Chapter 8: The Deal Made Behind My Back
I didn't speak.
Elizabeth Thompson waited.
I could hear a television playing faintly in the background on her end.
Then she continued.
“Sarah, are you still there?””
“Yes.””
“I know you probably hate me right now.””
“I don't know you well enough to hate you.””
She gave a quiet, humorless laugh.
“That's fair.””
I looked at Elizabeth Morgan, who was listening carefully.
“Why are you contacting me?””
“Because Patricia called me this morning. She told me you found the documents and that everything was about to collapse.””
“And?””
“She wanted me to say the $120,000 agreement was a private arrangement between Daniel and me. She wanted me to tell you that you had no involvement.””
I closed my eyes.
“Why would you do that?””
“Because she promised me the money.””
I felt my jaw tighten.
“So you're admitting you were willing to lie?””
“Yes.””
Her answer surprised me.
She continued.
“I won't pretend I'm innocent. I accepted money from Daniel. I knew he was married.
I knew you existed. I didn't know how much of the money came from your accounts, but I knew he was keeping things from you.””
I looked at the supplemental agreement.
“Why did you agree to receive $120,000?””
“Because Ethan needed stability. I had been struggling to keep up with the mortgage and school expenses. Daniel told me he was investing in property and that the money was part of his share.””
“Did you know the property was partly financed by my savings?””
“No.””
“Did you know he used my name on financial documents?””
“No.””
She paused.
“But there is something else.””
“What?””
“Daniel didn't start hiding money after he married you.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“What do you mean?””
“He started before your wedding.””
I looked at Elizabeth Morgan.
She wrote something on a notepad.
I asked, “How do you know?””
“Because Daniel and I were still legally connected financially when he met you. We had an agreement concerning Ethan's expenses and some property investments. When Daniel started dating you, he told me he was making enough money to support two households.””
I stared at the wall.
“Two households?””
“Yes. Yours and ours.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“Did you know he was planning to marry me?””
“Yes.””
“And you said nothing?””
“I thought he had told you about Ethan. I assumed you knew everything.””
I looked at the floor.
Then she said something that made me feel physically sick.
“Three weeks before your wedding, Daniel told me he wanted to keep our financial arrangements separate from his new marriage. He said his mother would manage the property company, and I would continue receiving money for Ethan.””
“Was that all?””
“No.””
Her voice became quieter.
“He told me you were financially comfortable. He said you wouldn't notice small transfers.””
I closed my eyes.
Small transfers.
That was how it had started.
A few hundred dollars.
Then a thousand.
Then thousands more.
I had noticed the missing money, but Daniel always had an explanation.
Car repairs.
Business expenses.
Helping his mother.
Helping Melissa.
I had believed him because I had no reason to imagine my husband was running two financial lives.
“Elizabeth,” I said, “what happened four years ago?””
She sighed.
“Daniel told his mother he wanted to divorce you.””
I stared at the table.
“Why?””
“He said he was unhappy.””
“That doesn't explain the money.””
“No. It doesn't.””
She paused.
“Patricia was worried about what would happen if you divorced him and discovered the accounts. She said you were good with money, and that you would probably investigate everything.””
I almost laughed.
At least Patricia had understood one thing about me.
Elizabeth continued.
“She suggested creating the $180,000 protective allocation in your name.””
“Why?””
“Patricia said it would make you believe there was money being set aside for your future. She thought it would discourage you from looking too closely at the company's finances.””
I stared at the document.
“So the allocation was fake?””
“I don't know whether it was ever funded. Daniel told me it was just an accounting arrangement.””
I looked at Elizabeth Morgan.
She wrote down the words possibly unfunded allocation.
I asked, “And what about the plan to leave me?””
Elizabeth hesitated.
“He changed his mind.””
“Why?””
“Because he found out you were expecting a promotion.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
My promotion.
Four years earlier, I had been promoted to senior financial analyst.
I remembered how proud Daniel had seemed.
He had taken me out for dinner.
He had bought me a necklace.
He had told me he was lucky to have a successful wife.
Now those memories looked different.
“Why would my promotion change his mind?””
Elizabeth's voice became uncomfortable.
“Because he told me your income had increased enough to make the marriage financially worthwhile.””
I couldn't breathe for a moment.
I looked at Elizabeth Morgan.
She slowly closed her notepad.
I whispered, “He said that?””
“Yes.””
There was no hesitation in Elizabeth's answer.
I thanked her for telling me.
Before ending the call, I asked one final question.
“Do you still want the $120,000?””
She was quiet.
Then she said:
“I want Ethan to be taken care of. But I don't want money that was stolen from another woman.””
I ended the call.
For several minutes, I sat without moving.
Elizabeth Morgan finally spoke.
“Sarah, we're going to need the original company records. That conversation gives us leads, but we need evidence.””
I nodded.
“Can we request them?””
“Yes. And I want you to preserve the call details and the messages. We'll handle communications from here.””
I looked down at my phone.
Daniel had sent seven messages.
The last one read:
Please come home. Mom wants to settle this before the closing.
I showed it to my attorney.
She shook her head.
“Don't attend a private meeting without proper documentation and legal advice.””
I agreed.
But there was something I needed to understand.
“Why would Patricia create an allocation in my name if she wanted to hide money from me?””
Elizabeth Morgan leaned back.
“Sometimes people create paperwork to make a person feel protected when the paperwork doesn't actually protect them. We need to determine whether this allocation was real, whether funds were ever reserved, and who benefited from it.””
I nodded.
For the first time, I felt as though I was getting somewhere.
The following morning, Elizabeth Morgan's office received an email from Robert Thompson's attorney.
It contained a formal notice concerning the proposed sale of the Fort Worth property.
The sale was scheduled to close in four days.
There was also a request for clarification regarding the $180,000 allocation.
My attorney read the email carefully.
Then she looked at me.
“Sarah, they are asking whether you intend to assert any interest in the allocation.””
“What happens if I say yes?””
“Then we formally request the underlying records and examine whether there's a legitimate basis for your claim.””
“And if I say no?””
“We may lose an opportunity to investigate money that could be relevant to your marital finances.””
I nodded.
“Then I want it investigated.””
Elizabeth Morgan drafted a response requesting the complete ownership agreement, financial schedules, source-of-funds documentation, and any amendments bearing my name.
She also sent a separate notice stating that I disputed the authenticity of any signature attributed to me that I had not personally authorized.
By lunchtime, Robert's attorney had acknowledged receipt.
At 3:15 p.m., Daniel called.
I answered because Elizabeth Morgan had advised me that any substantive conversation should be documented.
“Sarah.””
His voice sounded exhausted.
“What?””
“Can we please stop this?””
“No.””
He sighed.
“Mom is falling apart.””
I closed my eyes.
“Daniel, I don't care how many times you tell me that. It doesn't change what happened.””
“I know I made mistakes.””
“Mistakes?””
“I should have told you about Ethan.””
“Yes.””
“I should have explained the accounts.””
“Yes.””
“I should have discussed the property company.””
“Yes.””
He paused.
“Can we start there?””
I stared at my desk.
“Start where?””
“With forgiveness.””
I almost laughed.
“You haven't even finished explaining what you did.””
He lowered his voice.
“Sarah, I love you.””
I said nothing.
“I married you because I loved you. Not because of your salary.””
I looked at the spreadsheet on my computer.
The spreadsheet showing six years of unexplained transactions.
“Then why did you tell Elizabeth that my promotion made our marriage financially worthwhile?””
Silence.
A long silence.
Finally, he said:
“She told you that?””
“Yes.””
He exhaled sharply.
“Elizabeth is bitter. She wants to destroy our marriage.””
“Our marriage?””
He sounded frustrated.
“Sarah, you know what I mean.””
“No. I don't.””
He lowered his voice further.
“Look, what I said back then was taken out of context.””
“What was the context?””
He didn't answer.
I waited.
Then he said:
“I was under pressure. I had responsibilities. I was trying to make everything work.””
“By hiding money from both women?””
“That's not fair.””
“Daniel, you had a son you never told me about.””
“I didn't want to lose you.””
“You didn't want to lose the financial security I provided.””
“That isn't true.””
“Then why did you hide the accounts?””
He was silent.
I ended the call.
That evening, Patricia arrived at my house.
She didn't call first.
She simply rang the doorbell repeatedly until I opened the door.
She stood on the porch wearing a pale blue coat and holding a leather handbag.
“Sarah, we need to talk.””
I didn't move aside.
“Then talk.””
She looked past me.
“Can I come in?””
“No.””
Her eyebrows rose.
“Excuse me?””
“You heard me.””
She took a breath.
“I'm trying to save this family.””
I looked at her.
“Which family?””
She ignored the question.
“Daniel is devastated. Ethan is confused. Elizabeth is stirring up trouble. And now Robert's business is in danger because you've decided to make accusations.””
I stared at her.
“Did you know about the hidden account?””
She looked away.
“I knew Daniel was saving money.””
“Under my name?””
“He was protecting the family.””
“Did you know about the forged signatures?””
Her mouth tightened.
“Daniel handled the paperwork.””
“Did you know he had an entire child he never told me about?””
She sighed.
“Of course I knew about Ethan.””
I stared at her.
“Of course?””
“He is my grandson.””
“And you allowed me to marry Daniel without telling me?””
Patricia lifted her chin.
“It wasn't my place to interfere.””
I almost laughed.
“But it was your place to interfere with my money?””
She took a step closer.
“Sarah, listen to me. You have a good job. You have savings.
You have a future. Daniel is a good man who made some poor decisions.””
I shook my head.
“You still don't understand.””
“Understand what?””
“That you're asking me to forgive six years of deception because you think I have enough money to survive it.””
She looked irritated.
“Don't be selfish.””
I stared at her.
Then I said quietly:
“You know what? I think I've heard enough.””
I began closing the door.
Patricia suddenly placed her hand against it.
“Wait!””
I stopped.
Her expression had changed.
The anger was gone.
Now she looked frightened.
“There's something you don't know about the $180,000.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
She swallowed.
“Daniel didn't create that allocation to protect you.””
I felt my heart begin to race.
“Then why?””
Patricia looked toward the driveway.
Then she whispered:
“Because the money was supposed to be used to pay off a debt in your name.””
I froze.
“What debt?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Your father.””
I stared at her.
“My father is dead.””
“I know.””
“What does he have to do with this?””
Patricia's lips trembled.
Then she said:
“Four years before you married Daniel, your father borrowed money from Robert's company. And when he died, the debt wasn't settled.””
I felt the ground shift beneath me.
“My father never borrowed money from Robert.””
Patricia looked at me.
“That's what Daniel told you.””
I stared at her.
“What did my father sign?””
She shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Then she reached into her handbag and pulled out a sealed envelope.
On the front, in handwriting I recognized immediately, were three words:
*For Sarah Thompson.*
It was my father's handwriting.
May you like
He had been dead for eight years.
And Patricia had apparently been holding a letter addressed to me for six.
