Chapter 12: The Woman Who Wanted My Father's Fortune
Robert read the message again.
Then he looked at me.
"Vanessa, I need to ask you something. Did your father ever mention Patricia privately?""
I shook my head.
"Not once.""
"Did he ever give her money?""
"Not that I know of.""
Marcus suddenly looked up.
"Patricia said your father helped her financially.""
I turned toward him.
"When?""
"Before we got married.""
I stared.
"My father died six months before our wedding.""
Marcus nodded.
"She said they had been in contact for years.""
Robert closed the laptop.
"We need to verify that independently. We shouldn't accept Patricia's version of events.""
I nodded.
"Then let's verify everything.""
The officers had finished speaking with Tyler and were now reviewing the documents he'd provided.
One of them approached Robert.
"Sir, we have a preliminary update.""
Robert stood.
"What is it?""
"The notary has confirmed that her seal was reported missing several weeks ago. She has also agreed to provide a written statement.""
Robert nodded.
"Good. We also need to preserve the digital communications and identify whoever created the disputed trust document.""
The officer looked at me.
"Mrs. Williams, we may need additional information about your father's estate.""
"Whatever you need.""
Then my phone began ringing.
I glanced at the screen.
Patricia.
Robert immediately shook his head.
"Don't answer without documenting the call.""
I looked at the officer.
He nodded.
"Put it on speaker if you choose to answer.""
I accepted.
"Hello, Patricia.""
Her voice was unusually sweet.
"Vanessa, darling. Thank goodness. I've been trying to reach Marcus.""
I almost laughed.
"Why are you calling me?""
"I heard there was some confusion at the house.""
"Confusion?""
"Yes. Apparently, the police are involved.""
I looked at Robert.
"That's correct.""
Patricia sighed dramatically.
"Your husband has made some terrible decisions, but we can still resolve this as a family.""
I leaned against the dining table.
"Where are my original documents?""
A pause.
Then she said, "I don't know what you're talking about.""
"Your brother admitted you took them.""
"Marcus is under pressure. He's saying things he doesn't mean.""
I looked toward him.
He was staring at the floor.
"Patricia, I know about the forged property declaration.""
Her voice hardened.
"That document was only intended to protect the family's interests.""
"What family?""
"Our family.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
"My parents purchased that property. I paid for it. Your name has never appeared on the deed.""
"Your marriage made Marcus part of the family.""
"Marriage doesn't give you ownership of my inheritance.""
She laughed softly.
"You're still thinking like a stranger, Vanessa.""
I stared at the phone.
"What exactly do you want?""
"Let's meet tomorrow. Just the two of us. I can explain everything.""
"Why tomorrow?""
"Because I have something that belongs to you.""
"What?""
"The original trust agreement.""
Robert immediately raised his hand, signaling me not to agree to anything.
I continued.
"Where is it?""
"Somewhere safe.""
"Then give it to the police.""
Patricia laughed.
"Oh, sweetheart. You really don't understand what you're dealing with.""
My fingers tightened around the phone.
"Explain it.""
"My brother owes a lot of money. Brianna is in trouble. Daniel has already invested thousands in this arrangement. Everyone stands to lose something.""
"And what do you stand to gain?""
Silence.
Then Patricia answered.
"What's rightfully mine.""
I felt a chill.
"How much?""
"Three million dollars would be a reasonable settlement.""
I looked at Robert.
He was writing something down.
"You're demanding three million dollars from me?""
"I'm asking for what your father promised.""
"My father never promised you anything.""
Patricia's voice became sharp.
"You don't know everything about your father.""
I froze.
"What does that mean?""
She continued.
"Your father wasn't the perfect man you think he was. There were arrangements he made that your mother never knew about.""
My stomach tightened.
"You're lying.""
"Am I? Ask Robert to look at the old investment correspondence.""
I glanced at my attorney.
He shook his head slightly.
Patricia lowered her voice.
"There's a reason your father kept certain documents separate from the estate. He knew exactly what would happen if your mother found out.""
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Robert immediately spoke.
"Don't believe that without evidence.""
"I don't.""
"But we should investigate the claim.""
He returned to his laptop and began searching through the estate records.
Meanwhile, Brianna sat silently on the sofa.
After several minutes, she spoke.
"Vanessa?""
I turned.
"What?""
"Can I ask you something?""
I didn't answer immediately.
She swallowed.
"Did you really pay for my college tuition?""
I stared at her.
"Yes.""
"All of it?""
"Every semester after your financial aid ran out.""
She looked down.
"I thought Dad paid.""
I felt a painful knot form in my chest.
"Marcus told you that?""
She nodded.
I turned toward him.
He didn't look up.
Brianna began crying.
"And the car?""
"I bought it.""
"The apartment rent?""
"I paid that too.""
She covered her face.
For the first time that night, she looked less like the angry young woman who had thrown me out and more like someone discovering that the story she'd been told about her family wasn't true.
"Dad said he handled everything.""
I looked at her.
"Why would he tell you that?""
She glanced at Marcus.
Then whispered, "Because he didn't want me to think I owed you anything.""
I felt tears burn behind my eyes.
Six years.
Six years of trying to earn a place in this family.
And my husband had deliberately erased every contribution I'd made.
Brianna moved closer.
"I'm sorry.""
I looked at her.
"Are you sorry because you hurt me, or because you discovered who paid for everything?""
She lowered her head.
"I don't know.""
At least, for once, she hadn't pretended.
Robert suddenly called my attention.
"Vanessa, I found something.""
He had opened an old estate correspondence folder.
There were several emails between my father's financial adviser and Robert's predecessor.
One message mentioned an agreement dated four days after my father's death.
But the sender wasn't my father.
It was an attorney representing Patricia.
Robert opened the attached letter.
His expression grew increasingly serious.
"Vanessa, this explains why Patricia has been insisting there was a separate agreement.""
"What does it say?""
He turned the screen toward me.
The letter stated that Patricia had allegedly provided a private loan to my father years earlier.
In exchange, she claimed he had promised her a share of a future investment distribution.
But the document contained a major problem.
The alleged loan was dated eleven years earlier.
I remembered that year.
My father had been recovering from a serious surgery.
He hadn't been managing his finances independently.
"Robert, who handled my father's accounts during that period?""
"Your mother's financial adviser.""
"Can we contact him?""
Robert nodded.
"I'll arrange it tomorrow morning.""
Then he pointed to the final page.
There was a handwritten note beneath the attorney's signature.
It read:
The beneficiary must be informed that the original agreement remains in Patricia Williams's possession.
I stared at the sentence.
"Does this mean Patricia has the original?""
Robert nodded slowly.
"Possibly.""
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
"Hello?""
A man's voice came through.
Robert listened, then stood abruptly.
"You're certain?""
He turned toward me.
"Vanessa, it's the financial adviser from your father's estate.""
My heart began pounding.
"What did he say?""
Robert listened for another moment.
Then he ended the call.
He looked at me with an expression I couldn't read.
"Your father never borrowed money from Patricia.""
I felt my breath catch.
"Then why does she have a document claiming he did?""
Robert opened the email the adviser had just sent.
"There is something else. According to the original records, Patricia was actually investigated for attempting to access your father's investment accounts eleven years ago.""
I stared at him.
"Investigated?""
Robert nodded.
"And the investigation ended because your father refused to press charges.""
I felt the room tilt.
My father had known something about Patricia long before Marcus married me.
And he'd kept it quiet.
Then Robert scrolled down to the final attachment.
It was a scanned handwritten letter from my father.
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The first sentence read:
*If Patricia ever approaches my daughter about money, make sure Vanessa knows what happened before I died.*
