Chapter 4: The Secret My Husband Left Behind
I didn’t understand why my husband’s name was written in that notebook.
My husband had been gone for eight years.
His belongings had been sorted, packed, and stored.
At least, I thought they had.
“Where did you get that?”” I asked.
Terrence smiled.
“Your son had it.””
I looked at Lennox.
He looked like he wanted to disappear.
“Lennox?””
He didn’t answer.
That hurt more than the document.
More than the fake signature.
Because every secret seemed to have one thing in common.
My son knew.
Terrence opened the notebook.
“You should know what your husband was really doing before he died.””
My hands tightened.
“Don’t talk about him.””
“Why? Because you don’t want to know?””
“Because you don’t know anything about him.””
She smiled.
“Actually, I know more than you think.””
Lennox stepped forward.
“Give me that.””
Terrence pulled it away.
“No.””
“Terrence.””
The warning in his voice was different this time.
Not fear.
Anger.
For a second, I saw the old Lennox.
The boy who defended his little sister on the playground.
The teenager who stood up when someone insulted me.
Then it disappeared.
Terrence opened the notebook.
“Your husband kept records.””
“Of what?””
“Money.””
I stared at her.
“My husband was careful with money.””
“Exactly.””
She flipped pages.
“Very careful.””
Lennox looked at the floor.
I noticed.
“What do you know?””
Terrence looked pleased.
“I know your husband left something behind.””
The room became silent.
My husband had always been private.
Not secretive.
Private.
After he died, I found normal things.
Bills.
Receipts.
Old photographs.
But nothing like this.
“Where is it?”” I asked.
Terrence smiled.
“There it is.””
“What?””
“You’re finally asking the right question.””
I hated how she enjoyed this.
“How much?””
She looked at Lennox.
“How much did your father leave?””
Lennox whispered:
“I don’t know.””
Terrence laughed.
“Don’t lie.””
“I don’t.””
I looked between them.
“What are you talking about?””
Lennox sat down.
“Dad had an account.””
My heart stopped.
“What account?””
“He didn’t tell us everything.””
“Us?””
He looked ashamed.
“I found paperwork after he died.””
I felt like the floor moved.
“You found paperwork?””
“Yes.””
“And you didn’t tell me?””
“I was going to.””
“When?””
He had no answer.
Terrence stepped in.
“He was going to tell you after he figured out how to use it.””
“Terrence!””
She ignored him.
“He found out your husband had protected money.””
I stared at Lennox.
“Is that true?””
He nodded slowly.
“How much?””
He whispered:
“Almost a million dollars.””
I couldn’t breathe.
A million dollars.
My husband.
The man I loved.
The man who always told me we had to be careful.
He had left something behind.
But my son knew.
And he hid it.
“Why?”” I asked.
Lennox’s eyes filled with tears.
“Because Terrence found out.””
I looked at her.
“What did you do?””
For the first time, Terrence looked nervous.
Only for a second.
Then it disappeared.
“I managed our finances.””
“That isn’t what I asked.””
She stepped closer.
“You think your son is innocent?””
“No.””
The answer surprised her.
“I think my son made mistakes.””
I looked at Lennox.
“But I think you made choices.””
The silence afterward was brutal.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message.
From Daniel.
I opened it.
The blood drained from my face.
Because he had found something.
Something about the document.
Something about the signature.
Something that meant this was bigger than I imagined.
The message contained only one sentence:
*“Margaret, the person who witnessed this document was not a stranger. It was someone inside your family.””*
I looked up slowly.
Lennox was watching me.
May you like
And before I could ask, Terrence smiled.
Because she already knew who it was.
