Chapter 6: The Insurance Policy
I couldn't take my eyes off the photograph.
Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
My name.
Nia's name.
And a signature I had never written.
David sat down beside me.
"Marcus, do you know anything about this?""
I shook my head.
"Nothing.""
He enlarged the photograph.
"Look at the date.""
I already had.
Five months earlier.
That was around the same time Nia and Jordan had rented their apartment.
I leaned closer.
The document included my personal details, my employment information, and my home address.
At the bottom was the name of the insurance company.
I recognized it.
I had received promotional emails from them before, but I'd never purchased a policy.
"Call them," David said.
I picked up my phone.
The customer service number was printed on the document.
After several transfers, I was connected to someone in the policy verification department.
"Good afternoon. My name is Rachel. How may I assist you?""
"My name is Marcus Reed. I need information about an insurance policy issued under my name.""
"Certainly, Mr. Reed. Do you have the policy number?""
I read it aloud.
There was a pause as she typed.
"Thank you. Before I proceed, can you confirm the last four digits of your identification number?""
I provided them.
"Thank you. I can see the policy. How can I help you today?""
"I never applied for this policy.""
Another pause.
"Are you saying you don't recognize the application?""
"That's correct.""
"May I ask whether you've received any correspondence regarding it?""
"No.""
She lowered her voice slightly.
"Mr. Reed, the policy was submitted through an online application. It was approved following document verification.""
"Who submitted it?""
"I'm unable to disclose all application details over the phone, but I can confirm the beneficiary is listed as your spouse.""
I closed my eyes.
"Who signed the application?""
"The authorization document contains your electronic signature.""
"I didn't sign it.""
Rachel paused.
"Understood. In that case, I can escalate this as a potential identity fraud issue.""
"Please do.""
"Would you like us to place an immediate hold on the policy while the matter is reviewed?""
"Yes.""
"All right. I'll submit the request. You'll receive a confirmation email shortly.""
I thanked her and ended the call.
David looked at me.
"How many more things are there?""
I shook my head.
"I don't know.""
For the first time that evening, I felt afraid.
Not angry.
Not disappointed.
Afraid.
Because this had gone far beyond an affair or a secret business investment.
Someone had been building a financial structure around my identity.
And my wife had been part of it.
My phone rang again.
Daniel Foster.
I answered immediately.
"Hello?""
"Marcus, I wanted to update you before tomorrow's meeting.""
"Go ahead.""
"Our finance team has completed an initial review. We found discrepancies in three invoices submitted by Reed Property Solutions.""
"What kind of discrepancies?""
"The invoices describe renovation work at two of our commercial properties. However, our facilities manager has confirmed that no such work was performed.""
I looked at David.
"How much money are we talking about?""
"Approximately eighty-six thousand dollars.""
I rubbed my forehead.
"Daniel, I didn't authorize any of this.""
"I understand. That's why we're treating you as a potential identity theft victim rather than making assumptions.""
"Thank you.""
"However, there's another concern. The company registration documents contain your electronic approval. We also found an email address associated with the business that appears to use your name.""
I frowned.
"What email address?""
He read it aloud.
It was an address I'd never seen before.
I wrote it down.
"Can you send me a copy of the relevant documents?""
"We can provide them through our legal department tomorrow.""
"All right.""
"One more thing, Marcus.""
"Yes?""
"The person who submitted the vendor application attended an in-person meeting at our headquarters.""
I sat upright.
"Who?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Your wife.""
My grip tightened around the phone.
"Nia?""
"Yes. She introduced herself as the operations manager of Reed Property Solutions and presented documents indicating that you were the company's owner.""
I looked at David.
He shook his head in disbelief.
"Was Jordan with her?""
"According to our reception records, yes.""
I thanked Daniel and ended the call.
David stood up.
"She's been walking into your workplace pretending to represent you?""
I nodded.
He paced across the living room.
"This is insane.""
I sat down.
Then my phone buzzed.
An email had arrived from the insurance company.
The subject line read:
*Policy Suspension Confirmation — Additional Review Required.*
I opened it.
The policy was temporarily suspended pending investigation.
But there was an attachment.
The original application form.
I downloaded it.
The first page showed my personal details.
The second contained my employment information.
The third included the beneficiary designation.
Then I reached the final page.
There was a section titled:
*Emergency Contact and Medical Information.*
My emergency contact was Nia.
But the medical information section contained a statement I'd never provided.
It read:
Applicant has a family history of cardiovascular disease and has experienced recurring chest discomfort.
I stared at the screen.
I had never reported any such symptoms.
And there was no known family history of cardiovascular disease that I was aware of.
"David.""
He leaned over.
"What?""
I showed him the screen.
He read it twice.
"Why would they put that in there?""
"I don't know.""
I zoomed in on the bottom of the page.
The form included a handwritten note.
Client has requested expedited processing due to concerns about ongoing stress.
I felt sick.
The application had been constructed to look as though I had personally provided medical information.
But I hadn't.
I called the insurance company again.
Rachel answered.
"I received the application copy," I said.
"I need to know who submitted the medical information.""
"I can check the application notes.""
I waited.
After a minute, she returned.
"Mr. Reed, the notes indicate that the information was provided during a telephone interview.""
"Who conducted the interview?""
"One of our authorized agents.""
"Was the caller identified?""
She read something from her screen.
"According to the record, the person speaking claimed to be your spouse and stated that she was providing information with your consent.""
My throat tightened.
"Nia?""
"Yes.""
I ended the call.
David stared at me.
"She gave them medical information about you?""
I nodded.
"Why?""
He didn't answer.
Neither did I.
Then I remembered something.
Three months earlier, Nia had asked me several unusual questions.
Whether I had ever experienced chest pain.
Whether my father had heart problems.
Whether I had been feeling unusually tired.
At the time, I'd thought she was simply worried about my health.
I remembered her sitting beside me on the couch, gently rubbing my shoulder.
"You work too hard, Marcus," she'd said.
"You need to take better care of yourself.""
I'd smiled and promised I would.
Now those memories felt different.
My phone vibrated.
A message from the unknown number appeared.
There's one more thing you should know. Check the security footage from your home office on August 12.
I stared at the screen.
David read it.
"Whoever this is knows something.""
I looked toward the office.
The small security camera I'd installed above the bookshelf was still there.
I'd installed it after a package went missing months earlier.
The footage was stored in a cloud account.
I opened the application.
The recording from August 12 was still available.
I pressed play.
At first, the office was empty.
Then, at 9:43 p.m., Nia entered.
She was wearing the blue sweater I'd bought her for her birthday.
She walked directly to the filing cabinet.
Opened the bottom drawer.
Removed a folder.
Then she placed several documents on my desk.
I leaned closer.
She took out her phone and made a call.
A few seconds later, Jordan appeared on the screen.
They spoke for several minutes.
The audio was faint, but the camera had captured enough.
Nia said something that made my entire body go still.
"Once the insurance is active, we won't have to worry about the loan anymore.""
Jordan replied.
"What if Marcus finds out?""
Nia looked toward the office door.
Then she whispered:
"By then, it might not matter.""
David grabbed my arm.
"Pause it.""
I froze the recording.
He looked at me.
"Marcus, we need to give this to the police.""
I nodded.
But then something else happened.
The video continued.
Nia picked up a document from my desk.
She examined it.
Then she turned toward the camera.
For one brief second, she looked directly into the lens.
She knew it was there.
And she smiled.
Not a nervous smile.
Not an accidental expression.
A slow, deliberate smile.
Then she walked toward the camera.
The screen went black.
David stared at the monitor.
"Did she just disable it?""
I nodded slowly.
The recording ended.
I checked the time.
9:51 p.m.
Eight minutes after she'd entered.
I replayed the last few seconds.
Her face.
That smile.
The way she'd looked straight at the camera.
And suddenly, another question entered my mind.
If Nia knew about the security camera, how much of what I'd discovered had she already planned for me to find?
My phone rang.
It was Nia.
I stared at her name for several seconds before answering.
"Hello.""
Her voice sounded strangely calm.
"Marcus, I need you to come home.""
I looked around my empty living room.
"I am home.""
"No. I mean our house. I left something there.""
"What?""
She took a breath.
"Something you need to see before you make any decisions.""
I tightened my grip on the phone.
"What is it?""
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"It's about the insurance policy.""
I glanced at David.
Then Nia said something that made my blood turn cold.
"Jordan wasn't the one who wanted that policy, Marcus.""
A pause.
May you like
Then:
"I was.""
