ethan in later.
The $80,000 from Richard would finance the first year.
Ethan barely remembered those conversations.
He was twenty-six.
Unsure what he wanted.
Aaron was always the ambitious one.
Helen said:
“Your father has spent years telling himself Aaron drove because he was trying to build something for both of you.”
Ethan felt sick.
“Did Aaron ever say that?”
“No.”
“Then why does Dad?”
“Because guilt wants witnesses.”
Ethan looked at her.
Helen continued.
“If Richard can make Aaron’s death a sacrifice for the family, then he wasn’t a father pressuring his son into a storm. He was part of a tragic family mission.”
Ethan sat silently.
Then Helen handed him a voicemail transcript.
Aaron had called Richard at 7:11 p.m., forty minutes before the crash.
Aaron:
Road is worse than they said. I’m turning around.
Richard:
You’re ten miles away. Keep going.
Aaron:
No.
Richard:
Aaron, don’t make another decision based on fear.
Aaron:
It’s snowing sideways.
Richard:
Your brother is counting on you too.
The call ended.
Ethan’s hands trembled.
“My brother wasn’t thinking about me.”
“Maybe he was.”
“No. Dad put me in the car with him.”
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Richard had used Ethan as another pressure point.
Then Helen said:
“There’s one more voicemail.”
Ethan looked up.
“From Aaron?”
“Yes.”
“To you.”
Ethan froze.
“I never got one.”
Helen slid the transcript across the table.
Aaron had called Ethan nine minutes before the crash.
May you like
The voicemail had never reached him.
Because Richard deleted it from the family phone account after Aaron died.
