Chapter 5
Vanessa agreed to speak with investigators two days later.
She had not known every part of Daniel’s scheme.
But she knew enough.
Daniel had promised to leave me.
He told her I was unstable.
He said I did not understand money.
He said I would sign anything he put in front of me.
Vanessa looked ashamed when she gave her statement.
“I thought he was trapped in a bad marriage,” she said. “I did not know he was stealing from you.”
I almost felt sorry for her.
Then I remembered the messages where she laughed at me.
She had known I existed.
She had simply decided I did not matter.
The investigation revealed Daniel had taken more than my inheritance.
He had stolen from clients.
He had used company money to hide gambling debts.
He had created false invoices and shell accounts.
His firm began to collapse in public.
Clients left.
Employees demanded answers.
The board removed him as chief executive.
Margaret came to Nora’s house that weekend.
She stood on the porch holding a bouquet of flowers.
“Please let me speak to Eleanor,” she said.
I stepped outside.
She looked older than she had a week earlier.
But her eyes were still cold.
“You have destroyed Daniel,” she said.
I stared at her.
“He destroyed himself.”
“You could have handled this privately.”
“You mean quietly.”
“He is your husband.”
“He stopped acting like my husband long ago.”
Margaret’s mouth tightened.
“You always hated this family.”
I looked at the flowers in her hands.
“No. I loved this family so much I kept accepting pain to stay in it.”
May you like
Then I handed the flowers back.
“I will not do that anymore.”
