Chapter 5 - THE TRUCE
The heavy oak doors of the coffee shop swung open, and Ethan walked in. Vanessa’s ex-fiancé looked exhausted, the dark circles under his eyes a stark contrast to the perfectly groomed man I’d seen at the engagement party.
He slid into the booth across from me. "You said it was an emergency, Lyra."
I didn't waste time. I pushed a copy of the fraudulent loan documents across the table. "Did you know Vanessa used my identity to fund her fitness studio?"
Ethan stared at the papers, his jaw tight. He didn't look surprised; he looked defeated. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a worn, black leather journal.
"She left this at our apartment when I kicked her out," Ethan said quietly, pushing the book toward me. "I didn't know about the fraud. But I knew she was desperate. Her mother demanded perfection, and Vanessa funded that illusion however she could."
I opened the journal. The pages were filled with frantic, anxious handwriting.
Mom reminded me again today, one entry read. 'You aren't a real Kensington. You're a mistake I kept around. If you don't make me look good, you have nothing.' I have to get this loan. I can't let her see me fail.
The breath knocked out of me. The ecosystem Grandma had warned me about was worse than I thought. Mom hadn't just bled me dry of my money and time; she had bled Vanessa of her soul, holding her paternity over her head like a guillotine.
A sudden, sharp tapping on the coffee shop window startled us.
It was Vanessa. She looked erratic, her hair disheveled, wearing the same coat from two days ago. She barged into the shop and marched straight to our booth.
"I saw Ethan's car," she hissed, glaring at me. "What are you doing? Are you plotting to put me in jail?"
"Sit down, Vanessa," I said softly.
"Don't tell me what to do!" she yelled. She reached into her massive tote bag and pulled out the scarred wooden music box. "I went to the house. I let myself in. I was looking for the cash reserves, but I found this sitting on the counter. Grandma’s box. The one she loved more than us."
She went to smash it on the floor.
"Vanessa, stop!" I grabbed her wrist. "The box has a false bottom. Open it."
She froze, her eyes darting between me and Ethan. Slowly, she lifted the velvet lining. She pulled out a copy of the extortion letter Mom had written twenty-five years ago.
Vanessa read the words. Her hands began to shake so violently the paper rattled. If you want Lyra to have a safe home, you will deposit $5,000 a month...
"She didn't want you either," Vanessa whispered, a tear cutting through her makeup. "She held us both hostage. You with guilt, and me with shame."
May you like
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed. It was an email from Daniel.
Lyra, we have a massive problem. Your mother just filed an emergency injunction. She produced a typed addendum to the will, allegedly signed by Eleanor three days before she died, revoking the trust entirely and naming Linda the sole beneficiary.
