Chapter 8: My Father's Name on the Document
My father answered on the second ring.
“Marcus? Everything okay?””
I stared at the document.
“No, Dad. Nothing is okay.””
There was a pause.
“What happened?””
“I'm at the solicitor's office.””
“Why?””
“Because Danielle left some documents.””
Silence.
Then my father asked:
“What documents?””
I looked at Vanessa.
She was watching me carefully.
“Documents involving Tasha.””
My father's breathing changed.
“What about her?””
I swallowed.
“Your name is on one of them.””
Another long silence.
Finally, he said:
“I think you should come home.””
I almost laughed.
“Why?””
“Because this isn't something we should discuss over the phone.””
“Did you pay Tasha?””
He didn't answer.
“Dad, did you give Tasha money before I married her?””
His voice dropped.
“Marcus, please.””
“Did you?””
“Yes.””
The word hit me like a physical blow.
I closed my eyes.
“How much?””
“Twenty thousand dollars.””
Vanessa's eyes widened.
“Why?””
My father sighed.
“Because I thought I was protecting you.””
I gripped the edge of the table.
“From what?””
“From making a mistake.””
I stared at the solicitor.
“Dad, I need the truth. All of it.””
He hesitated.
Then he said:
“Come home. I'll explain.””
When I arrived at my parents' house, my father was sitting alone in the living room.
My mother stood near the window.
She looked furious.
“Your father has something to tell you,” she said.
I sat opposite him.
“Start talking.””
My father rubbed his hands together.
“Three years ago, before you married Tasha, I discovered she had been involved in a serious financial dispute.””
“What kind of dispute?””
“She had worked for a woman who owned a small clothing business. There were missing funds.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Was she accused of stealing?””
“Yes.””
“Was she charged?””
“No. The matter was settled privately.””
“Who paid the money?””
“I don't know.””
I stared at him.
“You gave her twenty thousand dollars.””
He nodded.
“Why?””
“Because she told me she was being threatened. She said the business owner was trying to ruin her reputation.””
“And you believed her?””
“I wanted to.””
I stood.
“Dad, why didn't you tell me?””
He looked down.
“Because you were happy.””
I let out a bitter laugh.
“So you paid a woman who had financial problems and then allowed me to marry her without telling me?””
“I thought she'd changed.””
“Based on what?””
“She told me she loved you.””
I shook my head.
“That's not an answer.””
My mother stepped forward.
“Robert, tell him about Danielle.””
My father looked at her.
“Evelyn…”
“Tell him.””
I turned.
“What about Danielle?””
My father's face changed.
He looked suddenly older.
“Danielle contacted me before she died.””
I felt my stomach drop.
“What?””
“She told me she'd discovered Tasha was asking questions about the children's trust.””
“And?””
“She wanted me to investigate.””
“Did you?””
He nodded.
“I contacted Tasha. She denied everything.””
“And you believed her?””
“No.””
I stared.
“Then what did you do?””
My father lowered his head.
“I gave her money to leave you alone.””
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
“You paid her to stay away from me?””
He nodded.
“I thought she'd disappear.””
“And instead, she married me.””
My father closed his eyes.
“I didn't know she was going to do that.””
I paced across the room.
“Did you tell Danielle?””
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because she begged me not to upset you. She wanted to handle it herself.””
I turned toward him.
“Dad, she died.””
His eyes filled with tears.
“I know.””
“She died, and you kept this from me for three years?””
“I was ashamed.””
I stopped pacing.
Then I asked the question that mattered most.
“Did you know Tasha was mistreating my children?””
My father immediately shook his head.
“No. I swear to you, Marcus. I didn't know.””
I looked at my mother.
She was crying silently.
My father continued.
“Last month, I noticed something strange. Imani was eating dinner at our house, and she kept asking whether she could finish the food on her plate.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
“She asked me three times whether it was okay to have another piece of chicken.””
My chest tightened.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I thought she was being shy.””
He covered his face.
“I should have known.””
I sat down.
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Then my mother approached me.
“Marcus, you need to decide what happens next. But the children cannot continue living like this.””
I nodded.
“They won't.””
That evening, I returned home with Vanessa.
Tasha was sitting on the couch.
She looked up when we entered.
“Where have you been?””
“At my parents' house.””
She glanced at Vanessa.
“Of course.””
I placed the solicitor's documents on the coffee table.
“We need to talk.””
Tasha stared at the papers.
“What are those?””
“Copies of Danielle's affidavit.””
Her face drained of color.
I opened the first page.
“Your previous surname was Miller.””
She said nothing.
“You had a financial dispute with your former employer.””
Silence.
“You received money from my father before our wedding.””
Tasha stood.
“Who told you that?””
“Does it matter?””
She began pacing.
“Your father had no right to interfere in my personal life.””
“He was trying to protect his family.””
“He was trying to buy me off!””
I stared at her.
“Then why did you take the money?””
“Because I needed it!””
Vanessa shook her head.
“You keep using desperation as an excuse.””
Tasha turned toward her.
“You have no idea what I went through!””
“Neither do those children, apparently.””
Tasha's eyes filled with anger.
“Stay out of my marriage!””
I stepped forward.
“It's not a marriage anymore if you keep lying to me.””
She stopped.
“What?””
“I've contacted a lawyer. The children will stay with my parents while we sort this out.””
Her expression changed immediately.
“You can't take them away from me.””
“Watch me.””
“I helped raise them!””
“You made my daughter afraid to eat.””
“I never hurt her!””
I looked at her.
“You took her food. You hid her mother's jewelry. You tried to access her inheritance.””
“I didn't get the money!””
“That doesn't make the attempt disappear.””
She began crying.
Then she suddenly walked toward the stairs.
“I need to get something.””
“Stay here.””
She ignored me.
I followed her.
She entered the bedroom and pulled open the bottom drawer of her dresser.
She removed a small black handbag and began searching through it.
“What are you looking for?”” I asked.
“Something that belongs to me.””
She pulled out a folded piece of paper.
I recognized the handwriting.
Danielle's.
My entire body went cold.
“Give me that.””
Tasha clutched it against her chest.
“No.””
“That's Danielle's letter.””
“It's mine!””
I stepped closer.
“Where did you get it?””
She shook her head.
“Please, Marcus. Don't make me do this.””
“Do what?””
She began crying.
“I kept it because I was trying to protect you.””
“From what?””
She looked at me.
Then she said:
“Danielle didn't die believing you were a good husband.””
The room went completely still.
I felt as though someone had struck me.
“What did you just say?””
Tasha unfolded the letter.
“There's something she never told you.””
I reached for it.
She pulled it away.
“Danielle discovered something about you, Marcus. Something that made her question whether the children were safe with you.””
I stared at her.
“What are you talking about?””
She looked down at the letter.
Then she whispered:
“She thought you were responsible for the financial problems that nearly destroyed your family.””
I shook my head.
“That's a lie.””
“Then read it!””
She threw the letter onto the bed.
I picked it up.
The first few lines were addressed to Danielle's solicitor.
But the final paragraph was written directly to me.
Marcus, if you ever discover what happened to the money in the children's account, please don't assume the person who appears guilty is the only person responsible.
I looked up.
Tasha was crying.
“There's more,” she said.
I continued reading.
Someone close to us has been moving money without our knowledge.
Then I saw the signature at the bottom.
It wasn't Danielle's.
It belonged to my father.
I looked at Tasha.
“What does my father have to do with this?””
She wiped her cheeks.
“Your father wasn't the only person who knew about the trust.””
“Who else?””
She looked directly at me.
“Your mother.””
I felt the room tilt.
Tasha stepped closer.
“And there's something else, Marcus.””
“What?””
She lowered her voice.
“Danielle didn't just ask Vanessa to become the children's guardian.””
I stared at her.
“What do you mean?””
Tasha's lips trembled.
“She also named someone who was supposed to protect them if both you and Vanessa were unavailable.””
“Who?””
Tasha looked toward the bedroom door.
Then she answered.
“Me.””
That night, I barely spoke.
I sat downstairs with Danielle's letter in front of me.
The children were sleeping at my parents' house.
Vanessa had gone home, promising to return in the morning.
Tasha remained upstairs.
At 11:46 p.m., my phone vibrated.
It was an email from Daniel Foster.
The subject line read:
*URGENT — ADDITIONAL TRUST DOCUMENT DISCOVERED.*
I opened it.
There was an attached scanned document.
It was dated six years earlier.
The day before Danielle died.
At the top was a handwritten instruction:
If Marcus Reed ever discovers the truth about the original account, release the attached evidence.
I scrolled down.
There were bank transfers.
Three withdrawals.
One hundred and twenty thousand dollars in total.
The recipient account belonged to a company I recognized.
It was the construction consultancy where I had worked before starting my current job.
And the authorization signature belonged to me.
I stared at the screen.
I had never signed those documents.
Then another email arrived.
This one contained a photograph.
It showed a woman standing outside the bank.
The date matched the first withdrawal.
I enlarged the image.
The woman was wearing a dark coat.
May you like
Her face was unmistakable.
My mother.
