Chapter 8: The Woman He Married Before Me
I stared at the photograph in the hotel elevator.
The woman looked to be in her early forties. She had shoulder-length blonde hair, a serious expression, and a small scar near her eyebrow.
I didn't know her.
But I knew her name.
Laura Bennett.
Daniel's first wife.
The woman he had hidden from me for six years.
I stepped into the lobby and called the number.
She answered after two rings.
"Emily?""
"Yes.""
"My name is Laura. I know this is probably overwhelming.""
I looked back toward the elevators.
"How did you get my number?""
"Richard Whitmore gave it to me. He said you might need someone who understands what you're dealing with.""
I closed my eyes.
"Did Daniel steal from you?""
Laura was silent for a moment.
Then she said, "Yes.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"How much?""
"At the time, approximately $85,000. But the money wasn't the worst part.""
"What was?""
"He made me believe everything was my fault.""
I leaned against a marble column.
"Can you meet me?""
"Yes. There's a diner across from the courthouse. I'll be there in twenty minutes.""
When I arrived, Laura was already seated near the window.
She stood when she saw me.
For a moment, we simply looked at each other.
Then she reached out.
"I'm sorry.""
I didn't know what to say.
We sat down.
Laura ordered coffee. I ordered tea.
She studied my face.
"How long were you married?""
"Six years.""
Her expression softened.
"That's longer than I was.""
"Did he treat you like this from the beginning?""
Laura nodded.
"At first, Daniel was wonderful. He remembered everything. My favorite flowers.
My birthday. The little things I mentioned in passing.""
I looked down at my cup.
Daniel had done the same.
"He made me feel like the most important person in the world," Laura continued.
"Then he slowly started asking for help with money.""
"What kind of help?""
"He said his business was struggling. He asked me to put some expenses on my credit card. Then he convinced me to take out a personal loan.""
I felt a chill move through me.
"Did Patricia know?""
Laura laughed bitterly.
"Patricia was the one who suggested it.""
I looked up.
"She told me it would bring Daniel and me closer together. She said a good wife supported her husband.""
My stomach turned.
The exact same words.
"Did you ever meet Vanessa?""
Laura nodded.
"Not personally. But I found emails between them. She was working with Daniel while we were still married.""
I remembered Vanessa's confession.
"Was he having an affair with her?""
"Yes. At least, I believe so. He told me she was only an assistant.""
I stared at the table.
It was almost as if Daniel had followed a script.
A charming beginning.
A gradual financial dependency.
A mother who encouraged the wife to sacrifice.
Then a second woman waiting in the background.
"What happened when you discovered the money was gone?"" I asked.
Laura took a slow breath.
"I confronted him. He cried. He promised to repay everything. He said he'd made a mistake.""
"And?""
"He asked me to sign a document consolidating our debts.""
I felt my fingers tighten around my cup.
"Did you?""
"Yes.""
"What happened?""
"He used it to transfer more debt into my name. Then he disappeared for three weeks.""
I looked at her.
"Did you divorce him?""
"Eventually. But it took years to untangle everything.""
She reached into her handbag and removed a folded sheet of paper.
"I kept this.""
It was a letter.
The handwriting was Daniel's.
I recognized it immediately.
Laura, please understand that I did what I had to do. My mother believes we need to protect the family, and I can't keep carrying everyone's problems. Once the business is stable, I'll make things right.
I looked at the date.
It was written eleven years ago.
"What does this have to do with me?""
Laura pointed to the final paragraph.
I read it.
I have met someone whose father has the resources to help us. She's young, trusting, and doesn't know much about the family properties. If everything goes as planned, we may finally have a way out.
I stopped breathing.
The letter had been written before Daniel proposed to me.
Before our wedding.
Before he became my husband.
I looked up.
"He's talking about me.""
Laura nodded.
"I believe so.""
I felt tears forming, but I refused to let them fall.
"Did my father know?""
"Eventually. That's why he contacted me.""
I looked at her.
"When?""
"Shortly before he died.""
My throat tightened.
Laura continued.
"Your father asked me to meet him. He wanted to know whether Daniel had used the same financial tactics with me. I showed him everything.""
I remembered Richard's photograph.
My father.
Daniel.
Patricia.
The meeting that had happened before Daniel proposed.
"What did my father do?""
"He offered to help me recover some of the money. But he also said something I never forgot.""
"What?""
Laura looked directly at me.
"He said he wouldn't allow Daniel to use another woman's trust as a personal bank account.""
I covered my mouth.
For the first time, I understood why my father had written that warning.
He had seen the danger.
He'd tried to protect me.
But Daniel had convinced me that my father's business affairs were too complicated for me to understand.
I'd allowed him to take control.
"Why didn't you contact me after my father died?"" I asked.
Laura lowered her eyes.
"I tried.""
"What?""
"I sent letters to your old address. I also contacted Patricia.""
I stared at her.
"What did she say?""
"She told me you'd moved away and wanted nothing to do with your father's estate.""
I felt a surge of anger.
"I never moved away.""
"I know that now.""
Laura reached into her handbag again.
This time she removed a small USB drive.
"I have copies of the emails, financial records, and a recorded conversation with Patricia. I kept everything because Daniel threatened to sue me if I ever spoke about what happened.""
I looked at the drive.
"Can I have it?""
She pushed it toward me.
"Yes. But make copies. Don't rely on just one.""
I took it carefully.
"Why are you helping me?""
Laura looked out the window.
"Because when I was in your position, everyone told me to be quiet. They said I was bitter. They said I was trying to destroy a man's future.""
She turned back.
"I spent years believing I was the problem. I won't let him do that to another woman.""
My phone rang.
Daniel.
I rejected the call.
A message appeared immediately.
Where are you? We need to talk.
Then another.
You have no right to involve Laura.
I showed the screen to Laura.
She gave a sad smile.
"He always says that when someone starts telling the truth.""
I put my phone away.
Then Laura leaned forward.
"Emily, there's something else.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"What?""
"Daniel didn't only lie about the money. He told me something about your father that I never believed.""
"What did he say?""
Laura took a breath.
"He said your father had discovered that Patricia was stealing from the property business long before you met Daniel.""
I froze.
"Patricia?""
"Yes. Daniel claimed his mother had been moving money through several companies. He said your father threatened to expose her.""
I remembered the way Patricia had reacted when Richard mentioned the original agreement.
The fear.
The anger.
The sudden need to silence everyone.
"Did your father have evidence?""
Laura nodded.
"He told me there was an original accounting ledger. It documented every transfer between the property partnership and Patricia's private companies.""
"Where is it?""
"I don't know. But Daniel once told me that your father kept a copy somewhere outside his office.""
I thought about the old note.
Ask for the original partnership records.
I looked at the USB drive.
"Did Daniel ever mention where?""
Laura shook her head.
Then my phone vibrated.
An email had arrived from Richard.
*Subject: Urgent — Original trust records recovered.*
I opened it.
The message contained a photograph of a sealed envelope.
My father's handwriting was on the front.
For Emily. Only if Patricia tries to take what belongs to her.
I stared at the screen.
The date was eleven years old.
May you like
And underneath the photograph, Richard had written:
We found it in the original property archive. There is a name inside that I believe you need to see.
