Chapter 10: The Person Richard Trusted
I held the phone against my ear, waiting for Thomas to finish his sentence.
But he didn’t.
The silence stretched longer than it should have.
“Thomas,” I said quietly.
“Who helped Richard?””
He exhaled.
“Your daughter-in-law.””
I froze.
“Valerie?””
“Yes.””
I sat down slowly.
The room felt strangely cold.
“That doesn’t make sense.””
“I know.””
“Valerie helped Richard?””
“Yes.””
The same woman who humiliated me at the restaurant.
The same woman who tried to discover details about my trust.
The same woman who seemed to see my kindness as an opportunity.
How could she also be the person who helped Richard?
“Explain.””
Thomas spoke carefully.
“About two years before Richard passed, he became concerned about Daniel’s finances.””
I closed my eyes.
Two years.
That was when I remembered Daniel suddenly needing more help.
The unexpected repairs.
The business problems.
The “temporary” loans.
I always believed my son was struggling.
I never considered he might be hiding something.
“Richard asked questions,” Thomas continued.
“He didn’t accuse anyone. He wanted facts.””
“And Valerie?””
“At first, she defended Daniel.””
I nodded.
That sounded like her.
“She told Richard he was being too suspicious.””
“Then what changed?””
Thomas paused.
“She discovered Daniel had been lying to both of you.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“What kind of lies?””
“Financial ones.””
I stood and walked toward the window.
The street outside looked exactly the same.
But my life felt different.
“What did Richard find?””
Thomas lowered his voice.
“Daniel had been moving money around.””
“Moving money?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“He was trying to cover debts.””
I felt my chest tighten.
“How much?””
Thomas hesitated.
“Enough that Richard became worried.””
I sat back down.
The image of Daniel at the restaurant came back.
His anger when I refused.
His embarrassment.
His words.
You always like helping family.
Maybe he wasn’t just expecting help.
Maybe he had built his entire life around it.
“Why didn’t Richard tell me?””
Thomas answered immediately.
“Because he knew you would protect Daniel.””
The truth hurt because it was true.
I would have.
I would have found a reason.
I would have said he was my son.
I would have fixed another problem.
Thomas continued.
“Richard believed you needed to see Daniel’s choices without being able to rescue him.””
I looked at the envelope on my table.
The one Richard left behind.
“Then why did Valerie tell me about the estate?””
“That’s the part I don’t understand.””
Neither did I.
A woman who once helped expose Daniel was now trying to gain access to my trust.
Something had changed.
Or maybe…
I had never seen the whole picture.
After the call ended, I sat alone for almost an hour.
Then my doorbell rang.
I opened it.
Daniel stood outside.
He looked exhausted.
“Mom.””
I stepped aside.
“What happened?””
He walked in slowly.
“I talked to Valerie.””
I said nothing.
“She admitted she knew about Dad’s changes.””
My heart sank.
“And?””
“She said she found out because Dad asked her questions.””
I watched him carefully.
“Questions about what?””
Daniel looked ashamed.
“About me.””
I sat down.
“Tell me the truth.””
He nodded.
“I had debt.””
I waited.
“How much?””
He swallowed.
“More than I told you.””
The room went quiet.
“How much?””
“Almost two hundred thousand.””
I closed my eyes.
For years.
For years, I thought I was helping with small problems.
Not a hidden disaster.
“Daniel…”
“I know.””
“No, you don’t.””
He looked at me.
“You don’t know what it feels like to find out your child only tells you the truth after someone else forces it out.””
His eyes filled with tears.
“I’m sorry.””
I believed him.
But I needed more than regret.
“Why did you hide it?””
He looked down.
“Because I was embarrassed.””
“Embarrassed?””
“Yes.””
I shook my head.
“Daniel, you let me pay for things while you were hiding the truth.””
“I thought I could fix it.””
“And when you couldn’t?””
He didn’t answer.
Because I already knew.
He came to me.
Again.
But this time, there was something different.
A knock interrupted us.
Daniel looked toward the door.
“I wasn’t expecting anyone.””
Neither was I.
When I opened it, Valerie stood there.
But she wasn’t alone.
The man from the black sedan stood beside her.
May you like
And the moment Daniel saw him…
His face turned pale.
