Chapter 3: The Woman Who Knew Everything
By noon, I had been transferred to a private recovery room.
The doctor wanted to monitor my reopened wound and make sure there were no complications. Lily was sleeping in the bassinet beside my bed.
My father had gone downstairs to speak with the hospital administrator.
Renee was reviewing the documents.
I was staring at the photograph of Derek, Vanessa, and Martin.
The words kept repeating in my head.
Plan B if she refuses to sign.
A knock sounded.
I looked toward the door.
A woman stood in the doorway holding a paper coffee cup.
Vanessa.
Derek's younger sister.
She wore expensive sunglasses pushed into her hair and a cream-colored coat. Her blonde hair was perfectly styled, and her fingernails were painted pale pink.
She looked like she had come to visit a friend for brunch.
Not a woman whose brother had assaulted his wife.
"Hi," she said.
I didn't answer.
Vanessa stepped inside.
"I heard you were here.""
"How did you know?""
"Derek called Mom.""
She placed the coffee on the table.
"I thought I'd come check on you.""
I looked at her.
"Why?""
Her smile disappeared.
"Excuse me?""
"Why would you come check on me?""
She glanced at the sleeping baby.
"Because Lily is my niece.""
I pulled the blanket higher around my shoulders.
"Your brother hit me.""
Vanessa sighed.
"Look, I know things got heated.""
"He slapped me.""
"He's been under tremendous pressure.""
"He shoved me into a dresser.""
"He's adjusting to being a father.""
I stared at her.
For a moment, I genuinely wondered whether she understood what she was saying.
Then she pulled a chair closer.
"Listen, I don't want this to become some huge family scandal. Derek feels terrible.""
I almost laughed.
"Does he?""
"Yes. He's willing to apologize.""
"Did he tell you my stitches reopened?""
Vanessa looked away.
"He's not a doctor.""
"Did he tell you I was bleeding on the floor while he went back to sleep?""
Her mouth tightened.
"You're making him sound like a monster.""
I pointed toward the door.
"Leave.""
She didn't move.
Instead, she leaned closer and lowered her voice.
"You need to think carefully about what happens next. Derek has connections. He knows people. If you make accusations you can't prove, you could lose custody of Lily.""
My heart began pounding.
There it was.
The threat.
Not disguised as concern anymore.
I pressed the call button beside my bed.
Vanessa stood abruptly.
"Don't be ridiculous.""
A nurse appeared seconds later.
"Is everything okay?""
I looked at Vanessa.
"Please ask her to leave.""
The nurse nodded.
"Ma'am, visiting time is over.""
Vanessa grabbed her handbag.
"You'll regret embarrassing our family.""
I watched her walk out.
Then I noticed something.
She had left the coffee cup on my bedside table.
Beneath it was a folded piece of paper.
I waited until the nurse left before opening it.
There were only two lines.
*Stop asking about the insurance.*
*You don't know what Derek was planning.*
My fingers began trembling.
I immediately called Renee.
She entered the room less than two minutes later.
"What's wrong?""
I handed her the note.
She read it and photographed it.
"Did Vanessa give you this?""
"She left it under the coffee.""
Renee placed the paper inside a document sleeve.
"Don't touch it again. I'll make sure it's preserved.""
"Why would she threaten me?""
"Because she knows something.""
Renee sat down.
"Your father has been investigating some suspicious financial activity connected to Derek's business. We need to understand whether Vanessa was involved.""
I looked toward Lily.
"Could they hurt her?""
"No," Renee said firmly.
"We're taking steps to protect both of you.""
A few minutes later, Dad returned.
He had spoken with the hospital's security director and arranged for visitors to be screened.
When I showed him Vanessa's note, his expression darkened.
"She came here?""
"Yes.""
"Did she touch Lily?""
"No.""
He exhaled.
"Good.""
I hesitated.
"Dad, what exactly did you find?""
He sat beside me.
"Three weeks before your delivery, Derek attempted to transfer a substantial amount of money from a joint account. The bank flagged the transaction because the authorization didn't match your signature.""
I frowned.
"What account?""
"The account your grandmother established for you when you turned eighteen.""
My grandmother had left me a modest inheritance. After Derek and I married, he'd encouraged me to keep it separate.
He'd called it my safety net.
I had almost forgotten about it.
"How much money?""
"Approximately eighty-six thousand dollars.""
My mouth fell open.
"That's impossible. I never gave him access.""
"He didn't have access. He tried to obtain it.""
Renee opened her tablet.
"There's another concern. The bank received a request to change the account's emergency contact and mailing address. The request included a scanned authorization form.""
"With my signature?""
"Yes.""
I shook my head.
"I never signed it.""
Dad looked directly at me.
"That's why I contacted the bank's fraud department.""
A cold realization settled over me.
Derek hadn't just been angry because Lily cried.
He had been angry because I had stopped being useful.
Because I was exhausted.
Because I was vulnerable.
Because he thought I would sign anything he placed in front of me.
And because he believed I would never leave.
My phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
*You should ask Charles Bennett what happened to your mother.*
I stopped breathing.
My mother had died when I was sixteen.
A car accident.
At least, that was what I'd always been told.
I looked at Dad.
He noticed my expression immediately.
"What's wrong?""
I handed him the phone.
He read the message.
His face changed.
Not anger.
Not surprise.
Something much worse.
Recognition.
"Dad?""
He placed the phone facedown.
"Where did this come from?""
"An unknown number.""
He stood and walked toward the window.
"Sweetheart, there are things about your mother's death that I never wanted you to have to carry.""
My chest tightened.
"What does that have to do with Derek?""
Dad turned around.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he looked at Renee.
"Lock the door.""
Renee immediately stood.
Dad reached into his briefcase and removed a sealed envelope.
It was yellowed with age.
My mother's handwriting was on the front.
*For my daughter, if the truth ever comes out.*
Dad placed it in my hands.
"I found this in your mother's belongings three months ago," he said quietly.
"And after what Derek has been doing, I think it's time you knew why she was afraid of the Bennett family.""
I stared at the envelope.
Then I noticed the date written beneath my mother's name.
It was dated four days before her fatal car accident.
May you like
And the final line contained a name I had never expected to see.
*Martin Cole.*
