Chapter 9: The Son My Wife Said Was Dead
For several seconds, I couldn't understand what I was looking at.
I read the name again.
Thomas Morgan.
The date was six months before my wedding to Celeste.
The document authorized a recurring transfer into an account established for his benefit.
I looked at Daniel.
"Who is Thomas Morgan?""
Daniel shook his head.
"I don't know. But the financial records suggest he has received money from Northstar.""
I stared at the document.
"Celeste told me she had no children.""
"Are you certain?""
"She told me her son died shortly after birth. She said she couldn't have another child after that.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"Andre, I need you to understand that this may be unrelated to the property fraud. We shouldn't jump to conclusions.""
I nodded.
But my mind had already gone back to the first years of my marriage.
Celeste had occasionally received calls she refused to answer in front of me. She said they were from distant relatives.
She also had a small locked drawer in her home office.
When I asked about it, she said it contained old documents from her previous life.
I had never pushed.
I had believed some memories were too painful to revisit.
Now I wondered what had really been hidden inside that drawer.
"Can you identify the account holder?"" I asked.
Daniel made a note.
"I'll have the investigators look into it.""
I left his office with a knot in my stomach.
On the drive back to Rebecca's house, I called my mother, Evelyn.
She answered cheerfully.
"Andre! Finally. I've been wondering where you disappeared to.""
"Mom, I need to ask you something about Celeste.""
Her voice changed.
"What about her?""
"Did she ever tell you she had a child before she married me?""
There was a long silence.
Then my mother sighed.
"I was hoping you would never have to find out this way.""
I pulled into a parking lot.
"What do you mean?""
"Celeste had a little boy. I met him once.""
My chest tightened.
"Where?""
"At a restaurant in Harrisburg. She said he was her nephew.""
"Mom, his name is Thomas, isn't it?""
She went quiet.
"Yes.""
I closed my eyes.
"She told me he died.""
My mother inhaled sharply.
"Oh, Andre.""
"What happened?""
"I don't know the whole story. But I remember Celeste telling me she had given him up when she was very young. She said his father had taken him.""
"Then why did she tell me he was dead?""
"She said she didn't want to discuss her past.""
I gripped the steering wheel.
"Did you ever meet him again?""
"Once. About three years ago. He was a young man, maybe twenty-two. He came to the house while you were at work.""
"What did he want?""
"Celeste gave him money. I remember because she asked me not to tell you.""
I stared through the windshield.
"Why didn't you?""
"Because she said it was a private family matter.""
I ended the call feeling physically sick.
Celeste hadn't simply hidden a previous relationship.
She had built an entirely different version of her life and convinced everyone around her to protect it.
When I arrived at Rebecca's house, Devin was outside repairing the loose wooden step on the porch.
Maya was sitting on the swing with a book.
She looked up when I approached.
"Dad, are you okay?""
I forced a smile.
"Just dealing with some adult problems.""
She closed her book.
"Is it about Mom?""
I sat beside her.
"Yes.""
"Are we going to be okay?""
I put my arm around her.
"We're going to be okay.""
She leaned against me.
After a moment, she asked, "Do you think she ever loved us?""
I looked toward the lake.
"I think she loved what she wanted our family to look like. But I don't think she understood what loving people actually requires.""
Maya was quiet.
Then she said, "I don't want to hate her.""
"You don't have to.""
"Even after everything?""
"Even after everything. You can be hurt without carrying hate around for the rest of your life.""
She nodded.
That evening, Daniel called with an update.
The investigators had identified Thomas Morgan.
He was twenty-six years old and lived in Baltimore.
He was alive.
And he had been receiving money from Richard Morgan's company for nearly seven years.
There was something else.
Thomas had recently been listed as a director of a small property management company.
The company's only significant asset was a commercial building purchased using funds connected to Northstar.
Daniel said he would arrange a formal interview with the appropriate investigators.
But before I could process that information, another call came through.
An unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A young man's voice spoke.
"Mr. Bennett?""
"Yes.""
"My name is Thomas Morgan. I think we need to talk.""
I glanced at Rebecca.
"How did you get my number?""
"My mother gave it to me.""
I froze.
"Your mother?""
"Celeste.""
I stepped outside.
"What do you want?""
"To explain something.""
"Then explain.""
He hesitated.
"She told me you knew about the money.""
"What money?""
"The money Richard sent to me.""
"Why was he sending you money?""
Thomas exhaled.
"Because I was supposed to help them move assets out of the company.""
My stomach tightened.
"Assets belonging to whom?""
"Your daughter.""
I gripped the porch railing.
"What?""
"Look, I didn't know the whole story. Mom said the money came from an investment opportunity. She said Richard had a legal agreement with you.""
"That's a lie.""
"I know that now.""
"Why are you calling me?""
There was a pause.
"Because my mother told me to destroy some documents. I didn't.""
I closed my eyes.
"What documents?""
"Copies of the original loan application. Bank transfers. Emails. And something else.""
"What?""
"A letter from Rachel.""
I stopped breathing.
"Where did you get that?""
"It was in a folder Richard gave me. He said it was evidence that Rachel had agreed to the arrangement.""
I stared at the darkness beyond the porch.
"Thomas, Rachel died nine years ago.""
"I know.""
"Then how could she have agreed to a loan filed seven years later?""
He went silent.
Then he said, "That's what I wanted to ask you.""
I heard a door close in the background.
"Where are you?""
"At my apartment.""
"Are you safe?""
"I don't know.""
I lowered my voice.
"Don't destroy anything. Don't send anything to my wife or her brother. Contact your own attorney.""
"I don't have one.""
"Then get one before you speak to anyone else.""
Thomas hesitated.
"Mr. Bennett?""
"Yes?""
"My mother told me something about Maya.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"What?""
"She said Maya was the reason she couldn't have the life she wanted.""
I closed my eyes.
Thomas continued.
"She said if Maya had never been born, everything would have been different.""
I couldn't speak.
"There's something else," he whispered.
"Something about the will. Richard told me the original document wasn't the only one Rachel signed.""
My heart began pounding.
"What do you mean?""
"I think someone created a second will.""
"Who?""
Thomas lowered his voice.
"My mother.""
The call ended.
I stood on the porch, staring at my phone.
Then Rebecca stepped outside.
"Andre?""
I turned toward her.
"Celeste may have forged Rachel's will.""
Rebecca's face went white.
Before she could respond, Daniel called.
His voice was urgent.
"Andre, we just received a new filing from Northstar's attorneys.""
"What filing?""
"They're claiming the original property deed is invalid because Rachel transferred ownership under a fraudulent estate document.""
I gripped the phone.
"Which document?""
Daniel paused.
"The second will.""
I looked at Rebecca.
She was already shaking her head.
"That's impossible.""
Then Daniel said the words that made everything suddenly make sense.
"The document claims Rachel left the lake house to Celeste.""
I looked toward the dark windows of the house.
The woman who had tried to erase my daughter from a family vacation had been trying to erase her from her mother's inheritance for years.
And now she was claiming that Rachel had wanted her to have it.
But there was one problem.
Rachel had left behind an original copy of her final will.
And it was sitting inside the safe.
I turned toward Rebecca.
"Get the box.""
She ran inside.
May you like
Because if Celeste had forged Rachel's final wishes, tomorrow would be the day we proved exactly who my wife really was.
And this time, I wasn't going to let her walk away with another lie.
