Chapter 4: The Letter Rebecca Left Behind
For several seconds, nobody touched the envelope.
Robert Hayes stood beside the dining table, his briefcase open, while Marcus stared at the handwriting of his dead wife.
Ethan had moved closer to his father.
And I couldn't stop looking at the date.
Seven years ago.
Three months before Rebecca died.
She had known Daniel.
That was impossible.
Or at least, it was supposed to be impossible.
"Robert," Marcus said, his voice barely audible.
"What exactly is this?""
Robert adjusted his glasses.
"I received the envelope from a woman named Margaret Ellis. She was Rebecca's personal attorney before I took over the family estate.""
Marcus looked confused.
"Margaret retired years ago.""
"She did. But apparently, Rebecca left instructions with her.""
"Why wasn't I told?""
"Because Rebecca requested that the letters remain sealed unless someone attempted to interfere with Ethan's inheritance or misuse the trust.""
Ethan stared at the envelope.
"Mom knew something was wrong?""
Robert nodded.
"She was concerned about financial irregularities involving someone close to the family.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
Marcus looked at me.
"Vanessa, do you know anything about this?""
I forced myself to shake my head.
"No. Why would I?""
Robert opened the first envelope.
Inside was a handwritten letter, several pages long.
Marcus recognized Rebecca's handwriting immediately.
His fingers trembled as he unfolded it.
He began reading silently.
Then his lips parted.
"What's wrong?"" Ethan asked.
Marcus didn't answer.
He read the first paragraph again.
Then he handed the letter to Ethan.
"Read it.""
Ethan took the pages.
His eyes moved across the first lines.
And then he stopped.
"Mom knew about Daniel.""
I closed my eyes.
Robert turned toward me.
"Would you like to explain why?""
"I don't know what you're talking about.""
Ethan continued reading aloud.
"Marcus, if you're reading this with our son, then something has happened that I was afraid of. There is a man named Daniel Price who approached me several months ago. He claimed to be Vanessa's husband and warned me that she was planning to enter our family under false pretenses.""
Marcus looked up.
"Her husband?""
Ethan continued.
"He showed me documents suggesting that Vanessa had been involved in financial fraud before we met. I didn't believe everything he said, but I believed enough to investigate.""
Marcus turned toward me.
I felt my knees weaken.
"Keep reading," he told Ethan.
Ethan swallowed.
"Daniel told me that Vanessa had a history of using other people's identities to obtain loans. He also claimed that he had helped her establish several companies. I asked him why he was telling me this.""
Ethan paused.
The next paragraph was shorter.
"He said he was afraid she would eventually do to Marcus what she had done to him.""
Marcus sat down.
"Dear God.""
I stepped forward.
"This is ridiculous. Rebecca was dying. She could have misunderstood something.""
Ethan raised his eyes.
"She wasn't confused.""
"Don't speak to me that way.""
"Then stop lying.""
Robert placed a hand on the remaining pages.
"There is more.""
Marcus looked at him.
"What?""
"Rebecca also included supporting documents.""
He removed several photographs.
The first showed Rebecca standing outside a restaurant with Daniel.
The second showed Daniel entering a bank.
The third showed a woman sitting across from him.
Me.
I recognized the restaurant.
It was a small Italian place in Connecticut where Daniel and I had met to discuss the money.
The photograph had been taken seven years earlier.
Before Marcus and I had even met.
I stared at it.
Marcus picked it up.
"That's you.""
I didn't answer.
"Vanessa, that's you.""
"I can explain.""
He placed the photograph down.
"Then explain.""
I took a breath.
"Daniel and I were having problems. Rebecca contacted him because she was interfering in our marriage.""
Ethan frowned.
"That doesn't make sense.""
"She wanted to protect her son. She thought every woman who came near your father was after his money.""
Marcus's expression hardened.
"Rebecca never thought that way.""
"You don't know what she thought!""
The words came out louder than I intended.
Marcus stood.
"I knew her for twenty-four years.""
"And I was your wife!""
The room went silent.
Robert looked down at his documents.
Ethan stared at me.
Then Marcus said quietly, "You keep saying that.""
I had no response.
The second part of Rebecca's letter was addressed specifically to Ethan.
He read it with both hands trembling.
"My darling boy,
If you are reading this, I hope you are old enough to understand that not everyone who smiles at your father wishes him well.
I don't want you to become suspicious of everyone. I don't want you to grow up believing that love is something people use to take from one another.
But I want you to remember something.
The money I left you is not the most important thing I protected.
I protected the truth.
There is something inside the trust that belongs to you beyond the money. Your father knows nothing about it because I asked the lawyers to keep it separate until you turned twenty-five.
If anyone tries to access that part of the estate before then, you must contact Margaret Ellis immediately.
Do not sign anything.
Do not trust anyone who tells you the documents are routine.
And whatever happens, remember that you are not responsible for protecting your father's happiness at the cost of your own future.""
Ethan stopped reading.
His eyes were wet.
Marcus reached for his shoulder.
"What does she mean by something beyond the money?""
Ethan shook his head.
"I don't know.""
Robert opened his briefcase again.
"I believe I can answer that.""
He removed a thin blue folder.
Inside was a document with Rebecca's signature.
"Rebecca established a separate family trust shortly before her death. It holds ownership interests in several properties and a controlling stake in a private investment company.""
Marcus stared.
"How much?""
Robert hesitated.
"The estimated value is approximately twelve million dollars.""
I felt my heart stop.
Twelve million.
The three hundred thousand dollars on the dining table suddenly seemed insignificant.
Marcus looked stunned.
"Why didn't she tell me?""
"She wanted to make sure Ethan had an independent financial future," Robert explained.
"The trust becomes fully accessible to him when he turns twenty-five.""
Ethan looked at the document.
"Does that mean Vanessa couldn't touch it?""
"Not without your authorization.""
I laughed nervously.
"Well, that explains nothing. I never tried to touch it.""
Robert turned a page.
"Actually, we have evidence of an attempted transfer.""
Marcus frowned.
"What?""
Robert pointed to a document.
"An application was submitted four months ago to change the beneficiary designation of one of the investment holdings.""
Ethan leaned forward.
"Who submitted it?""
Robert looked at me.
"Vanessa Cole.""
I shook my head.
"No.""
He continued.
"The application was rejected because the beneficiary's date of birth did not match the identification documents.""
Marcus looked at me.
"Why would you do that?""
"I didn't!""
Ethan pulled out his phone.
"There's something else.""
He opened a photograph.
It showed a document with my electronic signature.
But beneath it was another signature.
Daniel's.
Marcus stared at the screen.
"Why is Daniel involved in this?""
Ethan looked toward Robert.
"Because I found an email from him.""
Robert took the phone.
He read the message.
Then he looked at Marcus.
"I think we need to contact the authorities tonight.""
My throat tightened.
"No.""
Nobody moved.
I repeated myself.
"No. You can't do that.""
Marcus stared at me.
"Why not?""
"Because you're destroying my life over accusations.""
Robert closed the folder.
"Mrs. Cole, I strongly recommend that you stop making statements until you've obtained independent legal counsel.""
I looked at Marcus.
"You're really going to let them do this?""
He answered without hesitation.
"I'm going to find out what happened to my son's inheritance.""
Then Ethan said something that made my blood run cold.
"There's one more thing Mom wrote.""
He turned the last page.
His voice became quiet.
"She said if Daniel ever came back into our lives, we should ask him what happened to the money from the hospital.""
Marcus froze.
"What money?""
Ethan looked at me.
And I knew.
Rebecca hadn't just discovered Daniel's financial crimes.
She had discovered the secret we had both buried seven years earlier.
At 12:18 a.m., Robert left to contact his firm.
Marcus went into his office.
Ethan remained downstairs.
I sat on the edge of the guest bed, trying to understand how everything had collapsed in a single night.
Then my phone vibrated.
A message from Daniel.
DANIEL: Did they open the letters?
I stared at it.
VANESSA: Yes.
DANIEL: What did she leave?
VANESSA: Everything.
The reply came immediately.
DANIEL: Then we have a serious problem.
VANESSA: You told me Rebecca never found out.
DANIEL: I thought she hadn't.
VANESSA: She knew about the hospital money.
There was a long pause.
Then Daniel called.
I answered.
"Tell me what happened.""
His voice sounded strained.
"Vanessa, we need to talk in person.""
"Not until you tell me what the hospital money was.""
He exhaled.
"She found the transfer.""
"What transfer?""
"The payment made to the hospital.""
I closed my eyes.
Seven years ago, Rebecca had received an anonymous donation that covered a portion of her treatment expenses.
She believed it had come from a charitable foundation.
But the money had come from Daniel.
And it hadn't been a gift.
It had been payment.
For something I had promised him.
"Daniel," I whispered.
"What did you tell her?""
"Nothing.""
"She had photographs.""
"Then she knew more than I thought.""
I stood.
"What did you do?""
His answer was barely audible.
"I didn't just move the money, Vanessa.""
A cold sensation spread through my chest.
"What does that mean?""
He lowered his voice.
"I was the one who made sure Rebecca never found the original documents.""
I couldn't speak.
Then he added:
"And I wasn't alone.""
The call ended.
I stared at my phone.
A second later, another message appeared.
DANIEL: Don't tell Marcus about the hospital records.
But before I could respond, I heard footsteps outside.
Then Ethan's voice.
"Vanessa?""
I looked toward the door.
He was standing there with his phone in his hand.
And on his screen was a photograph of Daniel.
May you like
Taken that very night.
Outside our house.
