Chapter 2: My Father's Deed
The call ended twelve minutes later.
Eric didn't speak.
He stood in the foyer with his phone hanging loosely at his side.
Diane was the first to recover.
“This is a misunderstanding.””
I almost smiled.
“That's what people say when the truth arrives before they're ready for it.””
Eric turned sharply.
“Where did you get that information?””
“My father's lawyer.””
“You called him?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“While you were on the phone.””
Eric's eyes narrowed.
“You planned this?””
I stared at him.
“You sold my house while I was giving birth, Eric.””
“I didn't sell your house.””
“Then why did you just ask your attorney why the deed was still in my name?””
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Diane stepped forward.
“Megan, listen to me carefully. Your father intended that property to become a family asset.””
“No.””
“He wanted Eric to have security.””
“No.””
“He trusted Eric.””
“My father barely tolerated Eric.””
Diane's face tightened.
“You're being disrespectful.””
I shifted Emma to my other arm.
“I've been respectful for seven years.””
Eric finally spoke.
“Where is the original deed?””
“Safe.””
“Where?””
“Somewhere you can't reach.””
His expression changed.
That was when I understood something.
He wasn't surprised that I knew.
He was surprised that I had protected myself.
“You knew this could happen?”” he asked.
“I knew you could lie.””
“That isn't an answer.””
“It is.””
Diane gave an impatient laugh.
“This is ridiculous. The sale documents are signed. The buyer paid. There's a contract.””
“A contract to sell property Eric didn't own.””
She shook her head.
“Eric was acting on your behalf.””
I looked directly at him.
“Did I give you power of attorney?””
“No.””
“Did I sign anything authorizing you to sell the house?””
“No.””
“Did I tell you to sell it?””
“No.””
“Then what exactly did you think you were doing?””
Eric's silence was answer enough.
I walked toward the kitchen.
My legs felt weak.
I had been upright for too long.
I needed to sit.
I lowered myself into one of the dining chairs, keeping Emma against my chest.
The room smelled like lemon cleaner and the chicken soup someone had left in the refrigerator before I went to the hospital.
Normal smells.
A normal house.
A completely abnormal moment.
Eric sat across from me.
Diane remained standing.
“I made a mistake,” he said.
I looked up.
“A mistake?””
“Yes.””
“You didn't accidentally sell a house.””
“I thought the ownership had changed.””
“Changed to you?””
“Yes.””
“Who told you that?””
He glanced at his mother.
Diane immediately looked offended.
“Don't look at me.””
“You told me,” Eric said.
“I told you what your father-in-law intended.””
“My father was dead for five years.””
“And?””
“And dead people don't transfer property.””
Diane's face reddened.
Eric rubbed his forehead.
“This was supposed to be simple.””
That sentence made my stomach turn.
“Simple?””
“We needed the money.””
“What money?””
He didn't answer.
I waited.
“Eric.””
He stared at the table.
“We have debts.””
“What debts?””
“Business expenses.””
“What business?””
His eyes lifted.
“You know about my company.””
“I know you have a company.””
“You know we had cash-flow problems.””
I shook my head.
“No. I knew you told me you had cash-flow problems.””
Diane interrupted.
“You don't understand what it costs to maintain a property like this.””
“My father left me this house debt-free.””
“We had taxes.””
“We had income.””
“Repairs.””
“We had savings.””
“Insurance.””
“We had insurance.””
Diane slammed her palm against the table.
“You think everything is that easy!””
Emma startled.
Her tiny face crumpled.
Immediately, I stood.
“Don't raise your voice around my daughter.””
Diane stared at me.
For the first time, I saw something underneath her anger.
Fear.
I walked upstairs.
Behind me, Eric called my name.
“Megan, wait.””
I didn't.
Our bedroom looked untouched.
My suitcase was still on the chair.
The baby clothes I had folded before leaving were stacked neatly in the dresser.
But something was missing.
I opened my jewelry drawer.
Empty.
I froze.
My grandmother's necklace.
Gone.
My wedding ring was still on my finger, but the necklace wasn't there.
I opened the next drawer.
My father's old watch was gone too.
I turned around.
Eric stood in the doorway.
“Where are my things?””
“What things?””
“My grandmother's necklace.””
“I don't know.””
“My father's watch.””
“I don't know.””
I walked toward him.
“Eric, look at me.””
He did.
“Did you take them?””
“No.””
“Did your mother?””
His face tightened.
“No.””
“Then where are they?””
“I don't know.””
I studied him.
Then I saw the faint red mark around his wrist.
A hospital bracelet.
Not mine.
His.
He had visited the hospital.
Of course.
I had been too drugged and exhausted to notice.
“When you came to the hospital yesterday,” I said, “where did you go afterward?””
His expression flickered.
“Home.””
“With your mother?””
“Yes.””
“How long?””
“Why?””
“Because I remember telling you not to touch anything in my bedroom.””
He swallowed.
“Megan—”
“What did you take?””
“Nothing.””
I stepped past him.
“Move.””
He didn't.
“Move, Eric.””
He finally stepped aside.
I walked downstairs with Emma.
At the bottom of the stairs, a black SUV was parked outside.
I didn't recognize it.
A man in a gray suit stood beside it.
He looked at me through the glass.
Then he entered the house.
“Mrs. Lawson?””
I froze.
“Yes?””
“My name is Daniel Reed. I'm representing the buyer.””
Eric went completely still.
Daniel looked between us.
May you like
Then he said something that made the entire room silent.
“I'm afraid there's a much bigger problem than the ownership of this house.””
