Chapter 8: The Woman Who Came Before Me
The woman refused to give her name at first.
That made me nervous.
After everything that happened, trust didn’t come easily anymore.
“Why should I believe you?”” I asked.
The voice on the phone trembled.
“Because I was you.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“I was the woman Margaret tried to destroy before you.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“Who are you?””
A long silence followed.
Then she answered.
“Claire.””
The name meant nothing to me.
But apparently, it meant something to Daniel.
Because when I repeated it later, his face changed.
“Claire?”” he asked.
“You know her?””
He looked uncomfortable.
“Not personally.””
“Then how do you know the name?””
He sat down slowly.
“She was mentioned once.””
“By who?””
“My mother.””
My stomach dropped.
“What did she say?””
Daniel looked away.
“She said Claire was unstable.””
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
The same story.
Different woman.
Different target.
I called Claire back.
This time, Daniel listened beside me.
“Tell us everything,” I said.
Claire took a deep breath.
“Margaret and Robert have a pattern.””
Daniel stiffened.
“A pattern?””
“Yes.””
She explained that years earlier, she had been engaged to Daniel’s older brother, Michael.
Michael had disappeared from the family after a huge argument.
Nobody talked about it.
Daniel always thought it was because Michael was irresponsible.
But Claire told a different story.
“Margaret didn’t like that I questioned her,” Claire said.
“What happened?””
“She started small.””
My hand tightened around Daniel’s.
“Small how?””
“Comments. Little insults. Making Michael think I was too sensitive.””
My chest tightened.
“She did that to me.””
Claire continued.
“Then she started creating problems between us.””
“What kind of problems?””
“She told him I was hiding things.””
Daniel looked at me.
“And did Michael believe her?””
Claire laughed sadly.
“For a while.””
The room went silent.
“Eventually,” Claire said, “Michael found out the truth.””
“What truth?””
“That Margaret had been recording private conversations and twisting them.””
My eyes widened.
“Recording?””
“Yes.””
Daniel immediately stood.
“Why?””
“Control.””
Claire’s voice became quieter.
“She collected things people said when they were angry or emotional. Then she used those moments against them.””
A chill moved through me.
The phone.
The recordings.
The accusations.
It all connected.
“Where is Michael now?”” Daniel asked.
Claire hesitated.
“He left Texas.””
“Why?””
“Because he realized his own parents would never admit what they were doing.””
Daniel looked devastated.
I knew what he was thinking.
How many people had been hurt before us?
“How did you get my number?”” I asked.
Claire answered,
“Your sister found me.””
I frowned.
“My sister?””
“Rachel.””
That surprised me.
“When?””
“Yesterday.””
Daniel and I looked at each other.
Rachel had known.
She had been searching.
Maybe she had been trying to help all along.
Claire continued.
“She told me your daughter was hurt and that she was afraid Margaret would do the same thing again.””
My voice softened.
“Again?””
“Yes.””
The word hung there.
“What do you mean?””
Claire paused.
Then she said,
“Margaret has always wanted one thing.””
“What?””
“Control over Daniel.””
I looked at my husband.
Claire continued.
“And anyone who gets between her and that control becomes the enemy.””
After the call ended, Daniel sat silently.
Then he whispered,
“My brother wasn’t the problem.””
I touched his shoulder.
“No.””
He looked at me.
“My parents made him disappear.””
Before I could answer, his phone buzzed.
A text message.
From Robert.
Daniel opened it.
The message contained only one sentence.
“Come to the house alone if you want to know why Michael left.””
Daniel looked at me.
May you like
And I knew exactly what he was thinking.
He was going.
