Chapter 2 - The Mansion Was Filled With My Belongings, My Mother’s Jewelry, and Evidence That Derek Had Been Living My Life While Making Me Believe We Were PoorThe first room Grandpa opened was the master bedroom.
I stopped at the doorway.
My wedding photograph hung above the fireplace.
The same photograph I thought had been lost.
My mother's antique mirror stood beside the window.
The emerald bracelet that Derek claimed had been stolen was inside a velvet jewelry box.
I walked toward it.
My hands shook.
“That's Mom's.”
Grandpa nodded.
“Everything you were told was gone is here.”
I opened the closet.
My clothes.
My shoes.
Boxes from my childhood.
Christmas decorations.
Family photographs.
Even Caleb's baby clothes.
I turned toward Derek.
“You kept everything.”
He lowered his head.
Lorraine stepped forward.
“It wasn't what you think.”
Grandpa turned.
“Then explain.”
She said nothing.
My eyes moved around the room.
“What happened to my mother's jewelry?”
Lorraine swallowed.
“It was in storage.”
“Why was I told it was stolen?”
No answer.
Grandpa looked at Derek.
“Why?”
Derek finally spoke.
“I was trying to protect her.”
I laughed.
“From what?”
“Your grandfather.”
My grandfather's expression didn't change.
“From me?”
Derek nodded.
“He would have controlled your life.”
Grandpa smiled coldly.
“I bought her a twenty-eight-million-dollar home and put it in her name.”
Derek said nothing.
I stared at my husband.
“You told me you were protecting me.”
“I was.”
“You let me live in a trailer.”
“I had a plan.”
“What plan?”
Derek looked at the other woman.
She finally stepped forward.
Her name was Vanessa.
His secretary.
His affair.
The woman who had been wearing my mother's bracelet.
She looked at me.
“I didn't know.”
I laughed.
“You were wearing my mother's bracelet.”
“I didn't know it was yours.”
“You knew it belonged to his family.”
“Yes.”
I looked at Derek.
“You've been living here.”
“Yes.”
“For two years.”
“Yes.”
“With her.”
Silence.
“Yes.”
Caleb stepped closer to me.
“Mommy?”
I immediately took his hand.
“I'm okay.”
I wasn't.
Not even close.
But I wouldn't let him see it.
Grandpa placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Come.”
He took us upstairs.
Another room.
Caleb's room.
It was enormous.
A wooden train set covered the floor.
A mural of airplanes covered one wall.
There were hundreds of books.
His name was carved above the bed.
CALEB.
I stood there.
He stared.
“Is this mine?”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“I have a big room.”
That nearly broke me.
He climbed onto the bed.
“I can sleep here?”
“Yes.”
“For real?”
“Yes.”
I looked away.
Grandpa stood behind me.
“I'm sorry.”
I turned.
“You didn't do this.”
“I should have known.”
“I should have known.”
“No.”
His voice became firm.
“You trusted your husband.”
I nodded.
“That doesn't make you stupid.”
Then his expression hardened.
“It makes him a thief.”
Downstairs, security discovered another problem.
Money.
Millions.
Transfers from my grandfather's trust.
The payments had been routed through construction companies.
Fake employees.
Fake contracts.
Derek had been using the mansion as collateral.
My name was on everything.
But I had never signed anything.
Grandpa looked at the documents.
“He forged her signature.”
My stomach tightened.
“How much?”
“Twenty-two million.”
I stared.
“Twenty-two?”
“Yes.”
“And the house?”
“He attempted to transfer it last month.”
“To whom?”
Grandpa looked at the papers.
“A company owned by his mother.”
Lorraine went pale.
That explained everything.
The plan wasn't simply to live in my house.
They were preparing to take it permanently.
My grandfather turned toward her.
“Get an attorney.”
Lorraine's voice trembled.
“Walter—”
“You're no longer family.”
She stared at him.
“You can't—”
“I can.”
The entire mansion went silent.
Grandpa looked at me.
“Do you want them prosecuted?”
I stared at Derek.
I wanted him punished.
But I also wanted answers.
“Not yet.”
Grandpa raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“Because I want to know why.”
Derek looked at me.
His face was full of fear.
“You really want to know?”
“Yes.”
He swallowed.
“Your grandfather isn't the man you think he is.”
Grandpa's expression went cold.
Derek continued.
“He didn't buy this mansion because he loved you.”
I looked at my grandfather.
Derek smiled bitterly.
May you like
“He bought it because he knew you were his heir.”
The room went silent.
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