Chapter 10 - What Happened in the Hospital
Thomas read Helen’s note again.
The greenhouse became unbearably quiet.
He looked at his mother.
“What transfer did Emily discover?”
Helen’s lips pressed together.
Detective Ellis stepped closer.
“You should answer carefully.”
Helen stared at the children.
Thomas moved in front of them.
“Look at me.”
She did.
“What happened at the hospital?”
Robert spoke first.
“Do not say another word.”
Detective Ellis tightened her grip on his arm.
Helen’s composure broke.
“Emily discovered the insurance change.”
Thomas felt the ground shift beneath him.
“I was beside her every day.”
“Not every hour.”
“I trusted you to sit with her.”
“You had meetings.”
“You told me Northline would collapse if I stopped working.”
Helen looked away.
Thomas’s voice trembled for the first time.
“What did you say to Emily?”
“I told her the money would protect the children.”
“You transferred it to Robert.”
“We intended to repay it.”
“You stole from a dying woman.”
Robert raised his voice.
“We kept this family alive.”
Thomas turned toward him.
“You kept your reputation alive.”
Rebecca unfolded her mother’s letter.
A smaller page was hidden inside.
“Dad.”
Thomas looked at her.
Rebecca handed him the page.
Emily had written only a few lines.
Thomas,
Your parents changed the insurance papers.
I confronted Helen.
She said you already knew.
I do not believe her.
Please protect the children from anyone who calls control love.
Thomas lowered the page.
For three years, he had blamed himself for Emily’s final distance.
During her last two days, she had barely spoken to him.
Helen had told him the medication made Emily confused.
Now he understood.
Emily had been waiting for him to admit something he had never known.
“She thought I betrayed her.”
Helen’s eyes filled with tears.
It was the first emotion she had shown all evening.
“I did not know she would believe me.”
“You wanted her to believe you.”
“I wanted her to stop fighting the transfer.”
Thomas stepped away as if his mother’s words had struck him.
Rebecca grabbed his hand.
“Mom knew you loved her.”
Thomas looked down at the letter.
“I hope so.”
“She wrote it.”
Rebecca pointed to the last sentence.
He read it aloud.
“I still trust Thomas, even if I never get the chance to tell him.”
Thomas covered his mouth.
Samuel pressed against his side.
Jacob wrapped both arms around his waist.
For several seconds, Thomas held all three children and said nothing.
Then Nolan’s radio sounded.
“Sir, we cannot locate Rebecca’s original yellow envelope.”
Thomas looked toward the scattered papers.
“It is not here?”
“No.”
Helen wiped her eyes.
Robert laughed quietly.
Everyone turned toward him.
“You think you have won because you found old letters.”
“The trust transfer is already in motion.”
Thomas stared at him.
Robert smiled.
“By midnight, the children’s accounts will no longer be under your control.”
May you like
Detective Ellis checked the time.
It was 11:37 p.m.
