Chapter 7: The Enemy Inside The Family
I read the sentence ten times.
Not because I didn’t understand it.
Because I understood it too well.
Your husband isn’t the only person who betrayed you.
I looked at Eric.
He looked just as confused.
“Did you know about this?””
“No.””
“Are you sure?””
His expression changed.
That question hurt him.
Good.
It should have.
“I swear.””
I placed the paper on the table.
“Where is your mother?””
“I don’t know.””
“Call her.””
Eric pulled out his phone immediately.
For once, he didn’t hesitate.
The call rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
No answer.
Then voicemail.
“Diane, it’s me. Call me back.””
He hung up.
I watched him.
“You really don’t know where she is?””
“No.””
I believed him.
And somehow that made everything worse.
Because now the situation was bigger than Diane controlling Eric.
Someone else had been involved.
Someone else had been moving pieces.
The next morning, Rebecca called.
“Claire, I found something.””
I sat at my kitchen table.
“Tell me.””
“There’s another document.””
My stomach tightened.
“What kind?””
“A power of attorney.””
I frowned.
“For what?””
“For Eric.””
I went silent.
“Diane had him sign it two years ago.””
“What does it give her control over?””
Rebecca paused.
“Financial decisions.””
I looked around my house.
The same house where Diane had walked around like she owned every room.
“Why?””
“That’s what I’m trying to understand.””
An hour later, I met Rebecca at her office.
She placed another folder in front of me.
“This is everything.””
Inside were years of financial records.
Emails.
Contracts.
And one detail that changed everything.
Eric’s father had died three years earlier.
He left behind a small inheritance.
Money Diane claimed was gone because of “medical expenses.””
But the records showed something else.
A large payment.
To Diane’s company.
I looked up.
“She took his inheritance?””
Rebecca nodded.
“Looks like it.””
“And Eric knew?””
“We don’t know yet.””
I closed the folder.
I needed to know.
That night, I waited for Eric.
When he came home, I placed the documents on the table.
He stopped immediately.
“What is this?””
“Your father’s inheritance.””
His face changed.
“Where did you get that?””
“Answer me.””
He looked away.
That was enough.
“You knew.””
“No.””
“Eric.””
He sat down.
“I knew something was wrong.””
“How long?””
He rubbed his hands over his face.
“Since last year.””
I felt something inside me crack.
“Last year?””
“I thought I could fix it.””
“You thought you could fix your mother stealing from your family by hiding it?””
“I was scared.””
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
I stood.
“Do you know what’s amazing?””
“What?””
“I spent years thinking you were trapped by your mother.””
I looked at him.
“But you weren’t trapped.””
He looked up.
“You were protecting her.””
He had no answer.
Because he knew.
The truth was ugly.
And now it was standing in the middle of our home.
“I wanted to believe she was still the person I remembered,” he said quietly.
“And I wanted to believe you were still the person I married.””
The silence between us felt endless.
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His face changed.
“Who is it?””
He didn’t answer.
“Eric.””
Slowly, he turned the phone toward me.
The caller ID showed a name.
A name I recognized.
The person I never expected.
Diane.
But the number wasn’t hers.
It belonged to someone else.
Someone who had been helping her.
Someone connected to my house.
Someone who had access to my private records.
Eric answered.
“Hello?””
A man’s voice came through.
“Eric, you need to listen carefully.””
Eric froze.
“Who is this?””
The voice replied:
“The person who can destroy Claire’s trust.””
My heart stopped.
Because the man said one more thing.
May you like
Something that made Eric drop the phone.
“I’m the reason your wife never knew what you were planning.””
