Chapter 8: The Signature I Never Gave
I stared at the document.
My name appeared beneath a paragraph acknowledging that I was Ethan Carter's biological father.
There was also a statement claiming I had known about the child for years but refused to provide financial support.
At the bottom was a signature.
Mine.
Or something designed to look like mine.
My father took the paper.
"Who prepared this?""
Jordan pointed toward the bottom corner.
"Daniel's company.""
I looked at Sarah.
"Did you know about this?""
She shook her head.
"I've never seen that document.""
Jordan frowned.
"You sent it to me.""
Sarah turned sharply.
"What?""
"You asked me to print it three weeks ago.""
I looked between them.
"Why would she ask you to print a document acknowledging that I have a child?""
Jordan rubbed his forehead.
"She told me it was a draft for an attorney.""
Sarah's voice rose.
"I didn't know what it was!""
Jordan looked at her.
"You sent me the file.""
"Daniel sent it to me.""
"And you told me not to open it.""
My father placed the document on the table.
"Nobody signs anything else until an independent attorney reviews every page.""
I nodded.
Then I looked at Jordan.
"How did Daniel get my signature?""
Jordan opened the folder again.
"He might have copied it from another document.""
I immediately remembered something.
Six months earlier, Sarah had asked me to sign several documents for a financial review.
One of them had been a bank authorization.
Another was an insurance form.
I had signed both.
"Sarah, where are those documents?""
She looked confused.
"What documents?""
"The ones I signed six months ago.""
"I don't know.""
"You handled the folder.""
She shook her head.
"They're probably in the filing cabinet.""
I walked toward the office.
My father followed.
We searched the drawers.
Old insurance policies.
Tax returns.
Utility bills.
Then I found a scanned copy of the bank authorization.
My signature was clearly visible.
I placed it beside the paternity document.
The signatures were almost identical.
Someone had copied my handwriting.
My father stared at the pages.
"That's fraud.""
Sarah appeared in the doorway.
"Don't say that.""
My father turned.
"What else would you call it?""
She began crying again.
"Daniel said it was just preparation. He said nobody would use it.""
I looked at her.
"Why would you need a fake acknowledgment of a child?""
She lowered her head.
"Because Rebecca said Melissa was considering taking legal action.""
"Against me?""
"She said the child needed financial support.""
"Then why not tell me?""
Sarah shook her head.
"I thought you would leave.""
I stared at her.
"You keep saying that as if it explains everything.""
She stepped closer.
"Michael, I was scared. You don't understand what Rebecca told me.""
"Then tell me.""
Sarah sat down.
"She said you had been secretly communicating with Melissa. She said you wanted to reconnect with your son and that you were planning to use money from our house to support him.""
I laughed in disbelief.
"That's why you moved money into another account?""
"Yes.""
"That's why you rented the apartment?""
"Yes.""
"That's why you wanted me to sign away my financial contributions?""
She nodded.
I felt exhausted.
My father pulled out a chair.
"Sarah, why did you think stealing control of the property would protect you?""
She looked at him.
"Daniel said Michael could claim the house if the child turned out to be his. He said I needed to secure my position first.""
I looked at the legal document.
"Daniel isn't a lawyer.""
Sarah hesitated.
"He said he worked with lawyers.""
"Did you verify that?""
She didn't answer.
Jordan suddenly stood.
"I did.""
Everyone looked at him.
"What?"" I asked.
Jordan opened his phone.
"I searched Daniel's company last night.""
He showed us a business registration.
Carter Financial Solutions had been registered only fourteen months earlier.
Its listed business address was a rented office suite.
There was no evidence of a legal practice.
Jordan scrolled further.
"And I found something else.""
A photograph appeared.
Daniel was standing outside a restaurant with another woman.
Sarah leaned forward.
"Who is that?""
Jordan enlarged the picture.
The woman was holding a document folder.
I recognized her immediately.
It was Melissa.
My brother explained.
"I found the picture on a public business page. Daniel posted it two months ago. The caption said they were discussing a property investment.""
I looked at Sarah.
"Did you know they were meeting?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
Jordan looked at her.
"Then why did Daniel tell you he had never met Melissa?""
Sarah covered her mouth.
The room fell silent.
My phone vibrated.
An incoming call.
Unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A woman's voice spoke cautiously.
"Michael? My name is Melissa.""
I stood.
"Melissa?""
"Yes.""
For a moment, neither of us said anything.
Then she began crying.
"I've been trying to reach you.""
My throat tightened.
"Is Ethan my son?""
She took a shaky breath.
"I believe he is.""
My father moved closer.
I held up a hand.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because Rebecca said you wanted nothing to do with us.""
I closed my eyes.
"That's not true.""
"I know that now.""
"How?""
"Because Daniel showed me a message he said came from you.""
"What message?""
"He said you had written that you would never accept the child and that I should stop contacting you.""
My hands began trembling.
"I never wrote that.""
"I know.""
I looked at Sarah.
"Melissa, where is Ethan now?""
"He's at home with me.""
"Can I meet him?""
There was a long pause.
"Yes. But there's something you need to know first.""
"What?""
"Daniel came to my apartment yesterday. He told me that if I didn't sign the statement, he would make sure I lost custody of Ethan.""
My father whispered a curse.
Melissa continued.
"He said he had evidence that I had accepted money from you to keep quiet.""
I looked at the blue folder.
The fake paternity acknowledgment.
The false financial records.
The apartment.
Everything was connected.
"Melissa, don't sign anything.""
"I won't.""
"Can you send me copies of everything Daniel gave you?""
"Yes.""
She hesitated.
Then she said something that made me grip the phone tighter.
"Michael, there's another reason I called. Daniel told me he was going to use the money Sarah transferred to purchase something.""
"What?""
"A house.""
I frowned.
"What house?""
Melissa gave me an address.
I typed it into my phone.
The property was a small three-bedroom home on the other side of town.
The listing showed it had recently been taken off the market.
But the buyer information wasn't public.
I looked at Sarah.
"Did you buy a house?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
Jordan stared at the address.
Then his expression changed.
"Michael...""
"What?""
Jordan zoomed in on the property photograph.
He pointed toward the front porch.
Standing beside the front door was Daniel.
And beside him was Sarah.
But the photograph had been taken four months earlier.
My wife had told me she had never met Daniel in person.
I slowly turned toward her.
"How many times have you lied to me?""
She didn't answer.
Instead, my phone vibrated again.
This time, it was a text from Rebecca.
I found the original messages Daniel sent Melissa. There's something in them you need to see immediately.
A photograph followed.
It showed a message dated eight months earlier.
Daniel had written:
Once Michael is removed from the property, Sarah will have everything. The boy will be the final piece.
I stared at the screen.
The boy wasn't just a secret.
May you like
He was part of someone's plan.
And I was beginning to understand that my marriage had been manipulated long before the dinner plates were removed from the table.
