Chapter 7: The Family Secret Behind the Fifth Child
The police arrived before Thomas and Daniel could leave.
Officer Collins had already been briefed about the forged documents, and when she saw the paperwork presented at the school, she immediately requested copies.
Thomas wasn't pleased.
"This is a private family matter," he insisted.
Officer Collins held out her hand.
"Then you won't mind answering a few questions.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"We have nothing to hide.""
"Excellent," she replied.
"Then you'll have no problem staying.""
Thomas looked at me.
"This is what happens when you allow an emotional woman to make decisions.""
I almost laughed.
He had arrived at an elementary school pretending to be a dead man's replacement, and somehow I was the emotional one.
Margaret stepped forward.
"Officer, I believe there's another matter you should investigate.""
She handed Collins a document from the family trust.
It contained Daniel's birth certificate.
His father was listed as Thomas Montgomery.
His mother was listed as Eleanor Montgomery.
Megan's birth certificate was also attached.
Her father was listed as Thomas Montgomery.
Her mother was listed as Eleanor Montgomery.
I stared at the two documents.
Megan and Daniel were half-siblings.
I had suspected it.
Now I had proof.
Officer Collins looked at the documents.
"Are you aware of this, Mr. Mercer?""
Daniel's face tightened.
"That's none of your business.""
"It becomes my business if you're involved in an attempt to obtain guardianship through fraudulent documents.""
Thomas interrupted.
"Daniel was raised separately. There was no relationship between them.""
Margaret shook her head.
"That is not true.""
Thomas turned sharply.
"Don't you dare.""
Margaret looked at me.
"Your sister knew the truth. She has known for years.""
My throat tightened.
"How?""
"Because I told her.""
I felt dizzy.
"Why would she continue seeing him?""
Margaret closed her eyes briefly.
"Because Thomas convinced her that Daniel was the only person who could help her access the trust.""
The pieces began falling into place.
The sudden relationship.
The mysterious money.
The paperwork.
The insistence that I raise the children.
Everything.
Daniel wasn't simply trying to control the inheritance.
He was part of the family that wanted to take it.
And Megan had been willing to cooperate.
Officer Collins took Thomas and Daniel to separate rooms for questioning.
I sat in the principal's office with Ava while Rebecca arranged for Noah, Lily, and Ben to be picked up from my house by a trusted neighbor.
Ava was unusually quiet.
I offered her a juice box.
She shook her head.
Then she looked at me.
"Is Mom a bad person?""
I didn't answer immediately.
Children deserve honesty, but they also deserve the freedom to love their parents.
"Your mom has made some very bad decisions," I said carefully.
"But you are not responsible for fixing them.""
Ava stared at the juice box.
"She told me I was the reason she couldn't be happy.""
My chest tightened.
"What?""
"She said having four children made her life difficult. She said she missed being young.""
I took her hands.
"Ava, listen to me. You are not the reason anyone is unhappy. You are a child. You deserve to be loved and protected.""
Her eyes filled.
"Then why does she keep leaving?""
I had no answer.
That afternoon, Margaret took me to her office.
She placed a thick folder on the table.
"There's something I need you to understand about the fifth baby.""
I sat down.
"What about the baby?""
"Your grandmother established the trust after your mother discovered that her own family had been manipulating inheritance arrangements for generations.""
Margaret explained that the trust had originally been created to protect children from being used as financial bargaining tools.
Each child born into the family received a protected share.
No parent could withdraw the money for personal expenses.
No guardian could use the children as collateral.
And no administrator could transfer ownership without independent approval.
"Why would my grandmother create something so complicated?""
Margaret looked toward the window.
"Because she watched her own daughter lose everything after trusting the wrong people.""
She handed me a photograph.
It showed my grandmother standing beside a young woman I didn't recognize.
"Who is she?""
"Your mother's younger sister.""
I frowned.
"My mother had a sister?""
Margaret nodded.
"Her name was Elizabeth. She died when she was twenty-seven.""
I looked at the photograph.
"How?""
"She became involved with a man who convinced her to sign away her inheritance. When she refused to give him more money, he abandoned her and their little girl.""
My throat tightened.
"Was the little girl my mother?""
"No. It was your mother who survived the family scandal. Elizabeth's daughter was adopted by relatives and eventually lost contact with everyone.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"Does she still exist?""
Margaret nodded slowly.
"Yes.""
She opened another folder.
Inside was a birth record.
A woman's name.
A date of birth.
And a current address.
I stared at it.
"Why are you showing me this?""
"Because your sister has been contacting her.""
I looked up.
"What?""
Margaret pointed to a series of emails.
Megan had written to the woman repeatedly over the past year.
The messages became increasingly desperate.
You have to help me. Claire is refusing to cooperate.
Thomas says we can fix everything if we get the baby registered under the right family arrangement.
You have a responsibility to the family.
I read the final email.
It had been sent two weeks earlier.
If you don't help me, I'll tell Claire what happened to her father.
I felt my pulse quicken.
"What happened to my father?""
Margaret folded her hands.
"Your father didn't die from the illness everyone was told about.""
I looked at her.
"Excuse me?""
"Richard had been receiving threats. He was investigating Thomas's financial dealings when he became seriously ill.""
"Are you saying someone hurt him?""
"I'm saying the circumstances surrounding his death were never properly investigated.""
My hands began to shake.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I didn't have enough evidence. And because your father asked me to protect you.""
I stood.
"My father died in a hospital. I was there.""
"I know.""
"He had cancer.""
Margaret looked down.
"That was the official diagnosis.""
The room went silent.
I thought about the last weeks of his life.
The sudden confusion.
The medication changes.
The way he had once grabbed my wrist and whispered, "Don't let Thomas near the papers.""
At the time, I had assumed the medication was making him disoriented.
Now I wasn't so sure.
Margaret removed a small envelope from the folder.
Inside was a flash drive.
"Your father left this with me.""
I stared at it.
"What's on it?""
"His final recorded statement.""
My stomach tightened.
"Why didn't you give it to me before?""
"Because I was waiting for the legal protection order to be activated. Now that Thomas has attempted to take control of the trust, the condition has been met.""
She placed the drive in front of me.
I looked at it for a long time.
Then I asked:
"Does it explain why Megan is doing this?""
Margaret nodded.
"It explains why she believes the fifth baby is the key.""
I felt my heart begin to race.
"What does the baby have to do with it?""
Margaret looked directly at me.
"Your grandmother left a separate inheritance for the first male child born into the family after her death.""
I blinked.
"But Ben is a boy.""
"Yes. But Ben was born before the trust's final amendment.""
I stared at her.
"So the unborn baby...""
"Is the first child who qualifies.""
My stomach dropped.
The fifth baby wasn't simply another beneficiary.
He or she was the key to a separate inheritance worth millions.
And Thomas and Daniel had spent months arranging everything so they could control it.
I reached for the flash drive.
Before I could pick it up, my phone rang.
Megan.
I answered.
"Claire.""
Her voice sounded exhausted.
"Where are the children?""
"Safe.""
"Put Ava on the phone.""
"No.""
"She's my daughter.""
"Then start acting like her mother.""
A sharp breath came through the speaker.
"You have no idea what you've done.""
"I know exactly what you've done, Megan.""
She lowered her voice.
"Listen to me. Thomas isn't the villain you think he is.""
"He's trying to steal money meant for your children.""
"That money belongs to my baby!""
"All five children are beneficiaries.""
Silence.
Then Megan whispered:
"Not anymore.""
I froze.
"What does that mean?""
She gave a small, broken laugh.
May you like
"Because tomorrow morning, I'm going to make sure only one child inherits anything.""
And the call ended.
