Chapter 13 - MY FATHER KNEW
Dad had never told me the whole story.
I was twenty-two when he died.
At that age, I thought my parents simply fought about money.
Now investigators showed me records I had never seen.
Dad once owned a small contracting company with two partners.
During its final year, nearly $190,000 disappeared.
Dad believed bookkeeping records had been manipulated.
The person handling many of those records was Teresa.
My mother claimed one partner had stolen the money.
The company collapsed.
Dad lost almost everything.
No criminal charges were filed.
He died seven months later.
I remembered Teresa telling me that Dad had been careless.
That he trusted the wrong people.
That she had spent years cleaning up his mistakes.
What if the mistake had been trusting her?
Agent Collins found an archived email from Dad to Victor.
I KNOW WHAT TERESA DID.
IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME, DON'T LET HER NEAR CONNOR'S MONEY.
I read it twice.
Then a third time.
Victor had known.
He knew my father suspected Teresa.
Yet years later he helped her target me.
“Why?”
Collins answered.
“Because eventually they realized they could make more money together.”
Victor had not protected me.
He had waited until I became profitable.
That evening, Teresa requested a meeting through her attorney.
Rachel objected.
I agreed.
We met in a controlled conference room with attorneys present.
Teresa walked in dressed perfectly.
No tears.
No apology.
She looked at me like I was a disappointing employee.
“You’ve embarrassed this family enough.”
I nearly smiled.
“You stole from Dad.”
Her expression did not change.
“He was weak.”
That was the moment something inside me permanently changed.
Not rage.
Clarity.
“You destroyed him.”
“He destroyed himself.”
“And you tried to destroy Amy.”
“She was separating you from your family.”
“She is my family.”
Teresa’s face hardened.
“I am your mother.”
“And Frederick is my son.”
Silence.
“Amy is my wife.”
More silence.
“And you treated them like obstacles between you and my money.”
For the first time, Teresa leaned forward.
“You think that house exists because of you?”
“Yes.”
“You think that company exists because of you?”
“Yes.”
“You think your education happened without sacrifices?”
“No.”
“So you owe me.”
“I owe you love.”
I stood.
“Not ownership.”
As I reached the door, Teresa finally lost control.
“You walk out and you will regret it.”
I turned.
“No, Mom.”
“You will.”
She smiled.
“Because Victor has something you don’t know about.”
Then she said four words that stopped me.
May you like
“Ask about your trust.”
TOBE CONTINUED
