Chapter 3 - THE NECKLACE
My late wife’s necklace was the one thing Emma never touched without permission.
It had belonged to Rachel.
Emma’s mother.
My wife.
The woman I had buried four years earlier after a drunk driver crossed three lanes and changed our lives forever.
The necklace wasn’t expensive.
A small silver heart.
Inside it was a photograph of Emma as a baby.
Rachel wore it almost every day.
After she died, I kept it in a wooden box in my bedroom.
Then, on Emma’s tenth birthday, I gave it to her.
She cried for an hour.
So did I.
Now it was gone.
“When did you notice?” I asked.
“Yesterday.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Emma looked toward Vanessa.
“Because she told me you’d think I lost it.”
My jaw tightened.
Vanessa shook her head.
“That’s not what I said.”
“Yes, it is.”
“I said your father was under a lot of stress.”
Emma’s voice rose.
“You told me he’d be disappointed in me!”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“From my own dad?”
Vanessa’s mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
I turned to Maria.
“Did you know about this?”
Maria hesitated.
Then nodded.
“Miss Emma told me.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“She begged me not to.”
Emma started crying.
“I’m sorry.”
I crouched beside her.
“No. Don’t apologize.”
“But I should’ve told you.”
“Yes, you should have.”
Her face fell.
I touched her shoulder.
“But that doesn’t make this your fault.”
Vanessa folded her arms.
“So now everything missing in this house is automatically my fault?”
Emma wiped her eyes.
“You were in my room.”
“I was looking for laundry.”
“For twenty minutes?”
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
“You know what? This is insane.”
She grabbed her purse from the table.
“I’m leaving.”
“No,” I said.
She stopped.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re not leaving yet.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“You can’t keep me here.”
“I’m not keeping you here.”
I took out my phone.
“I’m calling the police.”
Her face changed immediately.
“Daniel.”
“You intentionally put my daughter in danger.”
“I didn’t hurt her.”
“You pushed a stroller toward a staircase.”
“And Maria caught it.”
“Because she risked her own body.”
Vanessa took a step toward me.
“It was stupid. Fine. I admit that. I panicked.”
“You didn’t panic.”
“What?”
“You looked at the camera first.”
Silence.
She knew.
I knew.
Everyone in that hallway knew.
What she did was planned.
Emma suddenly looked at me.
“Dad, wait.”
“What?”
“The camera.”
She scrolled through her saved clips.
“There’s another one.”
Vanessa moved quickly.
Too quickly.
She lunged for Emma’s phone.
Maria blocked her.
Vanessa shoved Maria hard.
Maria slammed into the wall.
I grabbed Vanessa’s wrist.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Let go of me!”
“Stop touching my family!”
She froze.
My family.
The words landed.
Vanessa stared at me.
Something vicious flashed behind her eyes.
“You think Maria is your family now?”
I let go.
“She’s been in my daughters’ lives longer than you have.”
Vanessa laughed.
“Of course.”
Maria straightened.
Emma held up the phone.
“Dad.”
“What?”
“I found the clip.”
She pressed play.
The video showed Vanessa leaving Emma’s room.
She had something in her hand.
A small wooden box.
Rachel’s box.
My stomach dropped.
Then Vanessa walked down the hall.
Toward my office.
She disappeared inside.
I looked toward the closed office door.
Vanessa whispered, “Daniel, don’t.”
I walked toward it.
“Don’t what?”
“Please.”
I opened the door.
The office was dark.
I turned on the light.
Everything looked normal.
Desk.
Bookshelves.
Filing cabinet.
Then Maria pointed.
“Sir.”
The bottom drawer of my desk was slightly open.
I pulled it out.
Inside were insurance papers.
Bank statements.
A copy of my passport.
And beneath them…
Rachel’s necklace.
I stared at it.
Then I saw something else.
A folded document.
My name was printed at the top.
Daniel Carter.
Underneath it were the words:
May you like
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT.
I had never seen it before.
