Chapter 13: Shattered Alibis
He had attempted to use a key on the rear door.
The locks had already been changed.
When officers confronted him, Daniel claimed he was checking on his children.
Ethan showed them the message threatening his college tuition.
Lily told them she did not want to see her father.
Daniel was ordered to leave.
By the time I arrived, he was standing beside his car.
He watched me cross the sidewalk.
“You turned my children against me,” he said.
“You lied to them.”
“You brought Vanessa into this.”
“You brought Vanessa into our marriage.”
His face tightened.
“She manipulated you.”
“No.”
I stopped several feet away.
“She gave us your recordings.”
For the first time, Daniel looked genuinely shocked.
“What recordings?”
“The ones you made with Richard.”
He recovered quickly.
“Anything she has was edited.”
“You discussed using my therapy records.”
“That is a lie.”
“You discussed threatening Ethan’s education.”
“I was angry.”
“You discussed taking Lily from me.”
“You are not her mother.”
The words no longer hurt the way they had at the airport.
They exposed him.
The front door opened.
Lily stood inside with Ethan behind her.
She had heard.
Daniel saw her.
His expression softened immediately.
“Lily, sweetheart.”
She stepped onto the porch.
“Did you say Rachel wasn’t my mother?”
Daniel looked trapped.
“I said she is not your biological mother.”
“That isn’t what you said.”
“I’m under enormous pressure.”
“Because you cheated?”
“This is complicated.”
“No.”
Lily wiped her face.
“You always say that when you don’t want to answer.”
Daniel looked at me.
“See what you’ve done?”
Ethan stepped beside his sister.
“She heard you.”
Daniel’s voice became sharper.
“Both of you need to come with me.”
“No,” Ethan said.
“I am your father.”
“And Rachel is our parent.”
Daniel’s anger flashed.
He pointed toward me.
“She is trying to steal everything I built.”
I laughed before I could stop myself.
Daniel stared at me.
“You think this is funny?”
“You started working at the hospital nine years ago.”
“So?”
“My mother created the research foundation twenty-six years ago.”
“I expanded it.”
“With trust money.”
“I brought patients.”
“And you forged documents.”
“That has not been proven.”
I held up my phone.
“It will be.”
A car stopped behind Daniel’s sedan.
Richard climbed out.
He marched toward us.
“This ends now.”
Helen’s investigator, who had remained at the house, began recording.
Richard ignored him.
He looked at Ethan and Lily.
“Get in the car.”
Neither moved.
Richard turned to me.
“You have poisoned them.”
“No.”
Ethan raised his phone.
“You did that yourself.”
He played the recovered recording.
Daniel’s voice came through the speaker.
He wants college money.
Daniel lunged toward Ethan.
I stepped forward, but the investigator reached him first.
A police officer ordered Daniel to stop.
Daniel froze.
Neighbors watched from their windows.
His public image as the calm, compassionate doctor was disappearing.
Richard grabbed Daniel’s shoulder.
“Let’s go.”
Daniel pulled away.
“This is your fault.”
Richard stared at him.
“My fault?”
“You changed the receiving account.”
Richard’s face became still.
Daniel had revealed the betrayal in front of everyone.
Lauren had been right.
Richard planned to keep the stolen money.
The two men who had conspired against me turned on each other on the sidewalk.
“You ungrateful fool,” Richard said.
“You would still be a junior surgeon without me.”
“You would be bankrupt without Rachel’s money.”
Richard struck Daniel across the face.
The sound echoed through the street.
Daniel stared at his father.
Then the police moved between them.
I looked at Ethan and Lily.
“Go inside.”
May you like
This family was finally revealing itself.
I would not let the children stand in the middle of the collapse.
