Chapter 7 - The Woman Who Chose My Father on Purpose
I stared at the name.
Vanessa Brooks.
The woman who married my father when I was nine.
The woman who told me she wanted to become my second mother.
The woman who packed my suitcase and tried to send me away.
Her name was written in an email dated before my mother's death.
I looked at Dad.
His face had gone pale.
"That's impossible."
Patricia examined the document again.
"Let's verify exactly what this refers to."
Grandma looked frightened.
"Rachel never mentioned Vanessa to me."
Dad shook his head.
"Vanessa told me she moved to Atlanta after Rachel died."
Patricia nodded.
"Then we need to establish whether this is the same person and what involvement she had."
I stared at the letter.
My heart pounded.
"Did Vanessa know my mom?"
Nobody answered.
For the next several days, Patricia investigated the old records.
She contacted Douglas Price's former office.
Reviewed archived correspondence.
Checked business registrations.
And compared names, addresses, and dates.
Meanwhile, Dad began remembering things.
Little things.
The way Vanessa asked about my mother's estate before they were married.
The way she seemed unusually interested in Dad's financial arrangements.
The way Darren appeared in our lives soon after the wedding.
Dad had always assumed Vanessa was simply organized.
Now those questions looked different.
One evening, we sat at the kitchen table.
Dad was staring at an old photograph of himself and Vanessa.
Their first date.
He looked happy.
She looked beautiful.
I watched him.
"Dad?"
He turned.
"Yeah, sweetheart?"
"Did you love her?"
His expression changed.
"Yes."
I swallowed.
"Do you still?"
He looked at the photograph.
Then placed it facedown.
"I loved the person I believed she was."
I thought about that.
Then asked something I'd been afraid to say.
"Did she only marry you because of Mom's money?"
Dad closed his eyes.
"I don't know yet."
I nodded.
He reached across the table.
"But whatever her reasons, none of this is your fault."
My throat tightened.
"I know."
He smiled sadly.
"Do you?"
I hesitated.
Then shook my head.
"Sometimes I feel like if I hadn't been here, you two would still be happy."
Dad stood immediately.
He came around the table.
Kneeling beside me, he took my hands.
"Maya, listen carefully."
I looked at him.
"You are not the reason my marriage failed."
Tears filled my eyes.
"The marriage failed because Vanessa made choices that hurt our family."
I began crying.
He hugged me.
"And I would choose you a thousand times."
I held him tightly.
For years, Vanessa had made me believe I was competing with her for Dad's love.
Now I understood there had never been a competition.
He was my father.
I was his daughter.
That was enough.
The next morning, Patricia called.
She had confirmed that the Vanessa Brooks named in the old correspondence was my stepmother.
My stomach tightened.
"How?"
Dad put the call on speaker.
Patricia explained that Vanessa had once worked as an administrative assistant for a property management firm connected to Douglas Price.
She had access to scheduling and some records, although the extent of that access was still being examined.
Dad stared at the phone.
"She told me she worked in event planning."
Patricia nodded.
"That may also be true. But she omitted this earlier employment."
Grandma looked furious.
"Did she know Rachel?"
Patricia hesitated.
"They appear to have met professionally."
My heart stopped.
"My mom knew her?"
"Possibly. We have correspondence indicating they were present at the same meetings."
I stared at Dad.
His face looked devastated.
Then Patricia continued.
"There's more."
I gripped the table.
"What?"
"We found a complaint Rachel made concerning unauthorized access to confidential financial information."
Dad closed his eyes.
"Against Vanessa?"
"Vanessa was named as someone who may have handled the affected files."
Grandma covered her mouth.
"Rachel was trying to protect Maya."
Patricia nodded.
"And Douglas Price acknowledged the concern."
I looked down.
My mother had been fighting for my future before I even understood what money was.
And the woman who later married my father had already been connected to that fight.
I felt sick.
"Why didn't Mom tell Dad?"
Patricia answered gently.
"We don't know. They may have treated it as a professional matter that was resolved."
Dad looked ashamed.
"I never knew."
Grandma touched his shoulder.
"Marcus, Rachel trusted you."
His eyes filled.
"I know."
The investigation continued.
Soon afterward, a former employee of Douglas Price's office agreed to speak.
Her name was Linda Matthews.
She remembered Vanessa.
And she remembered the complaint.
We met at Patricia's office.
Linda was in her sixties, with kind eyes and short gray hair.
She looked at me.
"Oh, sweetheart."
I stiffened.
She smiled sadly.
"You look just like your mother."
My throat tightened.
"Did you know her?"
Linda nodded.
"She came to our office several times."
I leaned forward.
"Was she nice?"
Linda smiled.
"Very."
My eyes filled.
Then Linda became serious.
"Your mother was also careful."
She explained that Rachel had noticed unusual requests for information about her estate arrangements.
Someone had asked questions about beneficiary designations.
Property interests.
And access to accounts intended for me.
Rachel complained.
The office investigated.
Vanessa was questioned.
Then she resigned.
Dad stared.
"Was she fired?"
Linda shook her head.
"She left before the investigation was complete."
My stomach tightened.
"Did she steal anything?"
Linda answered carefully.
"We never established that at the time."
Patricia nodded.
"That's important."
Then Linda looked at Dad.
"There's something else you should know."
He leaned forward.
"What?"
"Vanessa asked me about you."
Dad froze.
"When?"
"Shortly after Rachel passed away."
The room went silent.
Linda continued.
"She wanted to know whether Rachel's husband was handling the estate personally."
I stared at her.
Dad's face crumpled.
"She knew who I was."
Linda nodded.
"I believe so."
Grandma whispered, "Oh, Marcus."
Dad covered his face.
For several seconds, he couldn't speak.
Then he looked up.
"Did she ask anything else?"
Linda hesitated.
"She asked whether you were planning to remarry."
My heart stopped.
I stared at Dad.
He looked as if someone had knocked the air from his lungs.
Then Linda said something that made the room feel ice-cold.
"Marcus, I remember her exact words."
Dad swallowed.
"What did she say?"
Linda looked at me.
Then back at him.
"She said, 'A man with that much money and a little girl to raise won't stay alone forever.'"
I felt tears gathering.
Dad stared at the table.
Vanessa hadn't simply appeared in our lives by chance.
She had known about us.
Known about my mother's estate.
Known Dad was grieving.
And somehow, years later, she became his wife.
Patricia asked Linda to provide a formal statement.
She agreed.
Then Dad stood.
His voice trembled.
"I'm going to make sure every part of this is investigated."
I looked at him.
His eyes were filled with tears.
But his voice was stronger than I'd ever heard it.
"And whatever Vanessa took from Maya, we're going to fight to get it back."
That evening, as we drove home, my phone rang.
Caleb.
I answered immediately.
"Caleb?"
He sounded frightened.
"Maya, Mom knows I told you about the box."
My heart dropped.
"Are you okay?"
He didn't answer.
I sat upright.
"Caleb?"
May you like
Then he whispered something that made me scream for Dad.
"Mom says she's taking me away before the police find Uncle Darren."
