Chapter 4: The Woman Behind the Plan
Monica came downstairs the next morning like nothing had happened.
That was the part that terrified me.
Not anger.
Not screaming.
The calm.
She wore a navy dress.
Her hair was perfectly styled.
She looked like someone attending a business meeting.
Not someone caught trying to steal a home.
Marcus stood near the kitchen island.
“Where were you last night?””
She poured coffee.
“At a hotel.””
“You left?””
“You told me to give you space.””
“I told you I needed answers.””
She looked at him.
“You’ve already decided I’m guilty.””
Dad’s expression didn’t change.
“I’m waiting for you to prove me wrong.””
She laughed softly.
“That’s not fair.””
I almost couldn’t believe it.
Fair.
She wanted fairness.
After packing my belongings.
After lying.
After hiding legal documents.
“You know what isn’t fair?”” I said.
Her eyes moved to me.
“Jasmine.””
“No. You don’t get to silence me anymore.””
Dad didn’t stop me.
“You wanted me gone because I found out what Olivia did.””
Monica’s face hardened.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.””
“I know enough.””
“You’re a child.””
“And you’re an adult who blamed me for being hurt.””
That hit something.
Her expression changed.
“You think you understand everything.””
“I understand you chose her.””
She looked at Olivia.
Then back at me.
“Yes.””
The answer shocked everyone.
Even Olivia.
Monica continued.
“Because Olivia needed me.””
I stared.
“So I didn’t?””
She didn’t answer.
That was worse.
Dad stepped forward.
“You accessed my information.””
“No.””
“You prepared those documents.””
“No.””
“You contacted my attorney pretending to be me.””
“No.””
Each denial became weaker.
Then Dad placed a printed record on the table.
A phone log.
“Your number was used.””
Monica went silent.
Olivia whispered:
“Mom?””
Monica looked at her.
And something in her face changed.
Like she realized Olivia was no longer useful.
“Don’t start acting innocent.””
Olivia stepped back.
“What?””
“You wanted the house too.””
“No, I didn’t.””
“You wanted security.””
“I wanted my family.””
The room became painfully quiet.
Because for the first time, Olivia wasn’t defending herself.
She was defending what she believed their relationship was.
Monica turned away.
“You’re both so ungrateful.””
Dad stared at her.
“Unbelievable.””
“No,” Monica said.
Her voice became colder.
“You don’t understand.””
She looked at me.
“You were always the problem.””
I felt my chest tighten.
“Me?””
“Yes.””
She stepped closer.
“You walked into this house carrying your mother’s memory everywhere.””
Dad’s face changed.
“Monica.””
But she continued.
“Every room reminded him of her.””
“Stop.””
“And every time he looked at you, he saw the life he lost.””
I couldn’t breathe.
Because those were the fears I never admitted.
The ones I buried.
Monica had known.
She had seen them.
And she used them.
Dad’s voice was shaking.
“Leave.””
She looked at him.
“What?””
“Leave this house.””
For the first time, she looked scared.
But then she smiled.
A small, dangerous smile.
“You still don’t understand.””
She walked toward the door.
“I didn’t need your signature.””
Everyone froze.
Dad stared.
“What did you say?””
She stopped.
Then turned around.
“I said I didn’t need your signature.””
My heart started racing.
“What does that mean?””
Monica looked at me.
“You’ll find out.””
Then she walked out.
Nobody moved.
Until Olivia whispered:
“She knew.””
Dad looked at her.
“Knew what?””
Olivia’s face was pale.
“She knew about Mom’s trust.””
A horrible silence followed.
“How?”” Dad asked.
Olivia shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
Then she remembered something.
A conversation.
A sentence.
“She said something months ago.””
“What?””
Olivia looked at me.
“She said…”
Her voice broke.
“She said, ‘Once Jasmine is gone, everything will finally belong where it should.’”
My stomach dropped.
Because Monica wasn’t just trying to remove me.
She was trying to erase my mother’s last protection.
Then Dad’s attorney called again.
He answered.
Listened.
And slowly sat down.
“What happened?”” I asked.
He looked at us.
“The trust documents were changed.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“They were modified.””
“By who?””
Dad looked at the paperwork.
“There’s a witness signature.””
“Who?””
He swallowed.
Then said the name.
May you like
A name none of us expected.
“Olivia.””
