Chapter 9: The Mother Who Helped Him Betray Me
“I was the one who told Derek where to find your inheritance papers.””
Linda’s confession didn’t sound real.
Not because I didn’t believe her.
Because I did.
And somehow, that made it worse.
The room became completely silent.
Even Derek looked shocked.
“Mom.””
Linda didn’t look at him.
She looked at me.
“I never thought it would become this.””
I stared at her.
“You knew.””
Her eyes filled with regret.
“Yes.””
The word was quiet.
But it carried years of betrayal.
“You knew about my inheritance.””
“Yes.””
“You knew Derek was looking for information about my money.””
Linda nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
I felt something inside me crack.
Not anger.
Something deeper.
Disappointment.
Because Derek was expected to hurt me.
At this point, I knew who he was.
But Linda?
She was the woman who spent years calling me family.
The woman who accepted my help.
The woman who sat at my table.
The woman whose birthday I had spent my entire morning preparing.
“You helped him.””
Linda looked down.
“I thought I was helping my son.””
I laughed softly.
“Of course.””
She looked at me.
“Claire…”
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You don’t get to say my name like you care.””
Her face fell.
Because she knew.
She had lost the right to comfort me.
Derek stepped forward.
“Mom, stop talking.””
Linda turned toward him.
“Why?””
Her voice became stronger.
“Because you’re afraid?””
Derek froze.
“You’ve spent years hiding behind me.””
She looked at him.
“Letting me defend you.””
The room shifted.
For years, Linda had been the person who made excuses for him.
But now she was finally seeing what everyone else saw.
“You remember when Claire first came into our lives?”” Linda asked.
Derek frowned.
“Mom.””
“She trusted us.””
Linda looked at me.
“She believed we loved her.””
I looked away.
Because that was the part that hurt most.
I didn’t enter their family expecting perfection.
I expected honesty.
I expected respect.
Instead, I became something they measured.
A resource.
An opportunity.
A solution.
Linda walked toward the table.
“When Derek told me he was struggling, I wanted to help.””
I stared at her.
“So you helped him use me.””
“No.””
Her voice cracked.
“I didn’t think that was what it was.””
“What did you think it was?””
She had no answer.
Because there wasn’t a good one.
She sat down.
“I found out about your inheritance when Derek and I were looking through old financial documents.””
I felt sick.
“You went through my things?””
Linda looked ashamed.
“I shouldn’t have.””
“No.””
My voice was cold.
“You shouldn’t have.””
She nodded.
“I saw the paperwork.””
“And?””
“And I told Derek.””
I looked at him.
“And you used it.””
Derek didn’t respond.
That was enough.
I turned toward him.
“Did you know the exact amount?””
His silence lasted too long.
“Derek.””
He finally whispered:
“Yes.””
My chest tightened.
“How?””
He looked away.
“Your grandmother’s lawyer mentioned it during a conversation.””
I stared.
“You spoke to my grandmother’s lawyer?””
“No.””
“Then who did?””
Nobody answered.
Then Linda spoke.
“I did.””
I closed my eyes.
Another betrayal.
Another person who had crossed a line.
“You contacted my grandmother’s lawyer?””
“I was trying to understand your situation.””
“No.””
I opened my eyes.
“You were trying to understand my value.””
Linda looked like she wanted to argue.
But she couldn’t.
Because she knew.
Derek had never loved my success.
He loved what my success could do for him.
And Linda had helped him see it.
My phone rang.
James.
I answered immediately.
“Hello?””
“Claire, we found the person who sent the message.””
I looked around the room.
“Who?””
A pause.
Then:
“Derek’s former financial advisor.””
My eyes moved to Derek.
“What did he say?””
James lowered his voice.
“He wants immunity before he hands over the full records.””
I frowned.
“Full records?””
“Yes.””
“What records?””
Another pause.
“Claire, there were more transfers than we originally found.””
My heart sank.
“How many?””
“We’re still counting.””
The room went quiet.
James continued.
“But there is something important.””
“What?””
“The account connected to your inheritance wasn’t only used to move money.””
I tightened my grip on the phone.
“What was it used for?””
James hesitated.
“Payments.””
“To who?””
“Several people.””
I looked at Derek.
“What kind of payments?””
James answered:
“People who helped Derek maintain the appearance of being wealthy.””
I felt numb.
He hadn’t just taken my inheritance.
He had used it to build the fake life everyone admired.
The expensive clothes.
The parties.
The cars.
The image.
All paid for by money he stole from me.
“I need the records.””
“You’ll have them.””
I ended the call.
Derek was watching me.
“You hate me.””
I looked at him.
“I don’t know what I feel anymore.””
That seemed to hurt him.
Good.
Because hatred would have meant I still cared enough to fight.
What I felt was emptiness.
The feeling you get when someone you loved becomes a stranger.
“I loved you.””
I looked at him.
“Did you?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
He swallowed.
“After a while.””
I stared.
“After a while.””
He nodded.
“At first, things were complicated.””
I almost smiled.
“That’s a nice way to describe manipulation.””
His face tightened.
“I was scared.””
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
I walked toward him.
“But fear doesn’t make you steal.””
I pointed toward the papers.
“Fear doesn’t make you plan a marriage like a business deal.””
I looked at Linda.
“Fear doesn’t make a mother help her son exploit someone who trusted her.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Derek whispered:
“I was going to fix it.””
I looked at him.
“No.””
His eyes met mine.
“You were going to hide it.””
He looked away.
And that was the final answer.
A knock came from outside.
Everyone froze.
Again.
But this time, I knew.
This wasn’t another surprise.
This was the consequence arriving.
I walked to the door.
When I opened it, two people stood outside.
A woman holding a badge.
And a man carrying a folder.
The woman looked at me.
“Mrs. Mercer?””
“Yes?””
She glanced inside.
Then at Derek.
“We need to speak with Mr. Derek Mercer regarding the financial investigation.””
Derek stepped back.
“No.””
The officer remained calm.
“We’re not here to discuss.””
She held out the paperwork.
“We have a court order.””
Linda grabbed the back of a chair.
“Oh my God.””
Derek looked at me.
“Claire.””
I stared at him.
For years, I waited for him to choose me.
To protect me.
To stand beside me.
But when the moment came…
He chose himself.
Again.
The officer handed Derek the papers.
He looked down.
And his face changed.
Because at the bottom was a signature.
A signature that meant this was no longer something he could manipulate.
The officer spoke:
“Mr. Mercer, you are required to surrender access to all financial records connected to the investigation.””
Derek looked at me.
“You did this.””
I looked at him.
“No.””
I stepped aside.
“You did.””
As he stared at the paperwork, his phone suddenly rang.
He looked at the screen.
And his expression changed completely.
Not fear.
Not anger.
Shock.
“What is it?”” Linda asked.
Derek slowly lowered the phone.
Then he looked at me.
“The company…”
I frowned.
“What about it?””
His voice was barely audible.
“My business partner just transferred ownership.””
I stared.
“Transferred to who?””
Derek’s face went blank.
May you like
And then he said the one thing I never expected.
“To you.””
