Chapter 8: The Divorce She Never Filed
Dad stared at the papers.
"You prepared divorce documents?""
Vanessa wiped her face.
"I never filed them.""
"That wasn't my question.""
"I was angry.""
"For three months?""
"It was complicated.""
Dad flipped through the pages.
Property division.
Financial disclosures.
Proposed settlement.
Then he stopped.
"What the hell is this?""
He held up one page.
Daniel looked away.
Vanessa whispered, "Richard.""
Dad read aloud.
"'Petitioner asserts marital interest in residential property located at—'"
His voice died.
Our address.
My mother's house.
I stepped closer.
"You were trying to claim the house?""
Vanessa looked at me.
"Married couples share property.""
"Not that property," Dad said.
His voice had gone frighteningly calm.
"You knew Laura and I bought this house before I ever met you.""
"I've lived here five years.""
"That doesn't erase its history.""
"History?""
Vanessa laughed through her tears.
"That's all I ever hear. History. Laura.
Ava. Before Vanessa.""
Dad folded the papers.
"Why didn't you file?""
Vanessa glanced at Daniel.
That was the wrong thing to do.
Dad saw it.
"So Daniel was helping you.""
"No," Daniel said immediately.
Dad stepped toward him.
"Your name is on the cover letter.""
Daniel's shoulders stiffened.
"I referred her to an attorney.""
"You helped my wife prepare to divorce me while sitting across from me at charity dinners?""
"Richard—"
"Don't.""
Dad pointed toward the driveway.
"You should leave.""
Daniel nodded.
Vanessa caught his arm.
"You're seriously abandoning me now?""
Daniel stared at her.
"I'm not part of your marriage.""
"You became part of it when you helped me!""
Dad's eyes narrowed.
"Helped you do what?""
Daniel said nothing.
Vanessa realized she'd made another mistake.
Dad unfolded the documents again.
"What else?""
"Nothing.""
"Vanessa.""
"Nothing!""
Dad turned toward Daniel.
"You came here tonight carrying divorce papers. Why?""
Daniel hesitated.
Then he said, "She wanted me to destroy them.""
Vanessa's mouth fell open.
"You bastard.""
"Why tonight?"" Dad asked.
Daniel looked at the house.
"Because she thought you might find the electronic copies.""
Mia stared at her mother.
"You were covering everything up.""
Vanessa looked at her.
"I was trying to save this family.""
Mia laughed bitterly.
"By destroying evidence?""
"I made mistakes!""
"You made plans.""
That sentence silenced everyone.
Mia stepped off the porch.
"You planned to take Ava's money.""
"Mia—"
"You planned to claim this house.""
"Mia, please.""
"You planned to leave Dad.""
Vanessa reached toward her.
Mia backed away.
"How much of my hatred for Ava was planned too?""
Vanessa stopped.
My chest tightened.
"Mia.""
"Answer me.""
"I was protecting you.""
"From my sister?""
Vanessa's eyes moved toward me.
I saw the answer before she gave it.
"From being forgotten.""
Mia shook her head.
"I wasn't forgotten.""
She looked at Dad.
"I just believed you every time you told me I was.""
Vanessa started crying harder.
Dad stepped inside.
"Daniel, leave.""
Daniel didn't argue.
His car disappeared down the street moments later.
Vanessa remained on the porch.
Dad stood inside the doorway.
"You need to go back to your sister's.""
"Richard, please.""
"We'll talk through attorneys tomorrow.""
Her face crumpled.
"Attorneys?""
"You forged—or someone forged—my signature on a trust withdrawal request.""
"I didn't forge anything.""
"Then we'll find out who did.""
Vanessa looked terrified.
Dad continued.
"You hid financial losses. You prepared divorce papers without telling me. You encouraged Mia to destroy Ava's property.""
His voice cracked for the first time.
"I don't know who I'm married to.""
Vanessa whispered, "I'm still your wife.""
"Tonight, that's not enough.""
She looked at Mia.
"Come with me.""
Mia froze.
Vanessa held out her hand.
"You're my daughter.""
Mia's eyes filled.
"I know.""
"Then come.""
Mia looked toward me.
Then Dad.
Then her mother.
"I'm staying.""
Vanessa's hand slowly dropped.
That was the moment she truly broke.
Not when Dad discovered the debt.
Not when Daniel exposed the divorce papers.
When Mia chose not to follow her.
Vanessa turned and walked down the driveway.
No one stopped her.
The next morning, Dad's attorney, Karen, arrived before nine.
She brought another woman named Rachel from the bank's fraud department.
They photographed Mia's laptop and copied the files.
Rachel asked Dad questions for nearly an hour.
Then she asked me to join them.
"We've confirmed the withdrawal request was submitted from an IP address associated with this residence.""
My stomach tightened.
"So Vanessa did it?""
"We can't make that conclusion yet.""
Dad leaned forward.
"But someone inside this house submitted it?""
"Most likely.""
Rachel opened her folder.
"There's another issue.""
Of course there was.
She placed a document on the table.
"Someone attempted to change the contact email on Ava's trust account eleven days ago.""
Dad stared at it.
"To what?""
Rachel pointed.
The email address wasn't Vanessa's.
It wasn't Dad's.
It belonged to someone named M. Carter.
Mia leaned over my shoulder.
Her face went white.
"That's mine.""
Everyone turned toward her.
Mia shook her head violently.
"No. I didn't do this.""
Rachel remained calm.
"Is that your email address?""
"Yes, but I swear—"
Vanessa's voice suddenly came from the hallway.
"Because Mia is the one who tried to take the money.""
We all spun around.
She stood inside the front door.
May you like
And she wasn't alone.
Two police officers stood behind her.
