Chapter 8: Why She Wanted Mom Gone
Rebecca shook her head.
“No.””
Mom stood slowly.
“Yes.””
“You're confused.””
“I am old, Rebecca. I am not confused.””
The words landed cleanly.
I looked between them.
“What happened?””
Mom drew a careful breath.
“After the man drove away, Rebecca opened the front door.””
Rebecca interrupted.
“Margaret, don't.””
My mother continued.
“She asked how long I'd been standing outside.””
“What did you tell her?””
“That I'd just arrived.””
“Was that true?””
“No.””
Rebecca turned away.
Mom looked ashamed.
“I lied because something about the way she asked frightened me.””
My stomach tightened.
“What happened next?””
“She invited me inside.””
Mom's eyes drifted toward the kitchen.
“She made coffee.””
That image disturbed me more than shouting would have.
Rebecca calmly making coffee after being caught with a divorce attorney.
“She asked whether I'd heard anything,” Mom said.
“I told her no.””
Rebecca folded her arms.
“And you hadn't.””
Mom looked at her.
“I heard enough.””
“What?””
Mom turned to me.
“I heard them arguing near the side door before he left.””
“About what?””
“Your father's estate.””
Rebecca snapped, “That's ridiculous.””
Mom raised her voice.
“You told him Daniel wouldn't sign anything while his mother was still asking questions.””
The room went dead.
I stared at Rebecca.
“What was I supposed to sign?””
She shook her head.
“Nothing.””
Mom continued.
“The man said something about a postnuptial agreement.””
My blood chilled.
I had heard that word before.
Six weeks earlier, Rebecca had casually suggested we “update our financial planning.””
She'd said married couples sometimes consolidated assets to make inheritance easier.
I'd told her we'd discuss it after Dad's estate was settled.
She'd dropped the subject.
Or so I thought.
I walked toward the desk.
“Where is it?””
Rebecca followed.
“Where is what?””
“The agreement.””
“There isn't one.””
I opened the top drawer.
Pens.
Receipts.
Stationery.
Second drawer.
Old tax documents.
Rebecca stepped closer.
“Stop going through my things.””
I looked at her.
“Your things?””
She froze.
I opened the bottom drawer.
Locked.
“Key.””
“No.””
“Rebecca.””
“That drawer contains private documents.””
“In my house?””
“Yes.””
I held out my hand.
“Key.””
“No.””
Nathan spoke from behind us.
“It's on her key ring.””
Rebecca spun around.
“You really can't stop betraying people, can you?””
Nathan stared at her.
“That's rich.””
Her purse sat beside the couch.
I didn't touch it.
Instead, I looked at Rebecca.
“Open the drawer.””
She refused.
Mom quietly said, “If there's nothing dangerous in there, open it.””
Rebecca glared at her.
Then something changed.
Maybe she realized resistance was making everything worse.
She grabbed her purse, found a small key, and unlocked the drawer.
Inside were several folders.
I pulled them out.
Rebecca reached for one.
I moved it away.
“Daniel.””
The first contained apartment documents.
The second contained statements from accounts I recognized.
The third had Marcus Vale's letterhead.
I opened it.
There it was.
A draft postnuptial agreement.
I scanned the pages.
Most of the legal language meant little to me.
Then I reached a highlighted section.
Certain future assets acquired through inheritance or estate distribution could be reclassified under specific conditions.
I looked at Rebecca.
“You wanted me to sign this?””
“It was a draft.””
“Did you tell Marcus I had agreed?””
“No.””
I flipped another page.
My name appeared on a signature line.
There was a signature.
It looked like mine.
For several seconds, my brain refused to process it.
“I didn't sign this.””
Nathan came closer.
“What?””
I held it up.
“That isn't my signature.””
Rebecca's mouth opened.
Mom whispered, “Oh, Lord.””
I looked at Rebecca.
“Who signed my name?””
“No one.””
“It's right here.””
“That version isn't valid.””
“That wasn't my question.””
Her breathing quickened.
“It was just a sample.””
“With my signature?””
“Marcus needed to see how the document would look.””
Nathan laughed in disbelief.
“You forged his signature?””
“I did not forge anything!””
I took out my phone.
Rebecca stepped forward.
“Who are you calling?””
“My attorney.””
Her face changed instantly.
“Daniel, it's almost midnight.””
“He'll answer.””
“Don't.””
“Why?””
“We can work this out.””
I stared at her.
“You stopped being my wife tonight and became someone I need protection from.””
That finally broke her.
She sank onto the couch.
I called my attorney, Steven Harris.
He answered on the fourth ring.
“Daniel? Everything okay?””
“No.””
I looked at the document.
“I need you to tell me something. If someone signed my name on a postnuptial agreement without my permission, what do I do?””
Silence.
Then Steven's voice became alert.
“Do not sign anything else. Do not destroy anything. Photograph every page.””
Rebecca buried her face in her hands.
Steven continued.
“And Daniel?””
“Yes?””
“Secure your financial accounts tonight.””
I looked at Rebecca.
“Why?””
“If someone has already accessed one account without authorization, assume others may be exposed.””
I remembered the forty-two thousand dollars.
My stomach tightened.
I opened my banking app.
Checking.
Savings.
Investment accounts.
I moved through them quickly.
At first, everything looked normal.
Then I opened the joint savings account.
My thumb stopped.
Three weeks earlier, the balance had been just over $186,000.
Now it showed $31,442.
I stared at the number.
“No.””
Mom came closer.
“What?””
I refreshed the screen.
Same number.
“Rebecca.””
She didn't look up.
“Where is the money?””
Nathan stepped toward me.
“What money?””
“One hundred fifty-four thousand dollars.””
His mouth fell open.
Rebecca remained silent.
I walked toward her.
“Where is it?””
She finally lifted her head.
Her eyes were swollen.
“I moved it.””
“To where?””
“An account.””
“Whose?””
She hesitated.
“Mine.””
I felt my entire body go cold.
“When?””
“Over several transfers.””
“Why?””
“To protect myself.””
“From me?””
“Yes.””
I almost couldn't speak.
“You were stealing from me while making my mother wash dishes because she needed to ‘make herself useful’?””
Rebecca stood.
“That has nothing to do with this!””
“It has everything to do with this!””
My voice shook the room.
For the first time, she stepped backward.
Mom touched my arm.
“Danny.””
I stopped.
Breathed.
Then I looked at Rebecca.
“You're leaving tonight.””
Her expression hardened.
“This is my home.””
“No. Tonight, you're leaving.””
“You can't throw me out.””
“Then I'll leave with Mom and call my attorney from somewhere else.””
Rebecca laughed bitterly.
“Go ahead.””
Something about her confidence bothered me.
It was too sudden.
Too certain.
Steven was still on the phone.
“Daniel?””
“I'm here.””
“I need you to listen carefully. Do you have the postnup in front of you?””
“Yes.””
“Look at the final page. Is there a notary section?””
I flipped to the back.
My stomach dropped.
“Yes.””
“Is it completed?””
“Yes.””
“Name?””
I read it.
Steven went silent.
“Steven?””
“Daniel, take a photograph of that page right now.””
“Why?””
“Because I know that notary.””
I looked at Rebecca.
She had stopped pretending to cry.
Steven continued.
“He works in Marcus Vale's building.””
My hand tightened around the paper.
“So?””
“So if your signature is forged and that notarization was knowingly false, this is no longer just a divorce issue.””
Rebecca rushed toward me.
“Give me the phone.””
I stepped away.
Steven's voice sharpened.
“And there's something else. Marcus Vale called my office yesterday.””
I froze.
“Why?””
“He asked whether your father's estate distribution had cleared.””
Rebecca closed her eyes.
I felt the final pieces moving into place.
“What did you tell him?””
“Nothing. I thought the call was strange, so I contacted the estate administrator.””
Steven paused.
“Daniel, someone submitted a request three days ago to change the destination account for your inheritance distribution.””
I couldn't breathe.
“To what account?””
“I don't know yet.””
Rebecca grabbed her purse.
Nathan moved in front of the door.
“Where are you going?””
“Move.””
“No.””
“Nathan, move!””
I looked at Steven's name glowing on my phone.
Then at my wife.
“Was the inheritance supposed to go into your account?””
Rebecca said nothing.
That silence was louder than any confession.
Then Steven spoke again.
“Daniel, the request wasn't submitted in Rebecca's name.””
I frowned.
“Whose name was on it?””
May you like
There was a pause.
“Your mother's.””
