Chapter 7: The Woman in My Bedroom
I enlarged the photo until the pixels blurred.
Someone was standing beside my bed.
A woman.
Her face was turned away from the camera, but one hand rested on the wooden shelves my father had built for me.
I looked at Daniel.
“Who is she?””
He took my phone.
For three seconds, he said nothing.
Then all the color drained from his face.
“No.””
“What?””
He enlarged the picture.
“Daniel, who is she?””
He looked at me.
“That’s Claire Bennett.””
The name meant nothing to me.
“Who is Claire Bennett?””
“Your mother’s attorney.””
My stomach dropped.
“Why is my mother’s attorney in my bedroom?””
Daniel was already reaching for his keys.
“We’re going to find out.””
“Dad told me not to go home.””
“And Vanessa told you to bring the papers.””
He grabbed the folder from the table.
“So we’re not bringing these.””
I frowned.
“Then what are we doing?””
Daniel opened a drawer and removed a small flash drive.
“We bring copies.””
Twenty minutes later, we parked two houses away.
My bedroom light was on.
So was the living room light.
Daniel touched my arm before I opened the car door.
“If Vanessa asks where the originals are, don’t answer.””
“Why?””
“Because right now she doesn’t know how much you have.””
I looked at the house.
“And that helps us?””
“It may be the only thing protecting you.””
I hated that sentence.
This was supposed to be my home.
I shouldn’t have needed protection to walk through the front door.
But I did.
Daniel stayed outside.
I went in alone.
Vanessa was waiting in the living room.
Madison stood behind her.
My father was nowhere in sight.
“Where are the papers?”” Vanessa asked.
No hello.
No explanation.
I held up my phone.
“Where’s Dad?””
“Answer me.””
“Dad first.””
Her mouth tightened.
Then the woman from the photograph stepped out of the hallway.
She was maybe in her late fifties, wearing a dark blue suit and carrying a leather folder.
“You must be Grace.””
I stared at her.
“You’re Claire Bennett?””
Vanessa turned sharply toward her.
“You weren’t supposed to tell her your name.””
Claire looked almost amused.
“She already knows it.””
Vanessa’s eyes snapped toward me.
“Daniel.””
I said nothing.
Claire approached slowly.
“I represented your mother for several years.””
“Then why are you here with Vanessa?””
“I’m not here with Vanessa.””
That silenced the room.
Madison looked at her mother.
“Mom?””
Vanessa ignored her.
Claire opened the folder.
“I’m here because I received notification that someone attempted to alter the occupancy status of this property.””
I stared at her.
“The bedroom?””
“No.””
She looked directly at Vanessa.
“The beneficiary.””
My heart pounded.
“What beneficiary?””
Claire pulled out a document.
Vanessa stepped between us.
“That document is private.””
Claire’s voice remained calm.
“It belongs to Grace.””
Vanessa reached for it.
Claire pulled it back.
“Touch this file, Vanessa, and I’ll document the interference.””
Vanessa stopped.
I had never seen her stop.
Not when Dad argued.
Not when I resisted.
Not even when Daniel’s name came up.
But Claire frightened her.
“Can somebody please tell me what’s happening?”” I demanded.
Claire handed me the first page.
At the top was the name of the trust.
Below it was my mother’s name.
And beneath hers—
Mine.
I read the line twice.
*SOLE SUCCESSOR BENEFICIARY: GRACE ELIZABETH CARTER.*
My hands began trembling.
“What does this mean?””
Claire answered carefully.
“It means your mother placed her interest in this property into a trust.””
“And?””
“When she died, her beneficial interest transferred according to the trust instructions.””
“To me?””
“Yes.””
I looked at Vanessa.
She wasn’t smiling anymore.
I remembered her standing in my bedroom.
Telling me to leave.
Telling me my father agreed.
Telling me I had no control.
A strange calm settled over me.
“You tried to throw me out of a house I partially own?””
Vanessa laughed, but it sounded forced.
“That is not what this means.””
Claire looked at her.
“Actually, that is close enough.””
Madison’s mouth fell open.
“Mom, you said the house was going to be ours.””
Vanessa turned.
“Go upstairs.””
“You said—”
“Madison!””
Madison flinched.
Then something crashed upstairs.
We all froze.
It came from my father’s office.
I ran toward the stairs.
Vanessa grabbed my arm.
“Don’t.””
I pulled free.
“Where is my father?””
She blocked me.
Claire stepped forward.
“Vanessa.””
“Stay out of this.””
Another sound came from upstairs.
Then my father’s voice.
“Grace!””
I ran.
Vanessa followed.
When I reached the office, Dad was standing beside his desk.
A cardboard archive box had fallen onto the floor.
Old documents were scattered everywhere.
“Dad?””
He looked at me.
Then at Claire.
“You came.””
Claire nodded.
“I should have come years ago.””
Vanessa entered behind me.
“This is ridiculous.””
Dad ignored her.
He bent down and picked up an old envelope.
His hands were shaking.
“I found this behind the filing cabinet.””
Vanessa stopped breathing.
I saw it.
“What is it?””
Dad turned the envelope over.
My mother’s handwriting was on the front.
And underneath my father’s name were four words.
*OPEN BEFORE YOU SIGN.*
Dad slowly looked at Vanessa.
“You told me she never wrote.””
Vanessa’s face went pale.
“Michael—”
“You told me she abandoned Grace.””
“I can explain.””
“You told me Daniel was lying.””
“Michael.””
His voice rose.
“You told me she was dead to us before she was actually dead.””
Nobody moved.
Then Dad opened the envelope.
A small key fell onto the desk.
Claire stared at it.
“Oh my God.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
Claire stepped closer.
“I know what that opens.””
Vanessa suddenly lunged for the key.
Dad grabbed it first.
And for the first time since this nightmare began, I saw genuine panic on my stepmother’s face.
“Michael,” Vanessa whispered, “if you open that box, this family is over.””
Dad stared at her.
May you like
Then closed his fist around the key.
“Maybe it already is.””
