Chapter 5: They Used My Children's Names
I arrived at Daniel's office twenty minutes later.
He was waiting with two printed documents and a glass of water.
I didn't sit down.
"What do you mean they used my children's names?""
Daniel pointed toward the chair.
"Please, Emily. We need to go through this carefully.""
I sat.
He placed the first document in front of me.
It was a financial authorization connected to Carter Family Holdings.
At the bottom were two names.
Noah Carter.
Lily Carter.
My children.
Their signatures were supposedly attached to a declaration acknowledging that they had no objection to the proposed property transfer.
I stared at the page.
"Noah is ten.""
"I know.""
"Lily is seven.""
"I know.""
"They can't legally authorize something like this.""
"Correct. That's why the document is so concerning.""
I looked closer.
There was a witness signature.
Patricia Carter.
And beneath it, an official-looking certification from a private financial adviser.
"Who prepared this?""
"An adviser named Richard Cole. He has worked with Nathan's family for years.""
"Did my children sign anything?""
"Not according to what we've found.""
I covered my mouth.
Daniel continued.
"The document was submitted as part of a broader estate restructuring. It appears someone wanted to create the impression that the children had already been informed and had consented.""
"Why would they do that?""
"Because the original family trust contains provisions protecting descendants.""
I looked up.
"Explain.""
"Your father-in-law created the trust partly to protect his grandchildren. If the property was transferred in a way that compromised their future interests, the trustee could challenge it.""
I stared at the names.
"So they forged my children's signatures to get around their grandfather's instructions?""
"That's one possibility we're investigating.""
I felt sick.
I had expected betrayal.
I had expected lies.
But seeing my children's names on a document they had never touched was something else entirely.
"Can we stop the transfer?""
"We've already submitted an emergency objection. The trustee has acknowledged receipt.""
"Is that enough?""
"It gives us grounds to request immediate restrictions.""
I stood and walked to the window.
"Daniel, I need you to understand something.""
He waited.
"I can handle Nathan cheating. I can handle Brielle being cruel. I can even handle my mother choosing money over me.""
My voice broke.
"But they don't get to use my children.""
Daniel nodded.
"Then we make that the priority.""
At noon, my phone rang.
Patricia.
I answered.
"Emily.""
Her voice sounded unusually sweet.
"Patricia.""
"I think we need to put an end to this unpleasant situation.""
I almost laughed.
"Which part? The affair? The stolen money? Or the forged signatures?""
She ignored the question.
"Nathan tells me you've involved lawyers.""
"That's correct.""
"You're embarrassing this family.""
I looked at Daniel.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Patricia, your signature is on a document claiming my seven-year-old daughter approved a property transfer.""
There was a pause.
"Those were administrative papers.""
"Did Lily sign them?""
"Don't be ridiculous.""
"Did Noah?""
"Emily, they are children. Their names were included for identification.""
"Then why does the document say they consented?""
Patricia's voice hardened.
"Because their grandfather wanted the family property preserved.""
"By transferring it to Brielle?""
"She is carrying Nathan's child.""
I closed my eyes.
"There it is again.""
"What?""
"The baby. The excuse for everything.""
Patricia sighed.
"You need to be realistic. Nathan has moved on.""
"Then he can move on without my money.""
"You're making a terrible mistake.""
"No. I made one twelve years ago.""
I ended the call.
Daniel looked at me.
"Did she threaten you?""
"She thinks I'm embarrassing the family.""
"Good.""
I frowned.
"Good?""
"People who think they're untouchable often make careless decisions when challenged.""
He picked up another document.
"And I think Patricia has just made one.""
The document was a bank instruction dated four months earlier.
It showed that Patricia had authorized the movement of funds from a children's savings account.
I recognized the account number.
My stomach dropped.
It was the education fund I had established when Noah was born.
Every birthday, every holiday, every bonus from work—I had put money into that account.
There was enough for both children to attend university without taking on student loans.
I leaned closer.
"How much is left?""
Daniel checked the statement.
"Approximately eleven thousand dollars.""
I stared at him.
"That account had nearly ninety thousand.""
He nodded.
"Most of the money was transferred into an investment account controlled by Carter Family Holdings.""
I couldn't breathe.
"Can they do that?""
"The original account was opened with you as custodian. However, the transfer request contains an authorization naming Patricia as an additional controller.""
"Who authorized that?""
Daniel pointed to the bottom.
Nathan.
My husband had signed it.
I pressed my palms against my eyes.
For years, I had told myself that whatever happened between Nathan and me, he would always be a good father.
He had attended school plays.
He had taught Noah to ride a bicycle.
He had held Lily when she had nightmares.
But he had also taken their education money.
"Can we recover it?""
"We can pursue recovery. First, we need to establish the complete transfer trail.""
I nodded.
"Do it.""
That evening, I took the children to a small restaurant near the hotel.
Noah ordered a cheeseburger.
Lily wanted pancakes, even though it was almost dinner.
For twenty minutes, we talked about school, cartoons, and whether a dinosaur could beat a shark.
Then Noah put down his fork.
"Mom?""
"Yes?""
"Grandma Patricia called me.""
I froze.
"When?""
"Yesterday. Before we left.""
"What did she say?""
He looked at his sister.
"She asked me whether I wanted to live with Dad.""
My stomach tightened.
"What did you tell her?""
"I said I wanted to live with you.""
Lily stopped eating.
"She asked me too," she whispered.
I turned toward her.
"What did she say, sweetheart?""
Lily looked down.
"She said Mommy was taking Daddy's house away and that if we loved Daddy, we should tell the judge.""
I felt anger rise so quickly that I had to grip the edge of the table.
I kept my voice gentle.
"Listen to me, both of you. You never have to choose between your parents. And no adult should ask you to do that.""
Noah nodded.
"Grandma said Dad might lose everything.""
I reached across the table.
"Your father is responsible for his own decisions. You are responsible for being children.""
Lily's eyes filled.
"Are we bad children?""
My heart broke.
I moved beside her and wrapped my arms around her.
"Never. Not for one second.""
Noah looked at me.
"Will Dad still see us?""
"Yes, sweetheart. If he wants to, and if it's safe and appropriate.""
He nodded slowly.
Then he asked the question I had been avoiding.
"Does Dad love Aunt Brielle more than you?""
I swallowed.
"I don't know what your father feels, Noah. But I know he should never have put you in the middle.""
After dinner, I drove back to the hotel.
The children fell asleep within minutes.
I was checking my email when a new message arrived from an unfamiliar address.
No subject.
No greeting.
Just one sentence.
*Emily, I know where Nathan hid the original trust documents, and Patricia doesn't know I have copies.*
An attachment followed.
It was a photograph of an old wooden filing cabinet.
The cabinet stood in the basement of the family house.
I recognized the red folder on the middle shelf.
My father-in-law had kept all his important documents inside it.
The sender had included a second photograph.
A handwritten note lay on top of the folder.
It read:
*If anything happens to me, make sure Emily gets this. She is the only one who ever protected this family.*
The signature belonged to Nathan's father.
I stared at it.
He had died four years earlier.
I opened the sender's details.
The email address belonged to Richard Cole.
The same financial adviser who had certified my children's signatures.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered cautiously.
"Hello?""
A man's voice whispered.
"Mrs. Carter, my name is Richard Cole. I need you to listen carefully.""
"You're the adviser who signed the children's documents.""
"I know what my signature says.""
"Then why are you contacting me?""
He took a shaky breath.
"Because I didn't know what I was signing.""
I stood.
"What?""
"Patricia told me the documents were routine. Nathan told me your children had already been informed.""
"That's impossible.""
"I know that now.""
He paused.
Then he said something that made my knees weaken.
"Your father-in-law left a separate letter naming you as the intended successor to the family trust.""
I gripped the desk.
"Why wasn't I told?""
"Because Patricia destroyed the first copy.""
Silence.
Then Richard continued.
"But she didn't destroy the original.""
"Where is it?""
"In the filing cabinet at the house.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"Can you get it?""
"I can try.""
"Why are you helping me?""
His voice dropped.
"Because Nathan is planning to move the children out of state next week.""
My blood turned cold.
"What?""
"He has already contacted a private school. He wants to relocate them before the trust dispute reaches court.""
I looked toward the beds where Noah and Lily were sleeping.
"Richard, if you're telling me the truth, you need to understand something.""
"I do.""
"No. You don't. Those are my children.""
"I know, Mrs. Carter.""
He swallowed.
"That's why I'm calling.""
May you like
Then he whispered:
"And Emily, there's something else in that red folder. Something Nathan has been terrified of for years.""
