Chapter 4: The Woman Behind the Forgery
For several seconds, I couldn't hear anything except the wind moving through the pine trees.
I stood on my porch with Elizabeth's voice coming through the phone, the forged property document in my other hand, and my husband staring at me as if he were watching his entire life collapse.
“Lorraine?”” I repeated.
“Yes,” Elizabeth replied.
“Her name appears on the submission as a supporting party. She also provided a statement claiming that you had authorized Grant to handle the property's transfer.””
I looked at my mother-in-law.
She was standing beside Richard, gripping the handle of her expensive handbag.
Her expression had changed.
The confident woman who had announced a family vote three days earlier was suddenly very interested in the wooden floorboards.
“Elizabeth, I need you to explain something. What exactly was submitted?””
“A proposed authorization and a supporting declaration. Neither document has been accepted as proof of a valid transfer. The ownership remains unchanged. But someone is attempting to create a record suggesting that you agreed to give Grant an interest in the property.””
“Did they use my signature?””
“It appears so. I've asked the relevant office to preserve the submission and its associated records. Don't sign anything.
Don't hand over the originals. I'll come to Tahoe as soon as possible.””
I looked at Grant.
“Did you hear that?””
He rubbed his forehead.
“Audrey, let me explain.””
I ended the call.
“No. You can explain to my attorney.””
Lorraine stepped forward.
“This is being blown completely out of proportion.””
I turned toward her.
“You submitted a declaration claiming I authorized my husband to transfer my property?””
“I was only helping.””
“Helping whom?””
She glanced at Grant.
He didn't look at her.
Lorraine straightened her shoulders.
“Grant told me you had agreed to everything. He said you were separating and that the house would eventually be his.””
I stared at her.
“And you believed that without asking me?””
“We're family!””
“That doesn't answer my question.””
She lifted her chin.
“Grant said the two of you had reached an understanding.””
I turned to my husband.
“Did we?””
He remained silent.
Vanessa suddenly spoke.
“You told me the same thing.””
Grant looked at her.
“Vanessa, please stay out of this.””
She laughed bitterly.
“Stay out of this? You promised me a house!””
Lorraine snapped her head toward Vanessa.
“Lower your voice. This is a family matter.””
Vanessa pointed at her.
“You told me the master suite was being redecorated for me. You personally showed me the photographs of the bedroom.””
Lorraine's face tightened.
“Because Grant said it would be yours.””
I looked at the woman who had spent years criticizing my decorating choices, my cooking, and even the way I celebrated Christmas.
Now I understood something.
She hadn't merely wanted me absent from her anniversary.
She had wanted me absent from my own life.
I stepped aside and pointed toward the driveway.
“Everyone needs to leave.””
Lorraine stared.
“I'm not leaving until this is settled.””
“It's settled. You don't have permission to enter my house.””
Richard finally spoke.
“Lorraine, perhaps we should go.””
She turned on him.
“Don't you dare take her side!””
Richard looked exhausted.
“I didn't say I was taking anyone's side. I said we should leave.””
Grant approached me.
“Can we please talk alone?””
“No.””
“I'm your husband.””
“And you're the man whose girlfriend is holding documents bearing a forged version of my signature.””
His face reddened.
“You don't know what happened.””
“Then tell me.””
He glanced toward Vanessa.
Then toward his mother.
Neither woman moved.
Finally, he said, “I was trying to protect my financial future.””
I stared at him.
“By taking my house?””
“That's not what I was doing.””
“Then what were you doing?””
He lowered his voice.
“You have no idea how difficult things have been financially.””
I frowned.
“What does that have to do with my property?””
He looked away.
“I have some debts.””
“How much?””
“It's complicated.””
I gave a humorless laugh.
“Of course it is.””
Vanessa folded her arms.
“You told me your business was worth millions.””
Grant snapped, “Not now!””
She took a step backward.
“You told me you owned several investment properties.””
“Vanessa, stop.””
“You said you were buying this house because Audrey was already moving out.””
I looked at her.
“Did he tell you how much money he was making?””
She hesitated.
“He said his company had just secured a major contract.””
I looked back at Grant.
“What company?””
He didn't answer.
I suddenly remembered the financial statements he had left on the dining table several weeks earlier.
He had told me they were routine business documents.
At the time, I hadn't paid attention.
Now I wondered what else he had hidden.
“Grant, how much debt do you have?””
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“About two hundred and eighty thousand.””
The number hit me harder than I expected.
“What?””
“Business loans. Credit cards. Some private investments that didn't work out.””
I stared at him.
“We've been married seven years.””
“I know.””
“You never told me.””
“I was going to handle it.””
“With my house?””
He said nothing.
Lorraine interrupted.
“Grant has always been generous with this family. He helped us when Richard's business struggled. He paid for Melissa's renovations. He deserves some security.””
I turned toward her.
“Then perhaps you should give him your house.””
Her mouth fell open.
“That is an outrageous thing to say!””
“So is forging my signature.””
Vanessa suddenly looked down at the documents in her hand.
“There's something else.””
Grant closed his eyes.
“Vanessa, don't.””
She ignored him.
“He asked me to transfer money into an account for the renovations.””
I stared at her.
“How much?””
“Thirty-five thousand dollars.””
Lorraine looked startled.
“Grant told me that was your contribution to the anniversary.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No. He said it was an investment in our future.””
I looked at Grant.
“Did you take money from Vanessa too?””
He stepped toward her.
“It's not what you think.””
She backed away.
“Don't come near me.””
For the first time since I had met her, Vanessa looked genuinely frightened.
I took out my phone and called the property security company.
“I'm at the residence. Please document the current access status and confirm that no one other than myself has active credentials.””
The representative confirmed it.
I then turned toward the driveway.
“Your belongings can be collected through an agreed appointment. Nobody is entering without my permission.””
Lorraine's eyes narrowed.
“You're treating us like criminals.””
I looked at the documents.
“I'm treating unauthorized people like unauthorized people.””
She grabbed her handbag.
“Grant, get the car.””
He didn't move.
Instead, he stared at me.
“Audrey, if you report this, you could ruin everything.””
I held his gaze.
“You should have thought about that before you tried to take my home.””
His face changed.
For a moment, the man I had married seemed to disappear.
And the stranger underneath finally spoke.
“You think you're the only person who has something to lose?””
Before I could answer, my phone vibrated.
Elizabeth had sent a message.
*Audrey, I found another document in the submission. Please check the second attachment. It changes everything.*
I opened it.
May you like
It was a loan agreement.
And the collateral listed at the bottom was my Lake Tahoe property.
