Chapter 5
Patricia Bennett had always treated me like a temporary guest in her son's life.
At our wedding, she smiled for photographs.
She hugged me in front of everyone.
Then, during the reception, she whispered that Marcus deserved a woman who understood his ambitions.
I should have recognized the warning.
Instead, I spent five years trying to earn her approval.
When I became pregnant with the twins, Patricia suddenly became attentive.
She brought gifts.
She called regularly.
She even offered to help manage our finances while Marcus was away.
I thought she'd finally accepted me.
Now I wondered whether her kindness had come with a price.
Daniel Price explained that Seabridge Holdings had received several payments from Marcus's business account.
The timing matched some of the transfers from my savings.
But the records didn't yet prove Patricia had taken my money.
"We need to trace the funds carefully," he said.
I nodded.
Camille advised me not to confront Patricia.
"Let the documents speak first."
I agreed.
But that evening, my mother-in-law called.
I stared at her name.
Then answered.
"Nia, where are my grandchildren?"
No hello.
No concern about my well-being.
Just a demand.
"They're safe."
"Marcus says you've disappeared with them."
I closed my eyes.
"I haven't disappeared."
"Then why won't you tell us where you are?"
"Because I'm taking time to understand what happened."
Patricia sighed dramatically.
"Marriage is complicated, sweetheart."
I gripped the phone.
"Is that what you call it?"
"Marcus works very hard."
"So do I."
"Raising babies isn't the same as supporting a household."
The words stung.
I had worked as a medical billing specialist until my pregnancy became difficult.
After the twins arrived, Marcus encouraged me to take a longer maternity leave.
He said his cruise salary would cover everything.
Now Patricia was treating that decision like laziness.
"Your son took sixty-eight thousand dollars from my savings," I said.
She went silent.
Then she answered too quickly.
"That money was invested."
I froze.
"How do you know?"
Silence.
"Patricia?"
She cleared her throat.
"Marcus mentioned it."
"When?"
"Some time ago."
I felt my heartbeat quicken.
"Before or after I discovered the affair?"
She didn't answer.
I leaned forward.
"Did you know about Vanessa?"
Patricia's voice sharpened.
"That girl has nothing to do with your marriage."
My stomach dropped.
"You knew."
"I knew Marcus was unhappy."
I closed my eyes.
"He told another woman he was single."
Patricia sighed.
"Men make foolish decisions when they feel neglected."
I stared at the wall.
"Neglected?"
"You were so focused on those babies."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"They're his children."
"Of course they are."
"Then why are you blaming me for caring for them?"
Patricia raised her voice.
"Because you never understood what Marcus needed!"
I ended the call.
My hands shook.
Then I immediately wrote down everything she had said.
I forwarded the details to Camille.
Patricia knew about the investment.
She knew about Vanessa.
And she was blaming me.
That night, I cried harder than I had at the port.
Not because Patricia's opinion mattered.
But because I finally understood how alone I'd been in that marriage.
Marcus's family had watched me struggle.
They'd watched me carry two babies while he traveled.
They'd praised him for providing.
And they'd treated my exhaustion like weakness.
I looked at Noah sleeping in his crib.
Then at Naomi.
I promised myself they would grow up knowing love wasn't supposed to feel like begging.
The next morning, Camille called.
The forensic accountant had identified a transfer from Seabridge Holdings to an account controlled by Patricia.
The amount was $24,000.
I felt sick.
"Did she use my money?"
"We're still tracing the exact source," Camille said.
"But the timing raises questions."
I nodded.
She continued.
"We may need to pursue financial discovery against the relevant parties."
"Do it."
I was finished protecting people who had never protected me.
That afternoon, Simone suggested we take the twins for a walk.
We went to a nearby park.
The weather was beautiful.
Children played on the swings.
Parents pushed strollers.
For a little while, I almost felt normal.
Then I saw Marcus.
He was standing near the parking lot.
Wearing the same navy blazer he'd worn at the port.
My stomach tightened.
Simone noticed immediately.
"Nia."
"I see him."
Marcus walked toward us.
"Nia, please."
I stopped the stroller.
"How did you find me?"
He ignored the question.
"I want to see my children."
I kept my voice calm.
"We can arrange that properly."
He looked at Simone.
"This is between me and my wife."
Simone crossed her arms.
"Then stop appearing without warning."
Marcus glared at her.
"Stay out of my marriage."
I felt anger rise.
"Don't speak to my sister like that."
He turned back to me.
"Look, I made mistakes."
I stared at him.
"Mistakes?"
"Vanessa meant nothing."
I shook my head.
"Then why did you buy her a house?"
His expression changed.
"I didn't buy it for her."
"She has photographs."
"It's an investment property."
"Funded with my savings?"
He lowered his voice.
"Nia, can we stop doing this in public?"
I looked around.
A few people were watching.
I hated the attention.
But I wasn't going to let embarrassment silence me.
"Then stop approaching me in public."
Marcus stepped closer.
"I need you to sign something."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
He pulled a folded document from his jacket.
"It's just a statement confirming you approved the investment."
I stared at him.
He was asking me to lie.
Right there.
In front of our children.
"No."
His jaw tightened.
"Nia."
"I said no."
He looked furious.
"You have no idea what happens if this deal falls apart."
I held his gaze.
"Then you should have thought about that before using my money."
He leaned closer.
"You'll regret making me your enemy."
Simone stepped beside me.
"That's enough."
Marcus looked at her.
Then at the twins.
For a moment, I saw something dark in his expression.
Not grief.
Not regret.
Resentment.
Then he turned and walked away.
I stood there shaking.
Simone put an arm around me.
"We're leaving."
I nodded.
As we reached the car, my phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
It contained a photograph.
Marcus standing beside Patricia.
Both of them smiling outside the white house.
Underneath was a sentence.
You deserve to know who really planned this.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
May you like
It wasn't Marcus's idea.
It was his mother's.
