Chapter 7 - THE SIGNATURE THAT WASN’T MINE
I stared at the document on the kitchen table.
My name was there.
My address.
My daughter’s name.
Everything looked real.
Too real.
But there was one problem.
I had never signed it.
I looked at Tove.
“What is this?”
She didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, she walked toward the coffee machine like this was just another normal morning.
Like my entire life hadn’t just been shaken.
“You should be more careful with paperwork, Cullen.”
My jaw tightened.
“What does that mean?”
She poured coffee into her cup.
“It means people sign things all the time without remembering.”
I grabbed the paper.
“I would remember signing a custody agreement involving my daughter.”
Tove turned around.
Her expression was different now.
The sweet, patient wife was gone.
This was someone else.
Someone colder.
“You’re overreacting.”
“No.”
I looked directly at her.
“I’m finally paying attention.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she laughed quietly.
“You really think you’re going to take Mireya away from me?”
I didn’t answer.
Because the truth was…
I didn’t know what I could do yet.
But I knew one thing.
I would not let my daughter live in fear.
Tove stepped closer.
“You have no idea how this works.”
“Explain it to me.”
She smiled.
“You’re the father who travels for work.”
I froze.
“You’re the father who misses school events.”
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it?”
Her words hit a painful place.
Because there was some truth there.
I worked hard.
I provided.
But maybe I had been so focused on giving Mireya a better life…
I missed the fact that she was suffering in the one place she should have been safest.
Tove continued.
“I’m the one who is here every day.”
I looked at her.
“And you’re the reason she’s afraid.”
Her smile disappeared.
Then she whispered:
“You should be careful accusing me.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not the only one who can tell a story.”
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?”
She picked up her phone.
“Maybe you should ask yourself what happens when people hear about your anger problems.”
I stared at her.
“My anger problems?”
She shrugged.
“You yelled last night.”
“I confronted you after you endangered our daughter.”
“But people don’t always see the whole story.”
I felt a chill.
Because I finally understood.
Tove wasn’t just defending herself.
She was preparing.
She had been planning.
And I needed to know how far she had gone.
That afternoon, I met with the attorney.
Her name was Rachel Morgan.
She looked through the documents carefully.
Then she looked at me.
“Cullen, where did you get this?”
“My wife gave it to me.”
Rachel frowned.
“She gave you evidence?”
“What?”
She pointed to the bottom.
“This signature.”
I leaned closer.
“What about it?”
Rachel tapped the page.
“It’s not your signature.”
I exhaled.
“I knew it.”
“But that’s not the biggest problem.”
I looked up.
“What is?”
Rachel turned the document around.
“This agreement was prepared six months ago.”
Six months.
Before the inhaler.
Before the school note.
Before I knew anything.
“Why would she prepare this six months ago?”
Rachel looked at me seriously.
“Because she was planning for something.”
I swallowed.
“What?”
Rachel lowered her voice.
“To make it look like she was the parent protecting Mireya…”
She paused.
“And you were the problem.”
My phone suddenly buzzed.
A message.
From an unknown number.
I opened it.
There was only one sentence.
You need to check the basement camera.
May you like
And below it…
A video file.
