Chapter 8: The School Office Ambush
I drove straight to Noah and Lily's school.
Daniel insisted on accompanying me.
He made two calls during the journey, one to the school's principal and another to an attorney who specialized in family law.
By the time we arrived, the receptionist was waiting at the entrance.
"Mrs. Carter?""
"Where are my children?""
"They're in class. They're safe.""
I exhaled.
"Did my husband take them out of school?""
"No. The principal refused to release their records without speaking to you.""
I nodded.
"Thank you.""
The principal, Mrs. Harrison, met us in her office.
She was a woman in her early sixties with silver hair and a habit of speaking slowly when people were upset.
"Emily, I'm sorry this happened.""
I sat opposite her.
"Please tell me exactly what Nathan said.""
She opened a folder.
"He arrived shortly after lunch with your sister and a gentleman who introduced himself as their legal representative.""
"Thomas Vance?""
She nodded.
"They said the family was relocating and wanted to transfer the children to another school.""
"Did they have court orders?""
"No.""
"Did they have written authorization from me?""
"No.""
I looked at Daniel.
He was taking notes.
Mrs. Harrison continued.
"Nathan said you had agreed to the move but were temporarily unavailable.""
I shook my head.
"That's a lie.""
"I suspected as much when I called the number on your children's emergency contact form.""
I felt grateful enough to cry.
"Thank you for checking.""
She nodded.
"There's something else.""
She opened another folder.
"Mr. Carter brought a document claiming that you had authorized him to make all educational decisions independently.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"May I see it?""
She handed him the paper.
He examined the signature.
Then he looked at me.
"Emily, this is another copy of the forged authorization.""
I closed my eyes.
Nathan was using the same document everywhere.
Bank accounts.
Trust records.
School decisions.
He had apparently decided that if he repeated the lie enough times, people would accept it as truth.
Mrs. Harrison looked concerned.
"Is there a problem with this document?""
Daniel spoke carefully.
"We have reason to believe it is fraudulent. We will provide formal notice and supporting documentation.""
She nodded.
"Then the school will not release anything without proper authorization.""
I thanked her and asked to see the children.
When Noah spotted me through the classroom window, he jumped out of his seat.
"Mom!""
He ran toward me.
Lily followed, her little backpack bouncing against her shoulders.
I knelt and hugged them both.
"Everything okay?""
Noah nodded.
"Grandma Patricia came yesterday too.""
I pulled back.
"Yesterday?""
"She waited outside the school.""
My stomach tightened.
"What did she say?""
"She said Dad was going to take us somewhere special.""
Lily looked up.
"She said there would be a big house and a swimming pool.""
I exchanged a glance with Daniel.
"Did you want to go?""
Noah shrugged.
"Not without you.""
I kissed his forehead.
"That's okay. You don't have to make any decisions about adult problems.""
Then Lily whispered something.
"Mommy, Aunt Brielle said you were being mean to the baby.""
I closed my eyes.
"What?""
"She said if you keep fighting Daddy, the baby might not have a family.""
I felt anger flash through me.
I held Lily's little shoulders.
"Sweetheart, grown-ups are responsible for their own choices. Nobody gets to blame you or me for something that happens between adults.""
Lily nodded.
Then she asked, "Can we go home?""
I looked at Daniel.
He gave a small nod.
"Yes," I said.
"We're going somewhere safe.""
We drove to the apartment Daniel had arranged for us.
It was modest but comfortable, with two bedrooms and a small balcony overlooking a park.
The children immediately claimed the bedroom with the bigger window.
Noah wanted the bed near the wall.
Lily wanted the one closest to the nightlight.
For a few minutes, everything felt almost normal.
Then my phone rang.
Nathan.
I answered.
"Why did you interfere with the school?""
His voice was furious.
"Because you tried to move the children without my consent.""
"I'm their father!""
"And I'm their mother.""
"I have every right to make decisions for them.""
"Not by presenting forged documents.""
He went quiet.
Then he said, "Who told you that?""
"Does it matter?""
"Emily, you're destroying everything.""
I sat on the edge of the sofa.
"No, Nathan. You did that.""
He sighed.
"Listen. Brielle and I are going to have a baby. We need stability.""
I looked at the children's drawings scattered across the coffee table.
"And Noah and Lily don't?""
"They're fine.""
"Then why did you try to move them without telling me?""
"I was arranging a better future.""
"For whom?""
"For all of us.""
I laughed softly.
"That's interesting. Because the future you arranged seems to involve my money, my mother's signature, and my children's names on documents they never signed.""
Nathan's voice dropped.
"Your mother told you?""
"She told me enough.""
"Then you know she agreed.""
"She also admitted you promised to settle her debts.""
He said nothing.
I continued.
"How much did you promise Brielle?""
"That's none of your business.""
"How much?""
"Emily, stop.""
"Was the townhouse part of it?""
He exhaled sharply.
"You don't understand our arrangement.""
I stared at the wall.
"Our arrangement?""
He realized his mistake.
"That's not what I meant.""
"Then what did you mean?""
"Look, we need to talk face-to-face.""
"No.""
"Emily, I can explain.""
"Start with the $740,000 mortgage.""
Silence.
Then Nathan whispered, "Who showed you that?""
"Your father's records.""
He swore under his breath.
"Those records were supposed to be destroyed.""
I sat up.
"Why?""
He didn't answer.
"Why, Nathan?""
Finally, he said, "Because that money wasn't just for Brielle.""
My stomach tightened.
"Where did it go?""
"Some of it went to pay off old debts.""
"Whose debts?""
He didn't answer.
Then he said, "You need to understand that I had no choice.""
I was beginning to hate that sentence.
"No choice about what?""
A long silence followed.
Then Nathan said, "My father left things unfinished.""
"What things?""
Before he could answer, another voice entered the call.
Brielle.
"Nathan, who are you talking to?""
He covered the microphone badly.
"Not now.""
I heard her clearly.
"Is that Emily? Tell her to stop calling!""
Nathan lowered his voice.
"Emily, I'll call you later.""
"Don't bother.""
I ended the call.
A few minutes later, Daniel arrived carrying a folder.
"Emily, I spoke with the lender.""
"And?""
"The foreclosure notice is genuine. But there's something unusual about the loan.""
He opened the folder.
"The lender received two separate guarantees. One from Nathan and one supposedly from you.""
"I never signed anything.""
"I know. But the second guarantee includes an identification number and a notarization certificate.""
I looked at the document.
The notary's name was familiar.
Margaret Adams.
My mother.
I felt the room spin.
"She notarized it?""
Daniel nodded.
"Apparently.""
I stood.
"She isn't a licensed notary.""
Daniel looked surprised.
"Are you certain?""
"My mother lost her commission years ago. She used to notarize documents for her old office, but she stopped.""
He checked the date.
"Then we have another problem.""
I stared at the certificate.
My mother hadn't simply signed a financial agreement.
She had certified a signature she knew wasn't mine.
I lowered myself onto the sofa.
"Why would she do that?""
Daniel's expression was grim.
"That's something we need to ask her under oath.""
I looked toward the children's bedroom.
Lily was singing to herself.
Noah was laughing at something on his tablet.
They sounded happy.
I wanted to keep it that way.
Daniel closed the folder.
"We'll file the appropriate complaints and request an emergency hearing.""
"How soon?""
"Possibly within days.""
My phone vibrated.
A text from an unknown number.
*You should ask your mother what happened to the original mortgage money.*
A second message followed.
*Because Nathan didn't spend all of it.*
Then a photograph appeared.
It showed my mother standing outside a private bank.
She was holding a large envelope.
Beside her stood a man I had never seen before.
The date on the photograph was two weeks before our anniversary dinner.
I enlarged the image.
The man was handing her a key.
A key to a safety deposit box.
May you like
And beneath the photograph was a final message.
*Your mother didn't just help Nathan. She helped him hide something from Robert before he died.*
