Chapter 3: The Plan
Linda didn't answer.
Dad held my phone between them.
"Why is your email address here?""
Linda's face remained strangely calm.
"Anyone could type an email address.""
Catherine spoke through the phone.
"No, they couldn't.""
Linda's eyes flashed toward the speaker.
Catherine continued.
"The administrator account requires password authentication and a verification code.""
"Then someone hacked me.""
"Stop.""
Dad said it quietly.
That frightened me more than shouting would have.
I'd seen my father angry before.
I'd never seen him look at Linda like she was a stranger.
"You expect me to believe someone hacked your email, accessed Daniel's security system, registered Madison's fingerprint, and then conveniently allowed Madison into his apartment four times?""
Linda crossed her arms.
"I don't have to explain myself while everyone is attacking me.""
"You absolutely do.""
Madison started crying.
"Mom, tell him.""
Linda shot her a warning look.
Dad saw it.
"Tell me what?""
"Nothing," Linda snapped.
Madison wiped her cheeks.
"You said this wouldn't happen.""
My heart began pounding again.
"What wouldn't happen?""
"Madison," Linda warned.
"You promised!""
Linda moved toward her daughter.
Dad stepped between them.
"Stay where you are.""
"Robert, move.""
"No.""
"She's my daughter.""
"And Emily is mine.""
The words landed hard.
Linda stared at him.
Dad pointed toward me.
"For years, I've watched Emily apologize to keep peace in this house. When Madison took her clothes, Emily let it go. When Madison wrecked her graduation dinner, Emily let it go. Every time I tried to intervene, you convinced me it was normal sibling conflict.""
His voice cracked.
"But this isn't sibling conflict.""
Linda's lips tightened.
"You're being dramatic.""
"No. I think I've been blind.""
I swallowed hard.
I'd waited years to hear him say that.
But I couldn't enjoy it.
Not with Daniel's apartment on my phone.
Not with Madison's fingerprint registered to his door.
Not with Linda somehow controlling access.
I picked up the ruined dress.
"Why this?""
Madison looked at me.
"Why destroy my dress tonight?""
She shook her head.
"Ask Mom.""
Linda's face changed.
"Madison.""
"No! You said she'd cancel the party!""
I froze.
Dad turned toward Linda.
"What?""
Madison was crying openly now.
"She said if Emily looked ridiculous tomorrow, she'd panic. She'd cancel. Or Daniel's family would realize she wasn't right for him.""
I stared at Linda.
"You wanted my engagement party canceled?""
Linda said nothing.
"Why?""
"Because you're rushing into marriage.""
Daniel and I had dated for three years.
Dad gave a humorless laugh.
"Try again.""
Linda's composure cracked.
"Fine. Because Daniel's family changes everything.""
"What does that mean?"" I asked.
"You don't understand people like them.""
"People like them?""
"Money. Connections. Lawyers.
Private investigators. They don't live like us.""
Catherine's voice sharpened.
"What exactly were you afraid my family would investigate?""
Linda's face went white.
Dad looked from the phone to his wife.
"That's a very good question.""
Madison sank into a chair.
"I want this to stop.""
Linda rounded on her.
"Then stop talking.""
"You told me nobody would get hurt!""
I stepped closer.
"Hurt?""
Madison immediately covered her mouth.
Dad's expression hardened.
"Who was going to get hurt?""
"No one.""
"You just said—"
"I didn't mean physically.""
"Then what did you mean?""
Madison looked at Linda.
Linda's voice dropped.
"If you say another word, Madison, you're going to regret it.""
Dad slammed his palm onto the counter.
"Don't threaten her.""
Linda flinched.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Madison whispered, "It wasn't about Daniel.""
I stared at her.
"What wasn't?""
"The apartment.""
"What were you looking for?""
Madison rubbed both hands over her face.
"A document.""
My engagement ring suddenly seemed insignificant.
"What document?""
"I don't know exactly.""
"You broke into my fiancé's apartment four times looking for something you can't identify?""
"Mom said Daniel had a copy.""
Linda lunged.
"Shut up!""
Dad caught Linda by the shoulders before she reached Madison.
"Don't touch her.""
"Let me go!""
"Emily," Dad said without looking away from Linda, "record this.""
I turned on my camera.
Linda stopped struggling instantly.
Dad released her.
"Good," he said.
"Now talk.""
Madison looked at me.
"Mom needed something Daniel had.""
"What?""
"A trust document.""
My mouth went dry.
"What trust?""
"I don't know.""
"Whose name was on it?""
Madison hesitated.
"Yours.""
Dad slowly sat down.
"My daughter's trust?""
Linda stared at Madison with pure fury.
"You're lying.""
Madison shook her head.
"No, I'm not.""
Dad looked at Linda.
"What trust?""
She didn't answer.
I remembered Daniel asking me strange questions two months earlier.
Did your mother leave a formal estate plan?
Did your father ever give you documents when you turned twenty-five?
Did anyone ask you to sign financial papers after college?
I'd laughed at the time.
I'd told him my mother hadn't been wealthy.
She'd been a high school art teacher.
The only significant thing she'd left me was the college fund.
At least, that's what I'd always believed.
"Why would Daniel have documents about me?"" I asked.
Madison stared at her hands.
"He found something.""
"What?""
"I don't know. Mom freaked out when she heard.""
"How did she hear?""
Madison didn't answer.
Catherine suddenly said, "Emily.""
Something in her voice made me grip the phone.
"What?""
"I think I know what she's talking about.""
Linda's head snapped toward the phone.
"No, you don't.""
Catherine ignored her.
"Daniel came to our house about six weeks ago with a file.""
My heartbeat became painfully loud.
"He wouldn't tell me everything because he said he needed to confirm it first. But he asked his father for the name of an estate attorney.""
Dad whispered, "Estate attorney?""
"Yes.""
"What did Daniel find?"" I asked.
"I don't know. But he said someone had been moving money that legally belonged to you.""
The room tilted.
Linda grabbed her purse.
"I'm done with this.""
Dad blocked the door.
"No.""
"Get out of my way.""
"Not until I understand what's happening.""
"Robert, if you don't move—"
"What? You'll call the police?""
He pointed at my shredded dress.
"Please do. We can show them the photographs, the unauthorized apartment access, and whatever else Catherine sends.""
Linda stopped.
Dad turned toward me.
"Emily, did your mother ever leave you anything besides the college fund?""
"No.""
"Are you sure?""
"That's what you told me.""
His face fell.
"Because that's what Linda told me.""
Silence.
I felt cold all over.
"What?""
Dad rubbed his forehead.
"After your mother died, there were boxes of documents. Insurance papers, tax records, old bank statements. I was a mess. Linda helped me organize them after we got married.""
Linda's eyes widened.
"Robert.""
He ignored her.
"She told me everything important had already been handled.""
"How much did you actually read?""
His silence answered me.
Madison started sobbing.
"I'm sorry, Emily.""
I looked at her.
"Tell me everything.""
"Mom said Daniel had discovered an old trust.""
Linda shouted, "Madison!""
But Madison kept going.
"She said if he showed it to you, we'd lose the house.""
Dad went completely still.
"Our house?""
Madison nodded.
"She said part of it wasn't really ours.""
I could barely speak.
"Whose was it?""
Madison looked at me.
"Yours.""
Dad stumbled backward against the counter.
Linda grabbed her keys.
This time, I stepped in front of the door.
"No.""
Her eyes narrowed.
"Move, Emily.""
"You cut up my life piece by piece and kept telling me I was imagining it.""
"I never touched your dress.""
"You didn't need to. You had Madison do it.""
Madison lowered her head.
I held Linda's gaze.
"And you sent her into Daniel's apartment.""
Linda's mouth twisted.
"You have no idea what you're talking about.""
"Then explain it.""
She said nothing.
My phone buzzed.
Daniel.
My heart jumped.
I answered immediately.
"Daniel?""
His breathing was heavy.
"Emily, are you at your dad's house?""
"Yes.""
"Is Linda there?""
Everyone heard him.
Linda's face changed instantly.
"Yes.""
"Don't let her leave.""
Dad moved closer.
"Daniel, what's going on?""
Daniel ignored him.
"Emily, listen carefully. I just landed. My apartment security company called me because someone tried to remotely erase the access history.""
My eyes moved to Linda.
Her phone was in her hand.
"Who?"" I asked.
"I don't know yet.""
Linda quietly slid the phone behind her back.
Dad saw her.
"Give me the phone.""
"No.""
"Linda.""
"No!""
She turned and threw it.
The phone smashed against the kitchen wall.
Madison screamed.
Dad stared at the broken pieces.
I could hear Daniel shouting my name through my own phone.
Then another sound came from the hallway.
A knock.
Three hard knocks.
Everyone froze.
Dad walked toward the front door.
"Who is it?""
A man's voice answered from outside.
"Mr. Carter? My name is Andrew Walsh. I'm an attorney representing the estate of Emily's late mother.""
I stopped breathing.
Linda whispered one word.
"No.""
Dad opened the door.
A gray-haired man in a dark suit stood on the porch holding a thick envelope.
His eyes found me immediately.
"Emily Carter?""
"Yes.""
He stepped inside and looked directly at Linda.
"I was asked to deliver this personally tonight because we have reason to believe someone may attempt to destroy the remaining records.""
He handed me the envelope.
My fingers shook as I opened it.
The first page contained my mother's name.
The second contained mine.
And on the third page was the address of the house where we were standing.
I looked at the percentage printed beside my name.
Then I looked at my father.
"Dad...""
His face went pale.
"What does it say?""
Before I could answer, the attorney spoke.
"It says Emily has been a legal owner of this property since she turned eighteen.""
Linda backed into the wall.
But Andrew wasn't finished.
He removed one final document from his briefcase.
"And this," he said, "is the reason Daniel contacted me.""
Linda suddenly lunged toward him.
Dad caught her.
"What is it?"" I demanded.
Andrew held the document out to me.
At the bottom was my signature.
Except I had never signed it.
May you like
And directly beneath the forged signature was the name of the person who had witnessed it.
Linda Carter.
