Chapter 7: The Woman Who Wanted My Mother's Life
I called Vanessa immediately.
She answered on the second ring.
“Well, well. The New York princess.””
“Where is my mother's necklace?””
She laughed.
“Hello to you too.””
“Vanessa, I'm not playing. Give it back.””
“Why? Is it worth a lot?””
“It's sentimental.””
“Oh, that's convenient.””
I closed my eyes.
“Put it somewhere safe. I'm coming to get it.””
“Don't bother. Mom already has it.””
I gripped the phone.
“Why would Patricia want my mother's necklace?””
Vanessa laughed again.
“Maybe because she likes pretty things.””
“Vanessa.””
“What?””
“What was in the envelope?””
She went quiet.
Then she said, “You really want to know?””
“Yes.””
“Ask your father.””
She ended the call.
Ethan watched me.
“What did she say?””
“That Patricia has my necklace. And there's another letter addressed to her.””
He leaned back.
“Do you think it has something to do with the trust?””
“I don't know.””
I looked at the photograph again.
The envelope was cream-colored, sealed with a small gold sticker.
My mother's handwriting was unmistakable.
I wanted it back.
Not because I expected it to solve everything.
Because it was the last part of my mother that I hadn't yet understood.
The following morning, Margaret called.
“Lily, I've reviewed the new property documents. There's a problem.””
I sat up.
“What kind of problem?””
“Your father attempted to submit a sale authorization yesterday. The title company rejected it, but someone has also filed a request to challenge the original transfer.””
“Can he do that?””
“He can try. Whether the challenge has merit is another matter.””
I rubbed my forehead.
“What does he claim?””
“He claims your mother wasn't mentally competent when she transferred the house.””
I felt sick.
“She was perfectly capable.””
“I know. And we have medical records confirming that she understood the transaction. But we need to prepare for a hearing.””
I swallowed.
“Could he actually take the house?””
“Not without proving his allegations. We won't let that happen without a fight.””
After the call, I went straight to Evelyn.
She listened carefully.
Then she made another phone call.
“Richard, please come to my office.””
A few minutes later, a tall man with a silver watch entered.
“This is Richard Hale,” Evelyn said.
“He's our legal adviser. He also worked with your mother on several contracts.””
Richard shook my hand.
“I remember you as a little girl.””
I blinked.
“You knew my mother?””
“Very well.””
He placed a folder on the desk.
“Your mother was preparing for a legal dispute before she became seriously ill. She documented everything.””
He opened the folder.
Inside were copies of emails, bank records, and a handwritten timeline.
I leaned forward.
“What is all this?””
“Evidence that your mother discovered unauthorized transfers before she signed the final property documents.””
I scanned the pages.
There were dates.
Amounts.
Bank names.
And a series of emails between my father and Patricia.
Richard pointed to one.
“This is particularly important.””
I read it.
Daniel, we cannot keep waiting. Elena is asking questions about the money. If she contacts Margaret, we're finished.
My father's reply appeared beneath it.
I know. Give me time.
Patricia had written back:
I didn't leave my marriage for this. You promised me a future.
I felt my stomach turn.
Evelyn quietly closed the folder.
“There's more, Lily.””
Richard placed another photograph on the desk.
It showed Patricia standing outside my mother's fashion studio.
She was holding a large envelope.
“When was this taken?”” I asked.
“Four years ago,” Richard said.
“Your mother asked a private investigator to document certain meetings after she discovered the affair.””
I stared at the photograph.
“Why didn't she divorce him?””
Evelyn answered gently.
“She was trying to protect you. She hoped your father would eventually tell the truth and end the relationship himself.””
I looked down.
“And he didn't.””
“No.””
Richard continued.
“Your mother also discovered that Patricia had been receiving money through a consulting company that didn't provide any real services.””
I frowned.
“What company?””
He showed me the name.
*PC Lifestyle Consulting.*
I recognized it immediately.
It was printed on one of the trust statements.
Patricia had received more than eighty thousand dollars through it.
I leaned back.
“She was taking money from my trust?””
“That's what the records suggest,” Richard said.
My phone buzzed.
A message from Vanessa.
If you want your mother's necklace, come home alone.
I showed Evelyn.
She shook her head.
“Absolutely not.””
“I need to get it back.””
“Then we arrange a proper handover.””
But I was already thinking about the envelope.
I had a feeling it contained something Patricia desperately wanted hidden.
That afternoon, Margaret arranged for a courier to collect my mother's remaining belongings.
We created a written inventory.
The courier arrived at the house at three.
My father refused to open the door.
Vanessa appeared behind the glass.
She looked directly at the courier, then pointed at the package in his hands.
She shook her head.
The door remained locked.
An hour later, my phone rang.
Dad.
“Stop sending strangers to my house!””
“It's my house, Dad.””
“Don't start that again.””
“Then give me my mother's things.””
“Patricia is sorting through them.””
“She has no right.””
“You don't understand what those things mean.””
I almost laughed.
“You're right. I don't understand why my mother's belongings are in Patricia's bedroom.””
He went silent.
Then he said:
“Your mother left behind more than you know.””
“Then tell me.””
“Come home.””
“Not without Margaret.””
His voice hardened.
“Don't bring lawyers into this family.””
“You brought lawyers into it when you tried to sell my house.””
He hung up.
That evening, Evelyn invited me to dinner.
She wanted me to meet the senior designers who would supervise my internship.
I wore a simple black dress.
For once, I didn't think about Vanessa or Patricia.
I listened to conversations about fabrics, runway presentations, and the business of fashion.
One of the designers, Claire, examined my prom dress photograph.
“You created this in one night?””
I nodded.
She studied the image.
“Your construction isn't perfect, but your instinct is extraordinary.””
I smiled.
“Thank you.””
“Don't thank me. I'm being honest. You have something we can't teach.””
I looked down.
“What?””
“An eye for possibility.””
Later, Evelyn handed me a small box.
Inside was a collection of vintage silver sewing needles.
“They belonged to your mother,” she said.
I touched them carefully.
“She used these?””
“For years.””
I smiled through tears.
“Thank you.””
Evelyn sat beside me.
“There's one more thing I haven't told you.””
I looked up.
“Your mother didn't just leave the house and the trust.””
She paused.
“She owned shares in Marlowe Fashion House.””
I blinked.
“What?””
“Twenty percent.””
I stared at her.
“Twenty percent?””
“Your mother was one of the company's original creative partners. When she stepped away, she retained her shares.””
I couldn't speak.
Evelyn continued.
“Those shares were transferred to you under her estate plan.””
My heart began racing.
“What does that mean?””
“It means you're not simply receiving a scholarship. You're also a shareholder in the company your mother helped build.””
I looked at the room around me.
The sketches.
The photographs.
The people who had worked beside my mother.
For the first time, I felt connected to a part of her life I'd never known existed.
Then Evelyn's phone rang.
She answered.
“Yes, Richard?””
Her expression changed.
“What do you mean?””
She stood.
“Are you certain?””
A long pause.
Then she looked at me.
“Thank you. Send it immediately.””
She ended the call.
“What happened?”” I asked.
Evelyn held out her phone.
A scanned document appeared on the screen.
It was the envelope Patricia had taken from my mother's box.
The one addressed to her.
Richard had obtained a photograph of its contents from a previous legal inventory.
I read the first line.
Patricia, if you're reading this, then you have finally succeeded in making Daniel believe your version of events.
My heart pounded.
I continued.
But there is one truth you have never known.
The man you think you stole from me was never the person who held the greatest power in this family.
I looked up.
Evelyn's face was grave.
“Lily, I think your mother knew exactly what Patricia was planning.””
I looked back at the screen.
The final paragraph was partially visible.
And if you ever attempt to claim what belongs to my daughter, I will make sure the world knows what happened the night you...
The scan ended.
I stared at the screen.
“What happened that night?””
Evelyn shook her head.
“We need the original letter.””
And suddenly, I understood why Patricia was holding on to it.
May you like
She wasn't protecting my father's reputation.
She was protecting her own.
