Chapter 6: The Mother Who Chose the Truth
Daniel lunged toward the recorder.
Evelyn closed her hand around it and stepped behind Claire.
“Give me that.”
“No.”
“You recorded me without permission.”
“I recorded my own son asking me to lie for him.”
Daniel looked at Lily.
“Go upstairs.”
Evelyn’s voice sharpened.
“She stays with Claire.”
“You don’t control this family.”
“Neither do you anymore.”
He turned to me.
“That recording proves nothing.
I was talking about borrowing money and paying it back.”
“You emptied the account.”
“I made investments.”
“You forged my signature.”
Daniel pulled out his phone.
“If you continue making accusations, my attorney will file for an order keeping all of you away from Lily.”
Claire raised the guardianship papers.
“And mine will answer.”
Daniel stared at her, then at his mother.
“You’re choosing strangers over your son.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“I’m choosing the child you frightened and the wife you deceived.”
He pointed at me.
“Karen will leave the moment she understands what raising Lily requires.”
Lily’s face crumpled.
I placed both hands on her shoulders.
“Do not use me to frighten her again.”
Daniel opened the front door.
“You’ll all regret this.”
Before stepping outside, he looked back at Lily.
“Pack your things.
I’ll return with an order tomorrow.”
The door slammed.
Lily began to cry.
Evelyn knelt and gathered her close.
“He does not get to carry you away because he is angry.”
“Will he take Aunt Claire’s house?”
“Not if I can help it,” I said.
Mia led me into the kitchen while Claire called her attorney.
She placed the property record between us.
“You should have told me three months ago,” I said.
“I know.”
“You sat beside me on that trip.
You laughed with me.
You watched me buy Daniel an anniversary gift.”
“I kept waiting for the right moment.”
“There wasn’t one.”
Mia’s eyes filled.
“I was a coward, Karen.”
“You let me walk back into his house.”
“I thought evidence would protect you from thinking I was lying.”
“It didn’t protect me from being humiliated.”
“No.” She covered her mouth.
“And I will be sorry for that for the rest of my life.”
My anger gave way beneath me.
I pressed my palms to the counter and began to sob.
Mia did not touch me until I reached for her.
“I hated you for ten minutes,” I whispered.
“I would have understood if it lasted longer.”
She held me while I cried into her shoulder.
Claire entered with her phone.
“My attorney wants everyone at her office tonight.”
A silver-haired woman named Grace met us downtown.
Evelyn spread the recording, the original guardianship agreement, and Rachel’s letters across the conference table.
Grace examined the signatures.
“Daniel filed a new custody document two weeks ago.
It claims Claire voluntarily surrendered guardianship.”
“I signed nothing,” Claire said.
“Then we may be looking at another forgery.”
Evelyn opened Rachel’s final letter.
“Read the last page.”
Grace read it aloud.
“‘If Daniel tries to take control of Lily’s home or trust, contact Karen.
She is the only person he is afraid will learn the truth.’”
My phone buzzed.
A message from Daniel appeared.
COME HOME NOW, OR MIA WILL LOSE HER JOB AND CLAIRE WILL LOSE LILY.
Grace took the phone from my hand.
“Don’t answer.”
Another message arrived.
I’VE ALREADY FILED.
BY MORNING, THE COURT WILL BELIEVE ME.
