Chapter 4 - The Mother Who Knew Everything
Derek's mother, Margaret, arrived the following morning.
She entered our house carrying a handbag and wearing the expression of someone who expected an apology.
“I assume everyone has calmed down,” she announced.
Noah was standing near the kitchen window.
“Not everyone.”
Margaret ignored him and looked at me.
“Claire, whatever happened yesterday, you need to remember that Derek is under tremendous pressure. Men sometimes make mistakes.”
I folded my arms.
“Does that include threatening his daughter?”
Margaret sighed.
“Don't exaggerate.”
Sophie was upstairs with Luke.
I had deliberately kept her away from the confrontation.
Margaret placed her handbag on the table.
“Vanessa called me. She told me you and your brothers attacked her.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow.
“Interesting. Did she mention the scissors?”
Margaret's eyes flickered.
“What scissors?”
“The ones she used to cut the dress.”
Margaret became very still.
I noticed.
So did Daniel.
“You knew?” I asked.
She avoided my eyes.
“I knew Vanessa was upset.”
“That wasn't my question.”
Margaret sat down.
“Derek told me about the dress. He said Sophie had destroyed it because she was jealous.”
“And you believed him?”
“He is my son.”
I stared at her.
For years, I had tried to earn this woman's approval. I remembered preparing Thanksgiving dinners, buying her birthday gifts, and driving her to medical appointments.
Apparently, none of that had mattered.
She had believed an accusation against my child without asking a single question.
Marcus placed another document on the table.
“There's something else.”
Margaret looked at it.
“What is this?”
“Bank transfers.”
Her expression changed.
The account belonged to her.
Several payments had been made into it from Derek's business.
“What does this have to do with me?”
Marcus tapped the page.
“More than you think.”
The transfers totaled $74,000.
Derek had categorized them as consulting expenses.
But Margaret had never worked for the company.
Daniel studied the dates.
“They began shortly after the company secured its latest financing.”
Margaret stood abruptly.
“I don't have to explain my personal finances to you.”
“No,” Daniel said. “But if company money was improperly transferred, the company's investigators may ask you to.”
She turned toward me.
“Claire, you have always been jealous of this family.”
I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing.
“Jealous?”
“You came from a family of men who think they can buy everything with money and influence. Derek gave you a good life.”
I glanced at the documents.
“Did he give Vanessa an apartment with company money, too?”
Margaret said nothing.
That silence told me more than her words.
Then Derek walked into the room.
His eyes went straight to the papers.
“Mom, why are you here?”
She looked at him.
“Because your wife has lost her mind.”
Derek turned to me.
“We need to talk alone.”
“No.”
“Claire, please.”
I looked at him.
“Is there anything you haven't lied about?”
He swallowed.
Then he said something I hadn't expected.
“I didn't know Vanessa would hurt Sophie.”
The room became silent.
“You knew Vanessa was cutting the dress?”
He hesitated.
“I knew she was upset.”
“And you blamed Sophie anyway?”
“I was trying to keep Vanessa from leaving.”
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
He had sacrificed our daughter's safety to keep his mistress happy.
Margaret began crying.
“Derek, tell her you didn't mean it.”
But Derek wasn't looking at his mother.
He was looking at me.
“Claire, we can fix this.”
I shook my head.
“No. You can explain yourself. I don't have to fix anything.”
He stepped closer.
“You're going to destroy everything we've built.”
I looked toward the staircase where my daughter was waiting.
“You already did.”
Then Daniel's phone rang.
He listened for several seconds before speaking.
“Yes. Send the report to my office.”
He ended the call and looked at Marcus.
“The company has suspended Derek pending an investigation.”
Derek grabbed the table.
“You can't do that!”
Marcus replied quietly.
“Actually, they just did.”
But Daniel wasn't finished.
He turned to me.
“Claire, there's one more thing. Your husband has been using your signature.”
I frowned.
“For what?”
Daniel placed a document in front of me.
A loan guarantee.
My name was printed beneath a signature that looked almost exactly like mine.
Almost.
May you like
And the amount was $2.4 million.
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