Chapter 6: The Woman Who Chose Me Before We Met
I stared at Nia.
"Say that again.""
She wiped her cheek.
"I knew about Ethan before we met.""
"How?""
Patricia stepped forward.
"Marcus, this is not the way to discuss family matters.""
I turned toward her.
"Then you can start explaining.""
Patricia sat down slowly.
For the first time since I had met her, she looked uncomfortable.
Nia reached for my hand.
I pulled it away.
"Please don't.""
She swallowed.
"Mom met Elaine years ago. They were both involved in a charity organization.""
I looked at Patricia.
"How did you know Elaine?""
Patricia adjusted the strap of her handbag.
"She was a friend.""
"Just a friend?""
"Yes.""
"Then why did my father specifically warn Edward to keep you away from his documents?""
Her expression hardened.
"Because your father was a paranoid man.""
I laughed once.
"My father trusted very few people. He trusted Edward. He trusted my mother. And he trusted me.""
I paused.
"Apparently, he had a reason not to trust you.""
Patricia stood.
"Your father destroyed my family.""
The words came out so sharply that even Nia flinched.
I looked at her.
"What family?""
Patricia's eyes glistened.
"Your father made promises to Elaine. He told her he would support her and the child. Then he married your mother and built a life with her.""
"That doesn't explain what you did.""
"You don't understand.""
"Then explain it.""
Patricia looked toward Edward.
He avoided her eyes.
Finally, she spoke.
"Elaine was my older sister.""
The room seemed to go still.
Nia lowered her head.
I looked between them.
"Your sister?""
Patricia nodded.
"Elaine raised Ethan alone. She worked two jobs. She struggled while your father lived comfortably with his perfect family.""
"Did my father know?""
"Eventually.""
"And he tried to help?""
Patricia laughed bitterly.
"He sent money. He offered to pay for schools. He offered to buy them a house. But money doesn't replace a father.""
I didn't disagree.
My father had made mistakes.
But nothing Patricia said justified forging documents or stealing money.
"What happened to Elaine?""
Patricia looked down.
"She died six years ago.""
I felt a small pang of sadness.
"And Ethan?""
"He blamed your father.""
"Did he know about the trust?""
"Eventually.""
I glanced at Edward.
"Did you tell him?""
Edward nodded reluctantly.
"Your father instructed me to inform Ethan after his death.""
"Then why is there a second amendment?""
Edward removed his glasses.
"Because Ethan believed the original trust was unfair.""
"Was it?""
"Your father had already provided for him. But Ethan wanted acknowledgment, not simply financial assistance.""
I looked at the document again.
"Then why did he sign this declaration?""
Edward hesitated.
Patricia answered.
"Because we reached an agreement.""
"What agreement?""
"Your company shares. The house. The trust.""
I stared at her.
"You're telling me Ethan agreed to take my inheritance?""
"Not all of it.""
"How generous.""
Nia stepped forward.
"Marcus, you need to understand something. Ethan was angry. He wanted what he believed your father owed him.""
"And you helped him?""
She nodded.
"At first, I only wanted to make sure he received something.""
"Then why were you discussing taking control of my assets?""
Her eyes filled again.
"Because Ethan was being unreasonable.""
I looked at Patricia.
"Was that your plan? Use my marriage to take control of the trust, then divide the money among yourselves?""
Patricia didn't answer.
Edward cleared his throat.
"Marcus, there are several details you should understand before making accusations.""
I turned toward him.
"Go ahead.""
He placed another document on the desk.
"This is an agreement between Ethan and Patricia. It was signed shortly before your wedding invitations were sent.""
I read the first page.
Patricia had agreed to receive a percentage of any financial settlement obtained from my father's estate.
In return, she would help Ethan gain control of certain assets.
Then I reached the next page.
There was a second agreement.
Between Nia and Patricia.
It described a marriage-based strategy to secure control over my personal estate.
I read the first paragraph.
Then the second.
Then the third.
My hands began to shake.
Nia had agreed to receive a percentage of the assets after the marriage.
She had also agreed to act as my financial representative.
At the bottom was her signature.
I looked up.
"You signed this?""
Nia began crying.
"Marcus, I can explain.""
"Did you sign it?""
"Yes.""
"Before or after you met me?""
She looked at the floor.
"Before.""
The answer struck harder than anything else.
I stepped away from the desk.
"How long before?""
"Eight months.""
Eight months.
I remembered our first date.
The restaurant.
The rain.
The way she had laughed when I accidentally spilled water on the table.
I remembered telling her about my parents.
I remembered her placing her hand over mine and saying she understood what it meant to lose family.
Every memory suddenly felt contaminated.
"Did you approach me because of my father?""
Nia shook her head desperately.
"At first, yes.""
I closed my eyes.
There it was.
The truth.
She had not fallen in love with me and then become greedy.
She had been sent into my life.
"Who arranged it?"" I asked.
Patricia answered.
"I did.""
I turned toward her.
"You found my company profile, my family background, and my financial records.""
"Your father had something that belonged to my family.""
"Your sister's child had already received a trust.""
"He deserved more.""
"So you decided to marry me?""
Patricia's expression hardened.
"Someone had to correct what your father did.""
I looked at Nia.
"And you agreed.""
She stepped toward me.
"I thought it would be different once I got to know you.""
"Different how?""
"I didn't expect to love you.""
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Then I asked quietly:
"When did you fall in love with me?""
She began sobbing.
"Marcus, please.""
"Was it when I bought you that first apartment? When I paid your mother's medical bills? Or when I told you about the company?""
She covered her face.
"I don't know.""
That answer was worse than a confession.
I picked up the agreement and placed it back on the desk.
"Then there's nothing left to discuss.""
Nia grabbed my sleeve.
"Don't leave me.""
I looked down at her hand.
"You already left me eight months before we met.""
I walked toward the door.
Patricia called after me.
"You can't just walk away. Ethan has rights. Your father promised him something.""
I stopped.
"Then let him come to me himself.""
Edward stood.
"Marcus, there is one more matter.""
I turned.
He looked deeply uncomfortable.
"The second amendment wasn't submitted by Patricia.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"She didn't create it.""
He pulled a final sheet from the envelope.
"The document was filed using Ethan's legal authorization.""
"Then Ethan submitted it?""
Edward shook his head.
"Someone used his identity.""
I looked at the signature.
It was identical to the one on the earlier declaration.
"Who?""
Edward hesitated.
Then he looked directly at Nia.
"Your wife.""
Nia stopped crying.
Her face went completely white.
"That's not true," she whispered.
Edward removed his glasses.
"I have the original email chain.""
He turned his laptop toward me.
The email showed that Nia had sent the forged amendment to the filing office six weeks earlier.
But the recipient wasn't Patricia.
It wasn't Edward.
It was Ethan Cole.
I stared at the screen.
"Why would you send it to Ethan if you were pretending to act on his behalf?""
Nia said nothing.
Then a man's voice came from the doorway.
"Because she wasn't acting on my behalf.""
Everyone turned.
A tall man stood in the doorway, wearing a dark jacket and holding a thick envelope.
His eyes were fixed on Nia.
"I'm Ethan Cole," he said.
Then he looked at me.
"And before you believe anything these people tell you, Marcus, there's something you need to know.""
He placed the envelope on Edward's desk.
"Your wife didn't just steal your identity.""
May you like
He turned toward Patricia.
"She stole mine, too.""
