Chapter 5: My Father’s Secret
Emma fell asleep ten minutes into the drive.
I didn’t.
Dad drove.
Claire followed behind us.
I sat in the passenger seat wearing one of Dad’s old coats over my ruined sweater, staring through the windshield.
“Who put Rebecca’s name in the trust?””
Dad gripped the steering wheel.
“Sarah—”
“No.””
I turned toward him.
“No more protecting me. No more deciding what I should know.””
His jaw tightened.
“I put her name on an early draft.””
My stomach sank.
“Why?””
“Because Rebecca worked for the firm that structured the original trust.””
I stared at him.
“You knew her?””
“Professionally.””
“For how long?””
“About six years.””
That was before Daniel and I married.
Before Emma.
“Did you know she dated Daniel?””
“No.””
I searched his face.
“When did you find out?””
“Last year.””
I almost laughed.
“Of course.””
“Sarah.””
“Everyone knew something except me.””
Dad pulled into his driveway.
The porch light was on.
He didn’t move after turning off the engine.
“Rebecca came to my office last February.””
“Why?””
“She wanted information about the trust.””
My chest tightened.
“What kind of information?””
“Beneficiary rules. Withdrawal restrictions. Amendment procedures.””
“And you didn’t tell me?””
“She claimed Daniel had asked her to review his finances.””
“You believed her?””
“No.””
“Then why didn’t you call me?””
Dad looked down.
“Because I called Daniel first.””
That hurt.
Not like the slap.
Not like the soup.
Deeper.
“You called my husband instead of me?””
“I confronted him.””
“And?””
“He said he was trying to understand your family’s estate planning.””
I shook my head.
“You believed him.””
“I wanted to.””
I opened the door.
“Sarah.””
“I need to get Emma inside.””
Dad carried her upstairs while I changed clothes.
The burn across my stomach and thighs was red and angry.
Claire insisted I photograph everything.
My cheek.
My wrist.
My burned skin.
When I came downstairs, she was sitting at Dad’s kitchen table with three folders.
Dad stood by the window.
I sat.
“Show me everything.””
Claire opened the first folder.
“Lake North Properties was created eleven months ago.””
“By Daniel?””
“Daniel and Linda.””
My father turned around.
I stared at the documents.
Linda owned forty percent.
Daniel owned forty percent.
The remaining twenty belonged to—
“Rebecca.””
Claire nodded.
The room seemed to tilt.
“So they’re business partners.””
“Yes.””
“Why hide it?””
“That’s what concerns me.””
Claire opened another document.
“Lake North purchased Linda’s house after a refinancing problem.””
I remembered Linda’s designer clothes.
Her new kitchen.
Her endless lectures about my supposedly inferior family.
“She was broke?””
“Not exactly. But heavily leveraged.””
Dad gave a bitter laugh.
“She spent like money was oxygen.””
Claire continued.
“The LLC also purchased Rebecca’s condo.””
“With whose money?””
“Partially financed. Partially funded through Daniel’s company.””
My hands went cold.
“How much did Daniel move?””
“So far, we can document just over one hundred thousand dollars.””
Linda’s words.
The first hundred thousand.
I stared at the numbers.
“Did he use our joint account?””
“Some.””
“How much?””
“Thirty-eight thousand.””
I closed my eyes.
Daniel handled most of our household finances.
Not because I couldn’t.
Because I trusted him.
My phone started ringing.
Daniel.
I rejected the call.
It rang again.
Rejected.
Then a message appeared.
Please don’t let your father destroy everything before you hear me.
I turned the phone face down.
Claire slid another page toward me.
“There’s something else.””
“Of course there is.””
“This authorization.””
I read it.
My name appeared at the bottom.
Sarah Mitchell Whitmore.
My signature.
Except I had never signed it.
“That’s not mine.””
Dad stepped closer.
“What?””
“I didn’t sign this.””
Claire nodded.
“I suspected that.””
“What does it authorize?””
“Access to financial information connected to the trust.””
“Who received access?””
Claire pointed.
Rebecca Collins.
My skin went cold.
“She forged my signature?””
“We don’t know who signed it.””
“I do.””
I picked up my phone.
Dad said, “Sarah.””
“I’m calling Daniel.””
“He’ll lie.””
“Then I want to hear him do it.””
I pressed his name.
He answered instantly.
“Sarah.””
“Did you forge my signature?””
Silence.
“Answer me.””
“I can explain that form.””
“Yes or no?””
“It wasn’t meant to hurt you.””
My eyes burned.
“You signed my name.””
“Rebecca needed authorization.””
“So you forged it.””
“It was temporary.””
“You keep using that word like it makes crimes disappear.””
“Sarah, please listen.””
“Were you sleeping with her?””
“No.””
“Were you?””
“No!””
I heard something in the background.
A woman’s voice.
Not Linda.
Not Melissa.
Daniel immediately went quiet.
I stood.
“Who is there?””
“No one.””
I looked at Claire.
She heard it too.
“Daniel.””
“Sarah, don’t do this.””
Then the woman spoke again.
Closer this time.
“Daniel, just tell her.””
I stopped breathing.
I knew that voice.
Not well.
But I had heard it before.
At our wedding.
Rebecca had attended our wedding.
Daniel had introduced her as an old college friend.
“Put her on the phone.””
“Sarah—”
“Put Rebecca on the phone.””
There was movement.
Then Rebecca spoke.
“Sarah.””
I gripped the table.
“You have thirty seconds before I hang up.””
She exhaled.
“Daniel didn’t forge your signature.””
I looked at Claire.
“Then who did?””
Rebecca paused.
“Linda.””
The kitchen went silent.
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
Then Rebecca said something I wasn’t expecting.
“But Sarah, that isn’t why I’m here tonight.””
“Why are you there?””
“Because Linda just disappeared.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“She took Daniel’s laptop.””
My pulse jumped.
“And?””
Rebecca lowered her voice.
“She also took every original document connected to Lake North.””
Claire stood immediately.
“Ask her where Linda is going.””
I repeated the question.
May you like
Rebecca answered.
“I think she’s going to your house.””
