Chapter 24 - Derek’s Letter
A year after Thomas’s death, Derek wrote from prison.
The letter contained no apology.
He blamed Linda for teaching him Evelyn was the enemy.
He blamed Thomas for placing him inside the company before he was ready.
He blamed Marcus for refusing to cooperate.
Near the end, one line changed.
I saw the mission footage.
Derek had watched Evelyn carry Hayes through the compound.
He wrote:
I understood why Dad chose to bury it. If people saw what you did, they would compare us forever.
Evelyn sat with the letter for a long time.
Derek had finally named the heart of his resentment.
He believed recognition was limited.
If Evelyn was brave, he must be weak.
If she deserved the company, he deserved nothing.
He could not imagine two siblings having separate worth.
Linda taught him love was competition.
Thomas reinforced it through inheritance.
Evelyn wrote back once.
You were not condemned because I was brave. You were convicted because you knowingly endangered people and covered it up.
You could have chosen differently at every stage.
My life did not take yours from you.
Your choices did.
She mailed the letter.
Derek never answered.
Years later, prison staff reported he entered an engineering ethics program.
He began helping review case studies involving procurement fraud.
Evelyn did not know whether he changed.
She did not need to monitor his redemption.
May you like
Consequences belonged to him.
Her life no longer revolved around whether the Porter family finally understood her.
