Chapter 13: The Mistress Who Finally Told the Truth
I stared at Vanessa's message.
Please help me. Patricia is here.
For the first time since discovering the affair, I felt something other than anger toward her.
Fear.
I called immediately.
She answered after the first ring.
"Sarah?""
"Where are you?""
"I'm at the house. The one Daniel bought for me.""
"Is Patricia with you?""
"Yes. She's been here for almost an hour.""
I heard a door slam in the background.
Then Patricia's voice.
"Who are you talking to?""
Vanessa whispered, "Nobody.""
I raised my voice.
"Vanessa, listen to me. Don't hang up.""
She started crying.
"She's threatening me. She says if I don't give her the recordings, she'll make sure I never see my baby.""
I looked at Michael.
He was already writing down the address.
"What recordings?"" I asked.
"The voice recordings Daniel made of you. The ones he used to create the fake bank authorization.""
My stomach tightened.
"Where are they?""
"On his old laptop. Patricia took it from our bedroom last night.""
I closed my eyes.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Daniel hadn't merely stolen my credit card information.
He had collected samples of my voice, copied my signature, and gathered enough personal information to impersonate me.
"Vanessa, why are you telling me this now?""
She sobbed.
"Because Patricia told me something last night. She said once the money was transferred, Daniel would divorce you, leave me, and disappear with her.""
I froze.
"Leave you?""
"She said the baby was never part of the plan. She only wanted Daniel to have someone who could help him obtain your inheritance.""
I felt sick.
"Does Daniel know?""
"He knows she wants him to leave me. But he thinks she's bluffing.""
I looked at Michael.
He nodded toward the door.
We were going.
"Vanessa, stay where you are. Don't confront Patricia. We're coming.""
I ended the call.
Michael immediately contacted the police and informed them about the possible fraudulent financial transaction, the voice impersonation, and the threat Vanessa had reported.
We drove to the address.
The house was enormous.
White stone exterior. Tall windows. A perfectly maintained lawn.
The kind of house I had once thought Daniel and I would buy together.
Instead, my money had helped build another woman's dream home.
A police vehicle was already outside when we arrived.
Vanessa opened the front door.
Her eyes were swollen.
She wore an oversized sweater, and one hand rested protectively against her stomach.
"Sarah.""
I stopped several feet away.
"Where is Patricia?""
"Upstairs.""
Michael immediately spoke with the officers.
Vanessa lowered her voice.
"I didn't know everything. I swear.""
I looked at her.
"You knew about the affair.""
She nodded, crying.
"Yes.""
"You knew Daniel was married.""
"Yes.""
"You knew he was spending money that wasn't his?""
"I thought he was using his own money.""
I took a breath.
"Then you need to understand that I'm not here to comfort you. I'm here because you have information that could stop them from stealing everything.""
She nodded.
"I understand.""
An officer came downstairs carrying a laptop.
"Is this the device you mentioned?""
Vanessa nodded.
"Yes. Daniel keeps his financial files on it.""
Michael requested that the device be preserved as evidence.
Then Patricia appeared at the top of the stairs.
She looked immaculate.
Cream-colored blouse. Gold earrings. Perfectly styled hair.
Even now, she looked like a woman arriving for an elegant dinner rather than someone facing a criminal investigation.
When she saw me, she laughed.
"Well, look who's here.""
I didn't respond.
She walked downstairs.
"Sarah, this is becoming ridiculous. You need to stop dragging innocent people into your marriage problems.""
I stared at her.
"Did you use my voice to authorize an $800,000 withdrawal?""
Her expression didn't change.
"Don't be absurd.""
Michael stepped forward.
"We have evidence that someone used recordings of Mrs. Thompson to impersonate her.""
Patricia looked at Vanessa.
"You stupid girl.""
Vanessa began crying again.
"Why did you tell me Daniel would stay with me? Why did you say we would finally be a family?""
Patricia laughed.
"Because you were useful.""
The words landed like a slap.
Vanessa backed away.
Patricia continued.
"You were supposed to keep Daniel happy. You were supposed to make him ambitious. Instead, you became another liability.""
I looked at her.
"Is that what I was, too?""
She turned toward me.
"You were a convenient marriage.""
For the first time, Patricia didn't bother pretending.
"Your father had money. Your grandfather had property. And you were foolish enough to believe Daniel married you for love.""
My hands curled into fists.
"Eight years.""
"Eight years was a reasonable investment.""
I stared at her.
Then I remembered the birthday party.
Her champagne glass.
Her laughter.
Her announcement that I was paying.
She had humiliated me because she believed I was already trapped.
I stepped closer.
"You know what, Patricia? You were right about one thing.""
She raised an eyebrow.
"What?""
"I was foolish.""
Her smile widened.
"Finally, some honesty.""
"I was foolish enough to believe you were family.""
Her smile disappeared.
I turned toward the officers.
"Please preserve every document and electronic device in this house that relates to the trust, the forged authorizations, and the money transfers.""
Patricia immediately became agitated.
"You cannot search my property!""
An officer explained that they were acting under the appropriate legal process and that the devices would be handled according to the investigation.
Patricia began shouting.
Then Vanessa spoke.
"There's something else.""
Everyone turned.
She walked toward the laptop.
"Daniel told me where the original trust certificate is.""
Michael looked up.
"Where?""
Vanessa swallowed.
"At his mother's storage unit.""
"Which one?""
She gave us the address.
Then she opened a drawer and removed a small flash drive.
"He also kept a backup of the voice recordings here.""
Michael took it carefully.
"What else is on this drive?""
Vanessa looked at me.
"Everything.""
She explained that Daniel had recorded conversations, copied financial statements, and stored photographs of documents from my father's estate.
But there was something more.
A video.
She opened it.
The recording showed Daniel and Patricia sitting in a hotel room.
Patricia was holding a glass of wine.
Daniel looked frustrated.
"Mom, Sarah is asking questions.""
Patricia waved her hand.
"She always asks questions. That's why we needed the recordings.""
"What if she goes to the police?""
Patricia smiled.
"By then, the money will be gone.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"And what happens to Vanessa?""
Patricia took a sip.
"She'll get what she deserves.""
The video continued.
Then Patricia said something that made Vanessa cover her mouth.
"Once the transfer clears, you and I will leave. Your wife will be left with the debt, the divorce, and the scandal.""
Daniel stared at her.
"What about the baby?""
Patricia shrugged.
"That's your problem.""
The recording ended.
I looked at Vanessa.
She was crying silently.
For the first time, I believed she understood what Daniel and Patricia had done.
Michael closed the laptop.
"Sarah, we have enough evidence to move quickly.""
But Vanessa suddenly grabbed my hand.
"There's one more thing.""
"What?""
She looked toward the window.
"Daniel isn't at the office. He's already on his way to the storage unit.""
My heart stopped.
May you like
Because the original trust certificate was there.
And Daniel was about to destroy the last document that could prove who owned everything.
