Chapter 3: The Signature That Wasn't His
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The refrigerator hummed.
A car passed outside.
Somewhere upstairs, a floorboard creaked.
I stared at Rebecca.
"What do you mean I wasn't supposed to inherit the house?""
She looked at Dad instead of answering me.
"Marcus, let me explain.""
He placed the document flat on the dining table.
"Start talking.""
Rebecca rubbed her forehead.
"Your wife made arrangements years ago. But those arrangements were never finalized.""
Dad's expression hardened.
"That's not what the letter says.""
"The letter isn't a legal document.""
"Neither is this.""
He tapped the paper.
"Where did you get it?""
Rebecca hesitated.
"I found it in your study.""
"Why were you going through my study?""
"Because I needed to organize the financial records!""
Dad gave a bitter laugh.
"You organized my daughter's inheritance by replacing her name with Hailey's?""
Rebecca's eyes filled with tears.
"Hailey is your daughter too.""
"I know that.""
"Then why should Nia get the entire house?""
I felt the words hit me like a slap.
I stepped forward.
"Because it belonged to Mom.""
Rebecca turned toward me.
"Your mother is gone, Nia. You cannot expect everyone to keep living around her.""
"Nobody asked you to live around her. I asked you not to sell her things.""
Rebecca pointed toward the stairs.
"Look at you! You're eighteen soon, and you still behave like a little child. You think this house belongs to you just because your mother left some papers?""
Dad interrupted.
"Don't speak to her like that.""
Rebecca laughed.
"Of course. Protect Nia. That's all you've ever done.""
I looked at Dad.
"Did you know Mom left the house to me?""
He hesitated.
That hesitation hurt more than I expected.
"I knew she wanted you protected," he said.
"But after she died, there were complications with the paperwork.""
"What complications?""
He sat down.
"When your mother became ill, she asked an attorney to prepare documents transferring the property into a trust for you. She wanted you to have a secure home when you became an adult.""
I swallowed.
"Then why doesn't it belong to me?""
"Because the final documents needed to be registered and verified. Your mother died before everything was completed.""
Rebecca immediately jumped in.
"Exactly. There was no completed transfer. The house became part of the estate.""
Dad turned toward her.
"That doesn't give you permission to forge documents.""
"I'm not forging anything!""
He pushed the paper toward her.
"Then explain this signature.""
At the bottom of the document was Marcus's name.
A signature that looked almost identical to his.
Almost.
Dad leaned closer.
"I never signed this.""
Rebecca shook her head.
"You must have forgotten.""
"I don't forget signing away property worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.""
"You were exhausted after your surgery last year. I handled the paperwork.""
"I never authorized this.""
She raised her voice.
"You gave me power to manage the household!""
"Not to transfer ownership.""
I stared at the document.
There was a date printed beside the signature.
Six months earlier.
The same week Dad had been hospitalized for a minor operation.
I remembered visiting him.
Rebecca had told me not to worry about the paperwork because she was taking care of everything.
At the time, I had been grateful.
Now I felt sick.
"Did you change the property records while Dad was in the hospital?"" I asked.
Rebecca turned toward me.
"Stay out of this.""
"It's my house!""
"IT IS NOT YOUR HOUSE!""
Her shout echoed through the room.
Dad stood so quickly his chair scraped backward.
"That's enough.""
Rebecca began crying.
Not quiet tears.
Loud, dramatic sobs.
She covered her face and shook her head.
"I can't believe you're doing this to me. I've sacrificed everything for this family.""
Dad didn't move.
"You sold my daughter's belongings.""
"I was cleaning!""
"You destroyed a letter her mother left for her.""
"I didn't know what was in it!""
"Then why was it torn into pieces?""
Rebecca looked at Hailey.
Hailey had appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
Her face was pale.
Dad noticed.
"Hailey. Come here.""
She shook her head.
"Why?""
"Come here.""
She walked into the room slowly.
Dad placed the torn letter in front of her.
"Did you destroy this?""
Hailey glanced at her mother.
"I threw it away.""
"Who told you to?""
"Nobody.""
I stepped forward.
"You said Rebecca told you to clear out the old stuff.""
Hailey's lips trembled.
"She told me the box needed to go.""
Rebecca snapped.
"Hailey, don't.""
Dad turned toward her.
"Don't what?""
Hailey began twisting her fingers.
"Mom said the papers inside were dangerous.""
My heart stopped.
Dad's voice became very quiet.
"What papers?""
Hailey looked at me.
Then at the torn letter.
"She said if Nia found out what her mom had arranged, we'd lose the house.""
Nobody spoke.
Rebecca moved toward her daughter.
"You're confused.""
Hailey stepped backward.
"No, Mom. You told me.""
"Stop talking.""
"You said the house should have been yours after Dad married you.""
Rebecca's face turned red.
Dad looked as if someone had punched him.
"Rebecca?""
She shook her head.
"She's lying.""
Hailey's eyes filled with tears.
"You told me Nia was going to take everything from us. You said if we got her name off the papers, we could keep the house.""
I felt my knees weaken.
I gripped the edge of the table.
Dad pulled out his phone.
"I'm calling the attorney.""
Rebecca rushed toward him.
"Marcus, don't do this!""
He stepped away.
"Do not touch me.""
"You'll destroy this family!""
He looked at her.
"You destroyed it when you decided my daughter's future was something you could steal.""
He dialed.
While he spoke, I returned to the wooden box.
I wanted to find something.
Anything.
Something my mother had left that Rebecca hadn't managed to destroy.
Beneath the music box, I noticed a small envelope stuck to the velvet lining.
It was yellowed and folded in half.
My name was written across the front.
Nia. For your eighteenth birthday.
My breath caught.
I pulled it free.
" Dad?""
He turned immediately.
"What is it?""
I held up the envelope.
His face went pale.
"Where did you find that?""
"Under the lining.""
He approached slowly.
"That's not the letter.""
I looked at him.
"Then what is it?""
He examined the back.
A small red seal held it closed.
My mother's initials were pressed into the wax.
M.R.
Dad's eyes filled with tears.
"Your mother must have hidden a second message.""
I carefully broke the seal.
Inside was a small handwritten note and a folded piece of paper.
The note contained only two sentences.
Marcus, if anyone tries to change the ownership of this house after my death, do not trust the documents they show you.
The truth is in the safe deposit box.
I looked up.
Dad read it twice.
Then he turned toward Rebecca.
She had stopped crying.
Her hands were trembling.
"What safe deposit box?"" I asked.
Dad didn't answer immediately.
He picked up the phone again.
"Mr. Bennett? It's Marcus Reed.
I need you to meet me tomorrow morning. Bring every document connected to my late wife's estate.""
He paused.
Then his face changed.
"Yes. The original trust documents.""
Rebecca suddenly stepped forward.
"Marcus, please.""
He ended the call.
"What's in that box, Rebecca?""
She stared at him.
"I don't know.""
Dad held up my mother's note.
"Then why do you look terrified?""
Rebecca backed toward the kitchen.
Hailey began crying.
And just as Dad reached for the envelope again, my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
One message.
Your stepmother isn't the only person who wants that house. Ask your father what happened to the original deed the night your mother died.
I read it twice.
Then I showed Dad.
His face lost every trace of color.
May you like
Because he recognized the number.
And he knew exactly who had sent it.
