Chapter 6: The Woman Who Collected the Evidence
Simone stared at the photograph.
Her mother stood beside the reception desk at Harold Whitmore's office, holding a manila envelope.
The date was four months earlier.
The woman beside her was unmistakable.
"That's my mother," Simone whispered.
Quentin moved closer.
"Why would your mother be at the attorney's office?""
"I don't know.""
Celeste suddenly looked relieved.
"Well, there you go. Perhaps we should ask her instead of accusing me.""
Simone turned toward her.
"Don't.""
Celeste raised her eyebrows.
"Excuse me?""
"I said don't. You don't get to use my family as a distraction.""
Harold removed the photograph from the folder.
"Mrs. Brooks, do you recognize the other woman?""
Simone swallowed.
"Her name is Patricia. She's my mother.""
"Does she have any connection to Mr. Russell Brooks?""
Simone looked at Quentin.
Then back at the photograph.
"Not that I know of.""
Russell had become unusually quiet.
Quentin noticed.
"Dad?""
Russell stared at the picture.
"Patricia.""
It was barely more than a whisper.
Simone turned.
"You know my mother?""
Russell rubbed his forehead.
"I've met her.""
"Where?""
He didn't answer.
Celeste looked between them.
Then she slowly sat down.
Harold closed the folder.
"I suggest we contact Ms. Patricia and ask her to come here.""
Simone pulled out her phone.
"I'll call her.""
Quentin touched her arm.
"Wait.""
She looked at him.
"Are you okay?""
He shook his head.
"No. But I want the truth.""
Simone nodded and dialed.
The phone rang twice.
"Hello, sweetheart," Patricia answered.
"Mom, where are you?""
"At home. Why?""
"I need you to come to the wedding venue.""
A pause.
"Is something wrong?""
"Yes. And I need you to tell me why you were at Harold Whitmore's office four months ago.""
Silence.
Simone looked at Quentin.
Her mother finally spoke.
"Who showed you that?""
"That's not important. Were you there?""
Another pause.
Then Patricia said quietly:
"Don't discuss this over the phone.""
Simone closed her eyes.
"Mom, please.""
"I'll be there in twenty minutes.""
The call ended.
Nobody spoke.
Celeste leaned against the wall.
Russell sat with his hands clasped.
Lena stood beside Quentin, still holding the edge of the table.
Simone lowered her phone.
"My mother knows something.""
Quentin looked at her.
"Did she ever mention my mother?""
"No.""
"Did she ever meet Celeste?""
Simone hesitated.
"Once.""
"When?""
"At a charity dinner about six months ago.""
Celeste looked up.
"That was a long time ago.""
Simone turned toward her.
"Why did you meet my mother?""
Celeste gave a small shrug.
"She approached me. We were discussing wedding arrangements.""
"What arrangements?""
"Flowers. Decorations. Family photographs.""
Simone frowned.
"That doesn't sound like the conversation my mother described.""
Celeste's expression changed.
"What did she describe?""
Simone shook her head.
"She said you asked whether I would be comfortable having two mothers involved in the ceremony.""
Celeste looked away.
"That sounds harmless.""
"It would have been, if you hadn't followed it by asking whether my mother thought Quentin needed a more stable maternal figure.""
Quentin stared at Celeste.
"You talked about my mother with Simone's mother?""
Celeste crossed her arms.
"I was trying to protect your future.""
"From what?""
"From old family tensions.""
Lena finally spoke.
"You have spent years creating those tensions.""
Celeste turned toward her.
"Not everything is about you, Lena.""
"No," Lena said.
"But this started because you wanted my son to call you his mother.""
Celeste's lips tightened.
Before she could answer, there was a knock at the door.
Simone hurried to open it.
Patricia entered wearing a black dress and a long beige coat. She looked around the room, then stopped when she saw Russell.
Her expression changed.
"Russell.""
He stood.
"Patricia.""
Simone looked between them.
"How do you two know each other?""
Patricia closed the door.
"Your father and I have known each other for a long time.""
Simone's face went pale.
"How long?""
Patricia didn't answer.
Russell looked down.
Harold stepped forward.
"Ms. Patricia, thank you for coming. We need to discuss a document collected from my office using your daughter's identification.""
Patricia looked at Simone.
Then she sighed.
"I know.""
Simone took a step backward.
"You know?""
"I didn't use your identification.""
"Then why were you there?""
Patricia looked at Russell.
"Because he asked me to collect something.""
Quentin turned sharply.
"You asked Simone's mother to collect the document?""
Russell nodded slowly.
"Yes.""
Simone looked horrified.
"Why would you involve my mother?""
Russell opened his mouth, but Patricia answered first.
"Because Russell and I had an agreement.""
The room seemed to shrink.
Lena stared at Russell.
"What agreement?""
Patricia removed her coat and placed it over a chair.
"Years ago, before Simone met Quentin, Russell contacted me. He said he was having problems with his family and needed help resolving an old matter.""
Simone shook her head.
"Mom, what are you talking about?""
Patricia looked at her daughter.
"I thought I was helping someone.""
"Helping him do what?""
Patricia looked toward Lena.
"Create a document showing that Lena had voluntarily stepped away from Quentin's life.""
Lena gripped the chair.
"Why would you agree to that?""
Patricia's eyes filled.
"Because Russell told me you had already agreed.""
Lena stared at her.
"Did you ever speak to me?""
"No.""
"Did you ever ask whether I wanted to give up my son?""
Patricia lowered her head.
"No.""
Lena's voice broke.
"Then why would you help someone take my place?""
Patricia began to cry.
"Because I believed Russell.""
Quentin turned toward his father.
"You told her Mom had agreed?""
Russell nodded.
"Yes.""
"Why?""
Russell looked exhausted.
"Because I wanted to avoid another argument with Celeste.""
Quentin let out a bitter laugh.
"You destroyed my relationship with my mother to avoid an argument with your wife?""
Russell didn't respond.
Patricia continued.
"I collected the document because Russell told me it was an old agreement that needed to be updated. I didn't know the signature had been changed.""
Harold leaned forward.
"Did you examine the document before collecting it?""
"No. It was sealed.""
"Who gave it to you?""
Patricia looked toward Celeste.
"She did.""
Everyone turned.
Celeste's face hardened.
"That's absurd.""
Patricia shook her head.
"You gave me the envelope in the parking lot. You told me Russell had arranged everything.""
Celeste stood.
"You're mistaken.""
"I remember because you asked me not to open it.""
Celeste looked toward Russell.
"Are you going to let her accuse me?""
Russell stared at the floor.
Patricia continued.
"There was another reason I agreed to help.""
Simone looked at her mother.
"What reason?""
Patricia hesitated.
Then she reached into her handbag.
She removed a small envelope and placed it on the table.
"I kept this because I thought something about the arrangement was wrong.""
Harold opened it.
Inside was a printed email.
He read the first paragraph silently.
Then his expression changed.
Quentin leaned forward.
"What is it?""
Harold turned the page.
The email was addressed to Celeste.
Its subject line read:
Quentin's wedding — final arrangement.
Below it was a sentence that made Simone cover her mouth.
Once Lena believes Quentin no longer wants her in his life, he will have no reason to question the family structure we are creating.
Quentin stared at the words.
"Who wrote this?""
Harold looked at the sender's information.
"Patricia, did you receive this directly?""
She nodded.
"Celeste forwarded it to me.""
Celeste shook her head violently.
"I never sent that.""
Patricia looked at her.
"You did. You asked me to help make sure Quentin didn't discover the document was never signed.""
Quentin's hands curled into fists.
"Why did you want me to believe Mom abandoned me?""
Celeste's eyes filled.
"Because you were going to marry Simone.""
He stared at her.
"What does that have to do with anything?""
"You were building a new family. I knew I would become less important.""
Simone looked stunned.
"So you used my mother to help you?""
Celeste didn't answer.
Quentin stepped closer.
"You sent a message pretending to be my mother. You tried to make me believe she didn't want me. You forged a document. And you tried to take her dance.""
Celeste began crying.
"I just wanted to matter.""
Quentin shook his head.
"You mattered until you decided that wasn't enough.""
Russell stood.
"Quentin, I know I made mistakes.""
"Mistakes?""
His voice cracked.
"You watched me believe my mother rejected me. You let me spend weeks wondering what I had done wrong.""
Russell's eyes filled.
"I thought it would pass.""
Lena looked at him.
"How could you let your son suffer like that?""
Russell lowered his head.
"I was afraid of losing Celeste.""
Lena's expression went cold.
"And you were willing to let him lose me?""
Nobody answered.
Harold placed the email back inside the envelope.
"We need to preserve all of this. There may have been identity misuse, document alteration, and unauthorized access to Mrs. Brooks's account. I strongly advise everyone not to delete or modify anything.""
Quentin nodded.
Then he turned toward Simone.
"Did you know?""
She shook her head immediately.
"Never. I swear.""
He studied her face.
He wanted to believe her.
But the night had already taught him how easily people could hide things behind familiar names.
Simone stepped closer.
"Quentin, I didn't know my mother was involved. I didn't even know she knew your father.""
Patricia touched her daughter's arm.
"Simone, there's something else.""
Simone froze.
"What?""
Patricia looked at Russell.
Then at Quentin.
"The reason Russell contacted me wasn't just because of Celeste.""
Russell closed his eyes.
"Patricia, please.""
She ignored him.
"Before Quentin and Simone became engaged, Russell told me something about Quentin's future inheritance.""
Quentin frowned.
"My inheritance?""
Patricia nodded.
"He said there was a family trust that would become available after your wedding.""
Quentin looked at his father.
"What trust?""
Russell said nothing.
Patricia's voice dropped.
"Russell told me that if Lena was legally removed from the family arrangement, Celeste would become the primary beneficiary.""
Lena went completely still.
Quentin stared at his father.
"What family arrangement?""
Russell's silence was answer enough.
Then Harold slowly opened his briefcase again.
"That changes everything.""
He removed a separate document.
And when Quentin saw the name printed at the top, he realized the fight over the mother-son dance had never been only about a title.
May you like
It had been about something much bigger.
*The Brooks Family Trust.*
