Chapter 11 - The Plan Behind The Plan

After the courthouse, I couldn’t breathe normally.

Because the worst part wasn’t what I knew.

It was what I didn’t know.

What was phase two?

What were they planning?

And why was Skylar involved?

Melissa spent the next several hours investigating.

I waited in her office, staring at the wall.

My daughter sat beside me coloring quietly.

She looked peaceful.

She didn’t know adults were fighting battles around her.

She didn’t know people she trusted had used her name in secret plans.

She didn’t know how close everything had come to falling apart.

And I wanted to keep it that way.

Around six in the evening, Melissa finally walked back in.

She placed a folder on the desk.

“We found it.”

My stomach tightened.

“What is it?”

She opened the folder.

“The renovation company wasn’t created only to move money.”

I leaned forward.

“Then why?”

She pointed to a document.

“Because they needed access.”

“Access to what?”

“Your house.”

I frowned.

“They already had access.”

“No.”

She shook her head.

“Not enough.”

I looked confused.

Melissa continued.

“They wanted legal control.”

My blood ran cold.

“Why?”

She looked at me.

“Because someone was planning to claim financial authority over the property.”

I stared at the documents.

“They wanted to make it look like they invested in the house.”

“Yes.”

“So later they could argue they owned part of it?”

“Yes.”

I closed my eyes.

They had been building a trap.

Piece by piece.

Then Melissa showed me something else.

A letter.

From an insurance company.

My name was on it.

My signature.

A policy.

But this time, there was a difference.

A beneficiary change request.

Someone had tried to add another person.

I looked closer.

My hands froze.

The person they wanted added was…

Hailey.

My sister-in-law.

I couldn’t speak.

“My husband’s sister?”

Melissa nodded.

“Apparently.”

I laughed once.

A broken, painful laugh.

“So Brandon was willing to betray me.”

“Yes.”

“And his mother was willing.”

“Yes.”

“And Hailey?”

Melissa looked at me.

“Everyone had something to gain.”

That night, Brandon came to the hotel.

I almost didn’t open the door.

But I wanted answers.

When I saw him standing there, he looked exhausted.

Not angry.

Not confident.

Just tired.

“Charlotte.”

“What do you want?”

“I need to explain.”

I crossed my arms.

“Explain what?”

He looked down.

“Everything.”

I waited.

Finally.

The truth.

Or whatever was left of it.

“My mother promised me the business deal would save us.”

I stared at him.

“You mean save you.”

He looked ashamed.

“I made a mistake.”

I shook my head.

“No.”

He looked at me.

“You keep calling it a mistake.”

I stepped closer.

“You made hundreds of decisions.”

Silence.

“You signed papers.”

Silence.

“You lied.”

Silence.

“You watched your daughter suffer.”

His eyes filled with tears.

“I know.”

Those two words surprised me.

Because they were the first honest words he had said.

But they were too late.

“I never wanted this.”

I looked at him.

“But you allowed it.”

He had no answer.

Before he left, he stopped at the door.

“Charlotte.”

I didn’t turn around.

“Your mother-in-law isn’t the only person hiding something.”

I froze.

“What?”

He swallowed.

“There’s something about Skylar’s birth documents.”

My heart started racing.

“What are you talking about?”

He looked terrified.

“I didn’t know until recently.”

“Brandon.”

He opened the door.

“I’m sorry.”

Then he left.

I stood there frozen.

Birth documents?

What could possibly be hidden about my daughter?

I grabbed my phone.

And called Melissa.

Because after everything I had discovered…

I knew one thing.

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TO BE CONTINUED…