Chapter 5: The Man Who Wasn't Supposed to Exist
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Daniel held his phone against his ear.
Margaret stood beside me.
And I stared at my husband, waiting for him to explain what Victoria had just said.
Finally, Daniel spoke.
"Victoria, what are you talking about?""
Her voice trembled.
"Someone contacted me this morning. He says he knows Sophie.""
"Who?""
"I don't know. He wouldn't give me all the details.""
"Then why are you telling me?""
"Because he said he was her father.""
Daniel looked toward me.
His face had become strangely blank.
"That's impossible.""
Victoria lowered her voice.
"Daniel, I need you to listen.""
"You're her father.""
There was a pause.
Then Victoria said something that made my stomach twist.
"That's what I told you.""
Daniel gripped the phone.
"What do you mean?""
"I said that's what I told you.""
Margaret stepped closer.
"Put it on speaker.""
Daniel shook his head.
"Mom, stay out of this.""
"Put it on speaker.""
He ignored her.
"Victoria, where are you?""
"At home.""
"Don't speak to anyone. I'll come over.""
He ended the call.
Then he grabbed his coat.
I stepped aside.
He stopped at the door.
"Emily, we need to talk later.""
I looked at him.
"No, we don't.""
He stared at me.
For a moment, something like panic crossed his face.
Then he left.
The door slammed.
Margaret exhaled slowly.
"What was that about?""
I shook my head.
"I don't know.""
She sat on the sofa.
"Neither do I.""
But there was something about Daniel's reaction that bothered me.
He hadn't looked angry when Victoria mentioned another man.
He had looked afraid.
And that frightened me more than the affair itself.
The next morning, Caroline called.
"Emily, the bank has responded.""
I sat upright in bed.
"What did they find?""
"The account was opened using your personal information. The application was submitted electronically.""
"By Daniel?""
"We're still verifying the device records, but the associated email address belongs to him.""
I closed my eyes.
"Of course it does.""
"There's another development. The bank identified several outgoing transfers to an LLC registered in Delaware.""
"Who owns it?""
"According to the filing, you and Daniel are listed as members.""
I frowned.
"I've never heard of that company.""
Caroline paused.
"That's what I expected.""
She explained that the LLC had purchased several assets, including a property in Lake Forest.
The same house where Victoria and Sophie lived.
I pressed my fingers against my forehead.
"So he bought the house using money from an account in my name?""
"That's what the preliminary records suggest.""
"Can he put the property in my name without telling me?""
"Not legitimately.""
"Then what happens now?""
"We'll need to determine whether your identity was used without authorization. I've also asked the bank to preserve all records.""
I thanked her.
Then I called Margaret.
She answered on the first ring.
"Emily?""
"Caroline found the company that owns Victoria's house.""
Margaret was silent.
"Does Richard know?""
"Not yet.""
"I'll tell him.""
I hesitated.
"Margaret, can I ask you something?""
"Anything.""
"Why did you really invite me shopping that day?""
She didn't answer immediately.
Then she sighed.
"Because Victoria called me two weeks ago.""
I sat down.
"What did she want?""
"She said she was tired of being hidden. She wanted Daniel to leave you.""
I closed my eyes.
"Why would she tell you that?""
"She said Daniel had promised her he would end the marriage once the financial arrangements were complete.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"She wanted you to convince him?""
"No.""
Margaret's voice became harder.
"She wanted me to make sure you didn't receive anything when he left.""
I couldn't speak.
"She believed I would help her.""
"Why?""
"Because she thought I valued family reputation more than honesty.""
I looked at the photograph of Sophie on my bedside table.
I had printed it the previous night.
I didn't know why.
Perhaps because I wanted to remember that the child in the photograph was innocent.
"Did you know she had been seeing Daniel for four years?""
"Yes.""
"Did you know she wanted him to leave me?""
"I suspected.""
I swallowed.
"Then why didn't you tell me sooner?""
Margaret sighed.
"Because I was trying to find out whether Daniel had used family money. And because I was ashamed.""
"Of him?""
"Of myself. I raised him.""
There was a long silence.
Then Margaret said:
"Emily, there's something else. Richard has been investigating Daniel's business accounts for months.""
"Why?""
"Because money was disappearing from several projects.""
My stomach tightened.
"How much?""
"I don't know the final figure. But Richard believes Daniel may have created false vendor invoices.""
I leaned against the headboard.
"So the affair wasn't the only secret.""
"No.""
I looked toward the window.
The snow had stopped.
"Margaret, I think I need to get out of this apartment.""
"Come stay with us.""
"I don't want to be in the middle of the family.""
"You aren't in the middle of anything. You're the person who was lied to.""
I hesitated.
Then I agreed.
That afternoon, I packed a suitcase.
I took clothes, toiletries, my laptop, and a small box of photographs.
I left the wedding album.
I couldn't bear to touch it.
As I zipped my suitcase, I heard the front door open.
Daniel.
He walked into the bedroom.
"Where are you going?""
"To Margaret's.""
He stared at the suitcase.
"You're leaving?""
"Yes.""
"For how long?""
"I don't know.""
He laughed.
"You're really going to let my parents turn you against me?""
I continued folding a sweater.
"Your parents didn't create that bank account.""
He stepped closer.
"Emily, listen. I made some decisions I shouldn't have made. But I was trying to protect everyone.""
"Everyone except me.""
"That's not true.""
I looked at him.
"Then tell me the truth about Sophie.""
His expression changed.
"Victoria's trying to manipulate me.""
"Why would she?""
"She's angry.""
"About what?""
He looked away.
I waited.
Finally, he said:
"There's a possibility Sophie isn't biologically mine.""
The room went silent.
I slowly placed the sweater into my suitcase.
"What?""
"Victoria had another relationship before we met.""
"Before you met?""
"Yes.""
"Then why did she tell you Sophie was yours?""
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
"She said the timing was complicated.""
I stared at him.
"Did you take a paternity test?""
"No.""
"Why not?""
"Because I didn't want to know.""
I looked at him for a long moment.
That answer was somehow worse than everything else.
He had spent years building another family without even knowing whether the child belonged to him.
"Daniel, did you ever love Victoria?""
He looked at me.
"I cared about her.""
"That's not what I asked.""
He sighed.
"I loved you.""
I zipped the suitcase.
"That's not enough.""
He reached for my hand.
"Emily, please. We can fix this.""
I stepped away.
"How?""
"I'll end things with Victoria.""
I stared at him.
"And Sophie?""
"I'll work something out.""
"She's a little girl, Daniel. She's not a business arrangement.""
He looked irritated.
"That's not what I meant.""
I picked up my suitcase.
Then he said:
"There's one thing you don't understand.""
I stopped.
"What?""
"The money.""
He looked at the bedroom door before lowering his voice.
"The money wasn't supposed to go to Victoria.""
I frowned.
"What do you mean?""
He swallowed.
"She was supposed to receive part of it. The rest was going somewhere else.""
"Where?""
He didn't answer.
I stepped toward him.
"Where, Daniel?""
He looked directly into my eyes.
"Into an account controlled by someone in your family.""
My blood ran cold.
"Who?""
Before he could answer, his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed instantly.
I saw the name.
*Victoria Hale.*
He declined the call.
Then another call came through.
This time, the name was different.
*Richard Bennett.*
Daniel answered.
"What?""
I couldn't hear Richard's words, but I could hear the anger in his voice.
Then Daniel's face went white.
"That's not possible.""
A pause.
"No, Dad. Listen to me.""
Another pause.
Then Daniel whispered:
"How did you find that?""
He ended the call.
I stood frozen.
"What happened?""
Daniel looked at me.
For several seconds, he seemed unable to speak.
Then he said:
"Dad found the original trust documents.""
"What documents?""
"The ones from before we got married.""
I shook my head.
"Daniel, stop speaking in riddles.""
He swallowed.
Then he said:
"Emily, the money in that account may not belong to my family.""
I stared at him.
"Then whose money is it?""
He looked toward my suitcase.
And for the first time since I had discovered his affair, I saw something that looked almost like genuine fear.
"Yours.""
My fingers tightened around the suitcase handle.
"That's impossible.""
Daniel shook his head.
"No. It's not.""
He took one step closer.
"Your father left you an inheritance before he died. Do you remember the documents you signed when we got married?""
I felt the blood drain from my face.
I remembered.
My father had died six months before my wedding.
He had left me a small investment account, a modest amount of savings, and a sealed letter.
Daniel had helped me organize the paperwork.
He had told me the inheritance was too small to change our lives.
He had said we should leave it untouched.
I had trusted him.
"How much was it?"" I whispered.
Daniel looked down.
Then he answered.
"Your father left you considerably more than you were told.""
My phone vibrated.
A message from Caroline.
Emily, we found the original trust agreement. Please do not discuss this with Daniel until we meet.
A second message appeared.
There is a clause in your father's estate documents that changes everything.
And then a third.
Your husband was never supposed to have access to that money. But someone forged a document claiming you voluntarily transferred control to him.
I looked at Daniel.
He knew.
He had known exactly what I was reading.
And suddenly, I understood why Victoria had said she had been waiting to meet me.
She hadn't simply wanted to meet her lover's wife.
She had wanted to see the woman whose inheritance had been funding the life she was living.
I picked up my phone.
"Caroline wants to see me.""
Daniel stepped toward the door.
"Emily, don't go.""
I looked at him.
"Move.""
"Please. You don't understand what your father left behind.""
I stared at my husband.
"Then I suppose it's time someone finally told me.""
I walked past him.
But as I reached the front door, he said one last thing.
"Emily, if you find out what your father actually arranged, you'll understand why I've been trying so hard to keep you married to me.""
I stopped.
Slowly, I turned around.
"What did my father arrange, Daniel?""
He opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
May you like
And that was when I knew.
Whatever my husband had stolen from me, it was only the beginning.
