Chapter 6: The Person Who Put This Idea in Her Head
"Your sister?"" David repeated.
Sarah nodded.
"Karen spoke to me.""
David stared at her.
His older sister, Karen, had been part of his life for forty-two years.
She had attended his first wedding, helped him through his wife's funeral, and even babysat Michael when he was younger.
Karen had also been one of the first people to welcome Sarah into the family.
David couldn't understand why she would become involved in something like this.
"When did Karen speak to you?""
"About two months ago.""
"Where?""
"At her house.""
"What did she say?""
Sarah wiped her eyes.
"She said you were planning to leave everything to Michael.""
David frowned.
"Everything?""
"Your savings. Your house. Your life insurance. She said Jordan would receive nothing because he wasn't your biological son.""
David shook his head.
"That's not true.""
Sarah's voice became defensive.
"How was I supposed to know?""
"You could have asked me.""
"You never discuss your finances with me!""
"Because my financial arrangements were made before we got married.""
Sarah folded her arms.
"And that's exactly what Karen said. She said I needed to protect Jordan before Michael inherited everything.""
David looked toward the dining room.
Jordan had returned to his chair. Michael was sitting beside him, quietly eating the dinner David had served.
David lowered his voice.
"What exactly did Karen tell you to do?""
Sarah hesitated.
"She said you wouldn't understand if I brought it up directly. She suggested that I talk to someone about establishing a more balanced household.""
"Who?""
"I don't remember his name.""
"Sarah.""
"He was a family adviser.""
David stared at her.
"Did you meet him?""
"Once.""
"Where?""
"At a coffee shop.""
"Did you sign anything?""
Sarah shook her head.
"No. He only explained the options.""
David rubbed his forehead.
He was trying to put the pieces together.
The document with his signature.
The proposed change of residence.
The agreement that gave Jordan priority.
The messages telling Michael to keep quiet.
And now Sarah was claiming that his sister had encouraged her to take action because of an inheritance.
David returned to the phone.
"Mark, are you still there?""
His attorney answered.
"Yes. What's happening?""
"I need you to look into a possible forged parental consent document. There's also a proposed change of residence involving my minor son.""
Mark became serious.
"Did you sign anything?""
"No.""
"Did you authorize anyone to sign on your behalf?""
"No.""
"Then preserve every document, photograph, and message. Don't alter anything. Don't confront anyone else until we establish where the paperwork came from.""
David looked at Sarah.
"Understood.""
"One more thing," Mark added.
"If another person prepared documents using your personal information, we need to know who had access to it.""
David ended the call.
Sarah was watching him.
"Are you going to tell your sister?""
David looked at her.
"Why wouldn't I?""
"Because she'll deny everything.""
"Then I'll ask her to explain.""
Sarah shook her head.
"She was only trying to help me.""
"By helping you remove my son?""
"She said it was the only way to protect Jordan.""
David's expression hardened.
"Jordan doesn't need protection from Michael.""
Sarah looked down.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then David noticed something.
Sarah's purse was lying beside the staircase.
The zipper was open.
A white envelope was partially visible inside.
He recognized the logo.
It belonged to the bank where he kept his personal savings.
"What's that?""
Sarah quickly picked up her purse.
"Nothing.""
David looked at her.
"Why do you have an envelope from my bank?""
"It's just paperwork.""
"About what?""
"Household finances.""
"Show me.""
Sarah pulled the envelope closer to her chest.
"David, enough.""
He stepped forward.
"I want to know why my banking information is in your purse.""
She looked toward the boys.
"Not in front of them.""
David took a breath.
"Michael, Jordan, why don't you go upstairs and get ready for bed?""
Michael immediately stood.
Jordan followed.
But before leaving, Michael looked back.
"Are you coming?""
David nodded.
"In a little while.""
The boys disappeared upstairs.
Sarah waited until their footsteps faded.
Then she placed the envelope on the kitchen counter.
David opened it.
Inside were several printed bank statements, a copy of his life insurance policy, and a form requesting information about changing beneficiaries.
His name appeared at the top.
Sarah's name appeared in the section labeled proposed beneficiary.
David looked at the date.
It had been prepared twelve days earlier.
He turned toward her.
"Did you submit this?""
Sarah shook her head.
"No.""
"Did you authorize someone to?""
"I was only reviewing options.""
"Why is my life insurance policy here?""
"Karen said I should understand what would happen if something happened to you.""
David looked at the form again.
There was a handwritten note in the margin.
*Make sure the children are treated equally before finalizing.*
David felt a chill move through him.
He looked at Sarah.
"Did Karen give you my financial documents?""
Sarah hesitated.
"She said she had access to some old family paperwork.""
David's eyes narrowed.
"How?""
"I don't know.""
He picked up the envelope and examined the pages more carefully.
There was another sheet underneath the beneficiary form.
It was a printed email.
The sender's name was Karen.
The subject line read:
*Our Plan for Jordan's Future.*
David began reading.
The first paragraph discussed the inheritance.
The second mentioned the house.
But the third paragraph made his blood run cold.
Once Michael is living elsewhere, David will have fewer emotional distractions. Sarah can then encourage him to formalize Jordan's place in the family and make the necessary financial changes.
David read the sentence again.
Then he noticed the date.
The email had been sent before Sarah created the household agreement.
Before Michael was told to eat upstairs.
Before the document about changing his residence.
David looked at Sarah.
"How long have you and Karen been discussing my son?""
Sarah's eyes filled with tears.
"I never wanted things to go this far.""
"That's not an answer.""
She lowered her head.
"I thought she was helping me.""
David placed the email on the counter.
"Did Karen tell you to make Michael leave?""
Sarah nodded.
"She said it would only be temporary.""
David stared at her.
"And the forged signature?""
Sarah began crying.
"I didn't think you'd ever agree.""
He took a step backward.
For the first time, he felt he was standing in a house full of strangers.
Then his phone vibrated.
A new message appeared.
It was from Karen.
*Karen:* Sarah told me you've started asking questions. Don't believe everything you find. There's something you need to know about Michael's mother before you make another mistake.
David read the message twice.
His sister had mentioned his late wife.
He immediately typed back.
*David:* What does my first wife have to do with this?
The response came less than ten seconds later.
*Karen:* Everything. You were never told the whole truth about what happened to her.
David stared at the screen.
Upstairs, a bedroom door closed.
And for the first time that night, David wasn't thinking about the forged signature, the stolen money, or the inheritance.
He was thinking about his first wife.
The woman whose photograph still stood on Michael's bedside table.
The woman Sarah had promised she would never try to replace.
David's phone vibrated again.
This time, Karen had sent an attachment.
The filename was simple.
*MICHAEL_BIRTH_RECORDS.pdf*
David's fingers went cold.
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Why would his sister have documents about his son's birth?
And what possible truth about Michael's mother could connect to everything that had just happened?
