Chapter 2
Marcus stared at his phone as though the screen might somehow change.
It didn't.
The recording played again.
Vanessa ripped her own blouse.
She stepped toward the hallway.
She screamed my son's name.
And I stood several feet away, completely innocent.
Marcus lowered the phone.
"Vanessa."
She shook her head.
"Baby, please."
He looked at her.
"Why?"
Her eyes filled with tears.
This time, I couldn't tell whether they were real.
"I was scared."
"Scared of what?"
She glanced at me.
"Your father."
I nearly laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because I couldn't believe she was still trying.
Marcus looked at the screen again.
"He never touched you."
Vanessa folded her arms across her torn blouse.
"You don't understand what he's been doing."
My son swallowed.
"Then explain it."
She hesitated.
"He makes me uncomfortable."
I stared at her.
"Vanessa, I barely leave the guest room."
She turned toward me.
"Don't talk to me!"
Marcus stepped between us.
"Enough."
His voice was quieter now.
But it carried an authority I hadn't heard before.
"Tell me why you lied."
Vanessa looked toward the front door.
Then she began crying.
"I just wanted us to have our house back."
Marcus stared at her.
"What?"
She wiped her face.
"Your father has been here for weeks."
"He's recovering from surgery."
"I know!"
"Then why would you do this?"
She looked furious.
"Because you never listen to me!"
Marcus stepped backward.
I watched his face carefully.
He looked devastated.
But I couldn't comfort him.
Not yet.
My cheek was still burning.
And something inside me had broken.
"Marcus," I said quietly.
He turned.
"Dad, I'm—"
"Not now."
His mouth closed.
I looked at Vanessa.
"Tell him about the papers."
Her face went pale.
Marcus frowned.
"What papers?"
Vanessa answered too quickly.
"Insurance forms."
I shook my head.
"No."
Marcus looked at me.
"What are you talking about?"
I took a slow breath.
"Yesterday, Vanessa asked me to sign documents involving my house."
He stared at her.
"What?"
She laughed nervously.
"Arthur misunderstood."
I continued.
"She said they were medical forms. But they mentioned transferring property."
Marcus turned toward his wife.
"Vanessa?"
She shook her head.
"He's confused."
Those words struck me harder than I expected.
Confused.
Old.
Unreliable.
I'd heard her use them before.
Whenever I forgot where I'd left my glasses, she'd laugh and say my memory was getting bad.
Whenever I asked about something she'd told me, she'd insist I'd remembered it incorrectly.
I'd dismissed it as teasing.
Now I wasn't so sure.
Marcus looked at me.
"Dad, where are those papers?"
"In my suitcase."
Vanessa immediately stepped forward.
"Marcus, this is ridiculous."
He looked at her.
"Stay here."
Then he turned toward me.
"Dad, can we look at them?"
I nodded.
But I didn't move.
My knee was throbbing.
The slap had left me dizzy.
And I suddenly felt exhausted.
"Can you bring my suitcase?"
Marcus looked ashamed.
"Of course."
He hurried upstairs.
Vanessa waited until his footsteps disappeared.
Then she leaned toward me.
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"You should have signed."
I stared at her.
"What?"
She smiled coldly.
"None of this would have happened."
I felt a chill run down my back.
"You planned this."
She didn't answer.
"Did you plan for Marcus to hit me?"
Her expression flickered.
Then she said, "I knew he'd believe me."
I felt sick.
She wasn't sorry.
She was angry that the camera had exposed her.
Marcus returned carrying my small suitcase.
Vanessa instantly straightened.
I pointed toward the side pocket.
"The envelope."
He unzipped it.
Pulled out the papers.
And began reading.
His forehead tightened.
"What is this?"
Vanessa reached for the documents.
"I can explain."
Marcus pulled them away.
"Why does this mention Dad's property?"
She swallowed.
"It's part of a financial plan."
"What plan?"
"Our future."
I stared at her.
My son looked equally confused.
Vanessa continued.
"Your father has assets sitting around doing nothing."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"My house isn't an asset sitting around."
She looked at me.
"It's worth almost half a million dollars."
Marcus's eyes widened.
"How do you know that?"
Vanessa fell silent.
He looked at the first page again.
Then the second.
His expression changed.
"Dad, did you agree to put your house up as collateral?"
I shook my head.
"Absolutely not."
Vanessa raised her voice.
"Nobody was forcing him!"
I looked at her.
"Then why did you tell me I had to sign immediately?"
She didn't answer.
Marcus continued reading.
"Who is Daniel Price?"
Vanessa went still.
I had never heard the name.
Marcus looked up.
"He's listed as the loan broker."
Vanessa shrugged.
"Someone helping with financing."
"For what?"
She folded her arms.
"A business opportunity."
"What business?"
She stared at him.
Then finally spoke.
"The beauty salon."
Marcus looked stunned.
"What beauty salon?"
My stomach tightened.
Vanessa had been talking about opening a luxury salon for months.
Marcus supported the idea.
But he'd told me they were saving for it.
I hadn't realized she was planning to use my home to finance the business.
Marcus looked at her.
"You said your mother was helping with the investment."
Vanessa glanced away.
"Plans changed."
I stared at her.
"You wanted to borrow money against my house without telling me?"
She snapped.
"You're acting like I was stealing it!"
I looked at the papers.
"Then why did you disguise them as medical forms?"
She fell silent.
Marcus turned another page.
Then his face went white.
"Vanessa."
She didn't move.
He held up the document.
"This has Dad's signature."
I stared at it.
My name.
Arthur Bennett.
Written in blue ink.
But the signature wasn't mine.
I knew my own handwriting.
And that wasn't it.
"Marcus," I whispered.
He looked at me.
"I never signed that."
Vanessa took a step backward.
My son stared at his wife.
Then at the document.
And I watched him realize that the woman he'd defended with violence might have forged his father's name.
But before he could ask another question, Vanessa grabbed her purse.
"I need some air."
Marcus moved toward the door.
"You're not leaving until we talk."
She stopped.
Then her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
I saw the name before she turned it away.
Daniel.
May you like
And suddenly, I knew the name on those papers wasn't just some stranger helping with a loan.
He was the person Vanessa had been trying so desperately to protect.
