Chapter 5: The Signature That Wasn't Hers
Bianca stared at the document on her phone.
Her fingers trembled as she enlarged the signature.
The handwriting looked familiar.
It was hers.
But something about it was wrong.
The final letter in her surname curved too sharply. The date was written in a format she never used.
She had signed hundreds of business documents over the years.
This wasn't one of them.
"Damon," she whispered.
"Did you forge my signature?""
He looked around the cafeteria.
"Lower your voice.""
She laughed in disbelief.
"That's your answer?""
"You're looking at a document without knowing the circumstances.""
"Then explain the circumstances.""
Damon rubbed his forehead.
"That company was in financial trouble. I was trying to protect our assets.""
"By putting my name on a transaction?""
"I was going to correct it.""
"When?""
He didn't answer.
Bianca looked at Monique.
"How did you get this?""
Monique folded her arms.
"After I left, I contacted the hospital's billing department. I was trying to understand why I had received letters about unpaid medical expenses.""
She pointed to the photocopy.
"They sent me a payment history. That transfer appeared in the supporting documents. I asked questions, and someone told me the account had been closed.""
"Who told you?""
"A woman from the insurance office. Her name was Patricia.""
Bianca looked at Damon again.
"Did you know about the unpaid hospital bills?""
"Of course I knew.""
"Then why did you tell me they were settled?""
"They were supposed to be.""
"That's not what I asked.""
Damon's jaw tightened.
"I was handling it.""
Bianca took a step backward.
For months, she had lived in the beautiful house Damon had bought after their relationship became serious.
He had told her that everything was finally falling into place.
He had introduced Micah as a child who needed stability after a painful separation.
He had described Monique as an unstable woman who had left without warning.
And Bianca had believed him.
She had even helped him decorate Micah's bedroom.
She remembered buying the little wooden bookshelf.
She remembered the dinosaur curtains.
She remembered telling Damon that the boy would eventually see her as a second mother.
Now she wondered whether every decision had been arranged before she entered the picture.
"Did you know Monique was Micah's mother when you first met me?"" she asked.
Damon looked away.
"Yes.""
Bianca swallowed.
"And you told me she had abandoned him.""
"She was gone.""
"Because you made her leave.""
"That's not what happened.""
Monique stepped forward.
"I have the message.""
Damon turned toward her.
"Enough.""
"No. You said you wanted to know what happened. I'm giving you the chance to hear it.""
She unlocked her phone.
This time, she didn't hesitate.
The recording began.
Damon's voice filled the cafeteria.
"You're leaving this house tonight. You won't contact Micah without my permission. You won't show up at his school or approach him in public. If you cooperate, I'll make sure you have somewhere to stay and enough money to get back on your feet.""
A pause.
Then Monique's voice.
"You're threatening me.""
Damon's recorded voice answered.
"I'm giving you an option.""
The recording continued.
"He's going to ask for me.""
"Then I'll explain.""
And finally:
"If you make a scene, I'll tell everyone you chose to leave. I'll tell Micah when he's old enough that his mother decided she didn't want this life anymore.""
The message ended.
Nobody spoke.
Bianca stared at Damon as though she had never seen him before.
"You said she left voluntarily.""
Damon looked toward the cafeteria doors.
"That recording is incomplete.""
Monique raised her phone.
"It's the recording you made.""
"You edited it.""
"I didn't touch it.""
"Then where's the rest?""
Monique looked at him.
"You sent the message to my phone. I saved it exactly as you sent it.""
Bianca shook her head.
"You threatened her.""
"I was trying to keep Micah safe.""
"From his own mother?""
"She was unstable!""
Monique's voice rose.
"I was a mother who had just given birth to a premature baby. I was exhausted, frightened, and trying to understand why my husband was moving money without telling me.""
Damon pointed at her.
"You were going to expose everything.""
"Because you were hiding it!""
A teacher approached from the art table.
"Micah is asking for his mother.""
Monique immediately turned.
"Tell him I'm coming.""
But Damon stepped into her path.
"You're not taking him anywhere.""
Bianca looked at him.
"She's not taking him anywhere. She's holding her own child.""
Damon's face reddened.
"You don't understand what you're doing.""
Bianca's voice was quiet.
"I think I'm finally understanding what I've been doing.""
She looked down at the forged signature again.
Then she opened another folder on her phone.
There were bank statements, company records, and several emails.
One email had been sent from Damon's account six months earlier.
The subject line read:
*RE: FINAL CUSTODY ARRANGEMENT.*
Bianca tapped it.
Her eyes moved across the screen.
Then she stopped.
"Damon?""
He looked at her.
"What's that?""
She turned the phone toward him.
"Why did you send an email to a lawyer asking how to prevent Monique from reopening the custody case?""
Damon's expression froze.
Bianca scrolled.
There was an attachment.
A draft affidavit.
It stated that Monique had voluntarily surrendered her parental responsibilities and had not attempted to contact Micah.
But beneath that statement was a list of supporting evidence.
One item was highlighted.
*All returned correspondence should be retained as proof of non-contact.*
Bianca slowly lowered the phone.
"You kept her letters.""
Damon said nothing.
"Every letter she sent. Every birthday card. Every request to see her son.""
His silence was answer enough.
Monique felt her stomach turn.
For months, she had believed the letters had been lost.
She had imagined Micah never received them.
She had wondered whether he had forgotten her handwriting.
Now she understood that Damon had kept them.
Not because he wanted to remember her.
Because he wanted evidence that she had supposedly abandoned him.
Bianca looked at Monique.
"How many letters did you send?""
Monique wiped her cheek.
"Eleven.""
Bianca closed her eyes.
Then she turned back to Damon.
"Where are they?""
He didn't answer.
"Where are the letters, Damon?""
Finally, he spoke.
"At home.""
Monique's breath caught.
"All of them?""
Damon looked toward the exit.
"Yes.""
Bianca put her phone away.
"Then we're going to get them.""
Damon shook his head.
"No, we're not.""
Bianca met his eyes.
"Yes, we are.""
He grabbed her handbag.
"You're not going anywhere with her.""
Bianca pulled it from his hand.
"Don't confuse my kindness with permission.""
She walked toward Monique.
But before they could move, Damon's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
His expression changed immediately.
He answered.
"Hello?""
A man's voice came through loudly enough for Bianca to hear.
"Mr. Carter, this is Daniel from the bank's fraud department. We need you to come in today. There are several transactions under investigation.""
Damon turned away.
"What transactions?""
"Those associated with the old insurance settlement and the account registered under Ms. Bianca Hayes.""
Bianca went completely still.
The caller continued.
"We also received a report concerning a forged authorization.""
Damon ended the call.
His hand shook.
Bianca stared at him.
"You told me there was nothing wrong with those accounts.""
Damon looked at her.
May you like
Then he said something that made Monique's blood run cold.
"The account wasn't the only thing I changed.""
