Chapter 9: My Mother's Name
For the first time that night, Rebecca looked genuinely trapped.
Not embarrassed.
Not angry.
Trapped.
I put Steven on speaker.
“Say that again.””
Steven's voice filled the room.
“The change request lists Margaret Carter as the authorized recipient.””
Mom stared at the phone.
“Me?””
“Yes, Mrs. Carter.””
“I never signed anything.””
Rebecca moved toward the door.
Nathan blocked her again.
“Move.””
“No.””
She reached for the handle.
I said, “Nathan, let her go.””
He looked at me.
“What?””
“Let her go.””
Rebecca hesitated.
I looked directly at her.
“You can walk out that door. But the documents stay.””
Her eyes dropped to the folders.
That was what she wanted.
Not freedom.
Evidence.
She stepped away from the door.
Steven continued.
“Daniel, photograph everything. Then put the originals somewhere secure.””
“How could someone use Mom's name?””
“I can't answer that without seeing the request.””
Mom suddenly gripped my arm.
“Danny.””
“What?””
“My purse.””
She looked toward the kitchen.
“I couldn't find my driver's license last week.””
Rebecca's face changed.
“When?”” I asked.
“Tuesday.””
The same day Nathan had been there.
“I thought I'd misplaced it.””
“Did you?””
“I found it the next morning.””
“Where?””
“On the dresser in my room.””
My eyes went to Rebecca.
She shook her head.
“Don't look at me.””
Mom's voice hardened.
“You asked to borrow my purse.””
Rebecca stared at her.
“You said you needed my pharmacy card because you were picking up my prescription.””
“I was helping you.””
“My pharmacy doesn't require my driver's license.””
Silence.
I asked Steven, “What would someone need to change the inheritance account?””
“Identification, authorization paperwork, and depending on how it was submitted, possibly notarized documents.””
My eyes went to the false notary stamp on the postnup.
Everything connected.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
Rebecca whispered, “I didn't do this.””
Nathan looked at her.
“Then Marcus did.””
Her head snapped toward him.
That reaction answered another question.
“You knew Marcus was doing something,” I said.
“No.””
“You're protecting him.””
“I am protecting myself.””
“From what?””
She didn't answer.
Nathan stepped closer.
“Rebecca, what did you get yourself into?””
She laughed suddenly.
A broken, exhausted laugh.
“You want to know?””
“Yes,” I said.
She looked around the room.
“At first, I hired Marcus because I wanted a divorce.””
Finally.
A complete sentence.
No denial.
No excuse.
“I thought Nathan and I were going to be together.””
Nathan looked away.
“Then Emily discovered us. Nathan panicked. Everything started falling apart.””
“So you stayed with me.””
“I didn't know what else to do.””
“And Marcus?””
“He said I needed to protect myself financially.””
“By stealing?””
“He told me marriage law was complicated.””
Steven interrupted through the speaker.
“Nothing complicated about forging signatures.””
Rebecca flinched.
“I didn't forge Daniel's signature.””
“Who did?””
“Marcus.””
The room went silent.
“Did you know?””
She hesitated.
That was enough.
“I knew after.””
“And you kept the document.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because Marcus said it could be useful during negotiations.””
Nathan whispered, “Jesus.””
I looked at the inheritance paperwork.
“And my mother's name?””
Rebecca shook her head.
“That wasn't supposed to happen.””
The wording caught me.
“Wasn't supposed to?””
She closed her eyes.
I stepped closer.
“What was supposed to happen?””
She started crying again.
This time I believed the tears.
Not because she was sorry.
Because she was afraid.
“Marcus said the estate money could be temporarily redirected.””
“To where?””
“A holding account.””
“Whose?””
“He controlled it.””
Steven's voice sharpened.
“Daniel, do not let her leave with any paperwork.””
Rebecca continued.
“He said once the money cleared, my share could be separated before you froze everything during the divorce.””
“My share?””
“I thought I was entitled to something.””
“Dad's inheritance was never yours.””
“I know that now.””
“No. You knew it then.””
She couldn't look at me.
Mom stepped forward.
“Why use my name?””
Rebecca whispered, “Because Marcus said transfers involving an immediate family member attracted less scrutiny.””
Mom recoiled as if she'd been slapped.
“You used me.””
“I didn't choose your name.””
“But you gave him my information.””
Rebecca said nothing.
Mom's eyes filled.
For hours, I'd been angry about dishes.
Now that kitchen scene looked different.
Rebecca hadn't merely resented my mother.
She had needed her quiet.
Compliant.
Out of the way.
“How long have you been trying to get Mom out of this house?””
Rebecca wiped her face.
“Since I found out she saw Marcus.””
There it was.
The answer that had started everything.
“You made her clean for your friends because you wanted to humiliate her.””
“No.””
“You called her useless.””
“I was angry.””
“You told her she was a burden.””
Rebecca stared at Mom.
“I wanted her to leave.””
Mom nodded slowly.
“At least that's finally true.””
My phone chimed.
Steven had received something.
“Daniel, I just got into the estate portal.””
I waited.
“The transfer hasn't cleared.””
My knees nearly weakened.
“Can you stop it?””
“I'm calling the administrator now. But there's more.””
Of course there was.
“The destination account isn't Marcus Vale's trust account.””
Rebecca frowned.
“What?””
Steven continued.
“It belongs to a shell company.””
“What company?””
“Crescent Harbor Consulting.””
Rebecca looked confused.
Nathan didn't.
I saw it immediately.
“Nathan?””
He sat down.
“No.””
I moved toward him.
“You know that name.””
He covered his face.
“Nathan.””
His voice came through his hands.
“It's mine.””
Rebecca stared at him.
“What?””
He looked up.
“I created Crescent Harbor two years ago for an investment project.””
Rebecca's face transformed.
“You told me that company was closed.””
“It was supposed to be.””
I felt sick.
“Why would Marcus redirect my inheritance into my brother's company?””
Nathan stared at Rebecca.
“I don't know.””
She shook her head.
“You're lying.””
“I'm not.””
“You and Marcus planned this.””
“I've met Marcus once!””
“When?””
I asked.
Nathan stopped.
Rebecca stood.
“When did you meet him?””
He looked at me.
“Three weeks ago.””
My voice dropped.
“Why?””
Nathan swallowed.
“Because he offered me a deal.””
“What deal?””
Nathan looked at Rebecca.
May you like
Then at me.
“He said if I helped move the inheritance, he'd make sure Rebecca took the blame.””
