Chapter 12: The Signature That Wasn’t Mine
The restaurant suddenly felt freezing.
Daniel kept staring at the paper.
I kept staring at my own name.
A name attached to something I had never signed.
Patricia watched us from across the table.
She looked satisfied.
“Now you understand.””
I looked up.
“No.””
Her smile faded slightly.
“I understand that you’re desperate.””
Daniel looked between us.
“Mom, where did you get this?””
She leaned back.
“From your wife.””
I laughed.
A short, shocked laugh.
“Seriously?””
She nodded.
“She gave it to me.””
Daniel looked at me.
“Emma?””
I turned toward him.
“Do you really think I would hide something like that?””
He didn’t answer immediately.
That hurt.
Patricia noticed.
“There’s the hesitation.””
I looked at her.
“You love that.””
“What?””
“Making him doubt me.””
Her expression changed.
For the first time, she looked uncomfortable.
Then Victor placed his hand on the table.
“Enough.””
Patricia looked at him.
“You’re still here?””
“Yes.””
He opened his laptop.
“I checked the document.””
Everyone looked at him.
Patricia frowned.
“What are you talking about?””
Victor turned the screen.
“The signature.””
Daniel leaned closer.
Victor continued.
“It’s fake.””
The silence was immediate.
Patricia’s face changed.
“What?””
“The ink pattern is wrong. The signature was copied from another document.””
Daniel stared at his mother.
“You forged it?””
Patricia shook her head.
“No.””
Victor looked at her.
“Yes.””
She stood.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.””
Victor calmly replied:
“I was paid to investigate Emma.””
He closed the laptop.
“I found the opposite.””
Daniel looked at Patricia.
“Why?””
Her face tightened.
“Because nobody listens to me anymore.””
The confession came quietly.
Everyone froze.
Patricia sat down.
“I spent my whole life taking care of you.””
Daniel’s eyes filled with sadness.
“Mom…”
“And then she came.””
She looked at me.
“And suddenly I was the problem.””
I shook my head.
“You made yourself the problem.””
Her eyes became cold.
“You think you’re better than me?””
“No.””
I answered.
“I think you’re afraid.””
That word hit her.
She stood.
“You have no idea what I’m capable of.””
Daniel immediately stepped forward.
“Mom.””
But she was already walking away.
Then she stopped.
Without turning around, she said:
“You should ask your wife why she never told you about Michael.””
Daniel froze.
My heart stopped.
“Who is Michael?””
I looked at Patricia.
She smiled.
“There it is.””
Then she walked away.
Daniel turned toward me.
“Emma?””
I couldn’t speak.
Because I knew that name.
And I knew this moment would come eventually.
“Who is Michael?”” Daniel asked again.
I looked at the table.
At the papers.
At the disaster Patricia had created.
Then I whispered:
“He was someone I knew before you.””
Daniel’s expression changed.
“Before me?””
I nodded slowly.
“But he’s not the secret you think he is.””
Daniel stared at me.
“Then what is he?””
I opened my mouth.
But before I could answer…
my phone rang.
The caller ID appeared.
And Daniel saw the name.
His face went pale.
May you like
Because the person calling me…
was Michael.
