Chapter 4: The Woman Behind the Forgery
I read the handwritten note three times.
*Signature must be obtained in person.*
Someone had gone out of their way to make sure I appeared at that bank appointment.
Someone wanted my signature badly enough to arrange a meeting around it.
And that someone was apparently my husband.
“Evelyn,” I said, “I want to know exactly what happens if I refuse to attend.””
She folded her hands.
“Nothing happens to you legally. You're not obligated to sign a guarantee you never agreed to.””
“And if they already submitted the forged version?””
“Then we have a potential fraud investigation. But I want to be careful about our next move.””
I looked at the email again.
“Daniel thinks I'm going to sign.””
“Does he?””
“He specifically told me to bring my identification.””
Evelyn nodded.
“Then don't tell him what we've discovered.””
I walked back to my desk.
For three years, I'd made excuses for Daniel.
When he forgot our anniversary, I blamed his workload.
When he canceled holidays to attend business meetings, I told myself he was building our future.
When Patricia insulted me, I convinced myself that Daniel was simply caught between two people he loved.
But there was no misunderstanding anymore.
I was looking at a carefully planned attempt to make me responsible for millions of dollars in debt.
And Patricia wasn't an innocent bystander.
She was helping.
“Get me the original bank documents,” I told Evelyn.
“And find out where the two-point-four million was supposed to go.””
“Already requested.””
“Good. I also want a complete audit of our joint accounts.””
Evelyn closed her briefcase.
“One more question. Do you want to notify the police now?””
I looked at Daniel's email.
“Not yet. I want to know how far this goes.””
At 7:15 that evening, Daniel arrived home carrying a bouquet of white roses.
I almost laughed when I saw them.
White roses.
The same flowers Patricia had chosen for her birthday dinner.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said.
He kissed my cheek.
I didn't move.
He placed the flowers on the kitchen counter.
“I thought we could have a quiet evening.””
“That's thoughtful.””
He studied my expression.
“Are you still upset about last night?””
I poured myself a glass of water.
“What do you think?””
“Nia, I know Mom can be difficult. But she's seventy. She grew up in a different generation.””
“Does that generation also teach people to forge signatures?””
His hand stopped halfway to the kitchen cabinet.
For a second, neither of us spoke.
Then he laughed.
“What?””
I turned toward him.
“The bank guarantee. Your email to Patricia. The signature that supposedly belongs to me.””
His face changed.
“What email?””
“The one where you explained how you planned to use my assets as collateral.””
Daniel looked toward the hallway.
Then he lowered his voice.
“Where did you get that?””
“So it's real?””
He exhaled.
“Okay. Let's slow down.””
“I'm listening.””
“The company needed temporary financing. That's all.””
“Two-point-four million dollars?””
“It's a business loan.””
“With my apartment as collateral?””
He rubbed his forehead.
“The bank required additional security.””
“And you thought you could provide my signature without asking me?””
“I was going to explain everything.””
“When?””
“Before the appointment.””
I stared at him.
“You submitted the guarantee six weeks ago.””
His jaw tightened.
“Because the bank needed preliminary approval.””
“Using a forged signature.””
“It's not a forgery if I had your permission to handle family finances.””
“I never gave you permission to pledge my company or my inheritance.””
He walked toward me.
“Nia, listen. We are married. What's mine is yours, and what's yours is mine.””
I put down my glass.
“That's a beautiful sentence. It's unfortunate that you only remember it when you need money.””
His expression hardened.
“You're making this sound criminal.””
“Isn't it?””
He looked away.
For the first time, I saw something beneath his frustration.
Fear.
“Look,” he said.
“The company is in trouble. I didn't want to worry you.””
“How much trouble?””
“It's manageable.””
“Daniel.””
He swallowed.
“We lost a major development contract. Two investors pulled out. There are outstanding payments.””
“How much?””
He hesitated.
“About three million.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“And you were going to use my assets to secure another loan?””
“It would have given us time.””
“Time for what?””
“To recover.””
I studied him.
“Why didn't you come to me?””
He gave a bitter laugh.
“Because you always make me feel like I need your permission.””
That sentence was so absurd that I almost didn't recognize his voice.
“You forged my signature because I made you feel uncomfortable?””
“I didn't forge anything!””
“Then explain why the bank believes I signed a document while I was in another country.””
He stared at me.
Then he picked up his coat.
“I'm not having this conversation when you're determined to misunderstand everything.””
He headed toward the door.
“Daniel.””
He stopped.
“Bring the original documents to Evelyn tomorrow.””
His shoulders stiffened.
“Why would I do that?””
“Because my attorney requested them.””
He turned slowly.
“You hired an attorney?””
“Yes.””
His face went pale.
“Your attorney?””
“My attorney.””
He shook his head.
“You're really going to destroy our marriage over paperwork?””
I looked at him.
“No, Daniel. You destroyed the trust. The paperwork simply gave me proof.””
He walked out without another word.
The roses remained on the counter.
I threw them away.
At 9:40 the next morning, Evelyn called.
“Your audit is complete.””
I sat down.
“What did you find?””
“There's something you need to see in person.””
An hour later, I was sitting across from her in a conference room.
She opened a thick folder.
“The two-point-four-million-dollar loan was intended to refinance existing debt. But there's another transaction connected to it.””
She placed a printed bank transfer on the table.
“Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars was transferred from Daniel's company to an account belonging to Patricia.””
I stared at the number.
“For what?””
“Consulting services, according to the description.””
“Does she provide consulting services?””
“Not according to any business records we've found.””
I leaned back.
“Could it be legitimate?””
“Possibly. But the timing is suspicious. The payment was made two days after the forged guarantee was submitted.””
She turned another page.
“There's also a transfer of sixty thousand dollars to an account registered to Daniel's younger brother.””
I looked at the documents.
Three hundred and fifty thousand to Patricia.
Sixty thousand to his brother.
And another two hundred and seventeen thousand taken from our joint account.
“Where did the money go?””
“That's what we're investigating.””
I looked at Evelyn.
“I want the bank notified that I dispute the guarantee.””
“Already done.””
“Freeze any further use of my personal assets as collateral.””
“That's underway.””
She paused.
“There's one more issue, Nia.””
“What?””
“The original guarantee contains an attachment listing your financial holdings.””
I frowned.
“What about it?””
“It includes details that aren't publicly available.””
She turned the page toward me.
My mother's inherited apartment.
My investment portfolio.
The private ownership structure of Carter Capital.
And an account number I had never shared with Daniel.
I stared at it.
“Who had access to this information?””
Evelyn's expression was serious.
“Someone with access to your private financial records.””
Then she pointed to a name at the bottom of the attachment.
*Prepared by: Patricia Carter.*
I looked up.
My mother-in-law hadn't merely witnessed the paperwork.
She had prepared the financial information used to support it.
And suddenly, I understood something.
May you like
The woman who had sent me to the servants' table had known exactly how much I was worth.
She simply hadn't wanted anyone else to know.
