Chapter 2 - I sat in my car for twelve minutes without starting the engine.The windshield looked like a sheet of glass separating me from another life.
My life.
Except it no longer felt like mine.
I watched the front door.
The same door Daniel had kissed me beside on our wedding anniversary.
The same doorway where Sophie had lost her first tooth and screamed because she thought she was dying.
The same house where Jacqueline had slept on my couch after her divorce.
The same woman who had held my hand while I cried about Daniel's late nights was currently sitting in my kitchen helping him steal my home.
I replayed the recording.
Again.
And again.
The words were unmistakable.
The account.
The papers.
The house.
Tomorrow.
Emily will sign.
I had no idea what document they planned to put in front of me.
But I knew one thing.
I wasn't going to find out by walking back through that door and asking.
Not anymore.
I started the car.
I drove three blocks.
Then five.
Then pulled into the parking lot of a closed pharmacy and stopped.
My hands were shaking.
I called the only person I trusted enough to tell.
My older brother, Ethan.
He answered on the second ring.
"Emily?"
"I'm okay."
"You sound terrible."
"I need you to listen to something."
There was silence.
Then I played the recording.
I heard nothing from him until it ended.
"Where are you?"
"In my car."
"Are they still there?"
"Yes."
"Do not go back inside."
"I wasn't planning to."
"Good."
I swallowed.
"Ethan, what could they possibly be planning?"
"I don't know yet."
His voice had become calm in the way it always did when something was serious.
"Send me the recording."
I did.
Three minutes later, he called back.
"Emily."
"Yeah?"
"Did you know Daniel has been talking to a real estate attorney?"
"No."
"How long?"
"I don't know."
"I can find out."
I leaned against the steering wheel.
My brother paused.
"There's something else."
"What?"
"Your house isn't just your house."
"I know."
"No. I mean legally."
I sat upright.
"What are you talking about?"
"After Dad died, the property was transferred to you through the trust."
"I know."
"But the trust has a condition."
My mouth went dry.
"What condition?"
"If you ever transfer the house, you must have independent legal representation."
I stared at the windshield.
"Daniel can't just make me sign something?"
"Not legally."
"Then why are they so confident?"
"I don't know."
I looked back toward the direction of the house.
"Unless they found a loophole."
Ethan was silent.
"Emily, go somewhere safe. Don't tell Daniel you're early. Don't tell Jacqueline you know. Let me investigate."
"How long?"
"Tonight."
"I can't believe this."
"I know."
I closed my eyes.
"Do you think they're having an affair?"
Ethan hesitated.
"Right now, that's the least important question."
He was right.
But there was another question I couldn't stop asking.
Why me?
Why now?
And what did they need me to sign?
I drove to a hotel across town and checked in under my maiden name.
For the first time in six years, I deliberately did something Daniel didn't know about.
I went upstairs.
Locked the door.
Then opened my laptop.
My hands hovered over the keyboard.
I logged into the shared family account.
At first, nothing seemed unusual.
Mortgage.
Utilities.
Insurance.
Then I checked the investment account.
My stomach dropped.
There was a transfer request.
$412,000.
Pending.
Recipient: D.R. Holdings.
I didn't recognize it.
I called Ethan.
"There's a transfer."
"How much?"
"$412,000."
He went silent.
"Don't touch anything."
"I wasn't going to."
"Screenshot it."
I did.
"Now check the recent login activity."
I opened the security tab.
There were three logins over the previous six weeks.
All from a device registered to Daniel.
One at 2:14 a.m.
One at 3:03 a.m.
One at 4:47 a.m.
The last one was yesterday.
While I was flying to Denver.
I clicked it.
Another screen appeared.
A list of documents.
I stared at one filename.
REVOCABLE FAMILY TRUST AMENDMENT
I opened it.
My name was there.
Emily Carter.
Daniel Carter.
And a third name.
Jacqueline Moore.
I stared at the screen.
"Why is Jacqueline's name on my trust?"
I called Ethan.
No answer.
I called again.
Nothing.
My stomach tightened.
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?"
A man's voice said,
"You're not supposed to be home yet."
Every muscle in my body froze.
"Who is this?"
"You need to leave that hotel."
"Why?"
"Because Daniel knows you're back."
I stood up.
"What?"
The man continued,
"He saw your car."
I looked through the curtains.
The parking lot was visible below.
A dark SUV was parked across the street.
My blood ran cold.
"Who are you?"
"Someone who doesn't want to see you make the same mistake your father made."
The line went dead.
I moved toward the window.
The SUV remained parked.
I couldn't see the driver.
My phone buzzed again.
This time it was Ethan.
I answered immediately.
"Where are you?"
"At Dad's old office."
"Why?"
"I found something."
"What?"
"A file with your name on it."
My heart hammered.
"What kind of file?"
"Divorce papers."
I stopped.
"What?"
"Not yours."
He took a breath.
"Your parents' old divorce case."
"My parents never divorced."
"Exactly."
Silence.
Then Ethan said,
"Emily, somebody has been hiding the real history of our family for twenty-six years."
May you like
I stared at the dark SUV outside.
"And I think Jacqueline knows."
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