Chapter 6: The Man Who Had Been Lying for Four Years
The office door opened.
Ethan stepped inside.
His suit jacket was wrinkled, and his hair was disheveled. Vanessa followed him, holding a tissue against the uneven remains of her ponytail.
Neither looked particularly concerned about the computer anymore.
They were looking at me.
"Get out," I said.
Ethan raised both hands.
"Sarah, please. We need to talk.""
"You're not welcome here.""
Vanessa shut the door behind them.
"Could you stop acting like a victim for five minutes?""
I turned toward her.
"You destroyed my mother's hair because my fiancé told you to.""
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
"Your mother was never supposed to be part of the plan.""
My mother stood.
"Excuse me?""
Vanessa looked at her.
"Linda, you should probably sit down.""
Mom took one step forward.
"I have spent my entire life being polite to people who don't deserve it. Don't mistake that for weakness.""
For a moment, Vanessa had nothing to say.
Then Ethan moved toward the computer.
I stepped in front of him.
"Don't touch anything.""
He sighed.
"Sarah, I know you're angry.""
"Angry?""
I pointed at the photograph.
"Is that your son?""
Ethan looked at the screen.
"Yes.""
"Is Vanessa his mother?""
"Yes.""
"Have you been living at my father's lakehouse?""
He hesitated.
Then nodded.
I laughed.
"Four years. Four years you looked me in the eyes and told me you wanted a future together.""
"Because I did.""
"With two families?""
Ethan rubbed his forehead.
"It wasn't supposed to happen like this.""
Vanessa crossed her arms.
"Don't make it sound like I forced you to do anything.""
He turned toward her.
"Not now, Vanessa.""
She laughed bitterly.
"Oh, now you want me quiet?""
I stared at them.
Their argument sounded like something I'd overheard between an exhausted husband and wife.
Not two people who were supposedly just friends.
Ethan lowered his voice.
"Sarah, I was going to tell you.""
"When?""
"After the wedding.""
"After I signed away my father's property?""
His eyes flickered.
That was enough.
I understood.
He had never intended to tell me.
He intended to make sure I had no way to stop him.
My mother stepped forward.
"Why did you bring that woman into our family?""
Ethan looked at her.
"Linda, I respect you.""
"You ordered her to destroy my hair.""
"I didn't think she'd take it that far.""
Emily spoke from behind the desk.
"That's not what the recording shows.""
Ethan turned sharply.
"Emily, stay out of this.""
She didn't move.
"I have the recording saved.""
His face changed.
"Delete it.""
"No.""
"I said delete it.""
Emily reached for the external drive.
"You should leave.""
Vanessa moved toward the desk.
I blocked her.
"Don't.""
She glared at me.
"You have no idea what you're doing.""
I looked at her uneven hair.
"Neither did you, apparently.""
Her hand tightened around her tissue.
Ethan stepped between us.
"Enough!""
Then he looked directly at me.
"Sarah, listen. Your father made arrangements before he died. You don't understand the trust.""
"Then explain it.""
He hesitated.
Vanessa looked at him.
"Don't.""
I noticed the exchange.
"Why shouldn't he?""
Ethan took a breath.
"Because your father knew about Noah.""
My mother's face went pale.
"What?""
Ethan nodded.
"He knew about the child.""
"How?"" I asked.
"Rebecca told him.""
I stared.
"You're saying Dad knew Noah was your son?""
"No. He knew Noah was connected to the Collins family. That's why he included him in the trust.""
"That makes no sense.""
"Your father wanted to protect Rebecca's family.""
"From whom?""
Ethan looked toward Vanessa.
She suddenly seemed uncomfortable.
Then he said something I wasn't expecting.
"From Patricia.""
My mother grabbed the edge of the desk.
"Don't you dare blame my sister for this.""
Ethan shook his head.
"Patricia has been manipulating the estate for years. She was the one who told me the property could be transferred.""
I stared at him.
"You're telling me you were innocent?""
"No. I made mistakes. But Patricia started this.""
Vanessa laughed.
"You're unbelievable.""
Ethan ignored her.
"Sarah, I loved you. I still do. I thought if we could get the property transferred, we could finally settle everything.""
"Everything?""
"Yes.""
I looked at Vanessa.
"Then why did you need to destroy my mother's hair?""
His jaw tightened.
"Because Linda was going to stop the wedding.""
My mother frowned.
"Why would I stop the wedding?""
Ethan looked away.
"Because she found out about the lakehouse.""
I turned toward Mom.
"Did you?""
She shook her head.
"No. I knew nothing about the transfer.""
Ethan swallowed.
"She found something in the house.""
My stomach tightened.
"What did she find?""
He didn't answer.
Vanessa suddenly spoke.
"Sarah, ask your mother about the locked bedroom.""
I turned.
"What locked bedroom?""
Mom's eyes filled with tears.
"Robert kept a room upstairs at the lakehouse. He told me never to open it.""
"Why?""
"He said it contained documents he wasn't ready to share.""
I stared at her.
"Have you ever opened it?""
She shook her head.
"Not once.""
Ethan gave a bitter laugh.
"That's because Patricia changed the locks.""
My mother looked horrified.
"Why would she do that?""
"Because there's something inside that room that could destroy her.""
Before I could ask what, my phone rang.
Martin Hayes.
I answered immediately.
"Mr. Hayes?""
"Sarah, I'm outside the salon. I have the original trust documents.""
"Good. We need to see them.""
His voice became serious.
"There's a problem.""
"What problem?""
"I checked the property records before coming in. Someone filed a transfer application this morning.""
My blood ran cold.
"Who filed it?""
"Ethan Miller.""
I looked directly at my former fiancé.
He didn't deny it.
Mr. Hayes continued.
"But that's not the worst part. The application includes a power of attorney that was supposedly signed by your father two days before his death.""
I gripped the phone.
"That's impossible. Dad was in the hospital.""
"I know. That's why I brought the original medical records.""
He paused.
"Sarah, your father was unconscious when that document was supposedly signed.""
I stared at Ethan.
My mother began crying.
Then Mr. Hayes added:
"And there's one more thing. The witness who supposedly watched your father sign it was your aunt Patricia.""
The office fell silent.
I slowly lowered the phone.
Ethan took a step toward me.
"Sarah, don't do anything stupid.""
I looked at him.
"You forged documents using my dead father's name.""
He shook his head.
"You don't understand.""
"No. I understand perfectly.""
I turned toward Emily.
"Call the police. And make sure those recordings are backed up somewhere they can't reach.""
Emily nodded.
But before she could pick up the phone, Vanessa suddenly spoke.
"You're wasting your time.""
I turned.
She was smiling again.
"Even if you cancel the wedding, even if you expose Ethan, even if you get that property back...""
She looked at my mother.
"Your family still won't be able to keep it.""
My mother's voice trembled.
"Why?""
Vanessa reached into her handbag and pulled out a folded document.
She placed it on the desk.
It was a court notice.
At the top was a case number.
Beneath it was a name I had never expected to see.
*REBECCA COLLINS.*
And the claim was dated twenty-eight years earlier.
Vanessa leaned closer.
"Because your father already promised that house to my family.""
Then she looked directly into my eyes.
"And he left something else in his will.""
She unfolded the final page.
My name appeared beneath a paragraph titled:
*CONDITIONS OF INHERITANCE.*
May you like
I began reading.
And the first sentence made me realize that my wedding wasn't the only thing my father had tried to protect me from.
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