Chapter 4: The Envelope
Liam didn't get out of the SUV.
He sat behind the wheel with both hands resting on it, watching the coffee shop through the windshield.
Watching me.
Watching Megan.
For one terrifying second, I forgot how to breathe.
Megan grabbed my wrist.
“Don't look at him again,” she whispered.
My eyes stayed on the window.
“Does he know you're here?””
“I don't know.””
“You said he doesn't know.””
“I said I didn't tell him.””
She glanced toward the parking lot.
“Claire, you need to leave.””
“What about you?””
“I'll handle Liam.””
I almost laughed.
“You're the woman he's having an affair with. You're going to handle him?””
Megan's face tightened.
“I'm not his mistress anymore.””
“You were.””
“Yes.””
“Then why should I trust you?””
She looked down.
“You shouldn't.””
That answer stopped me.
She pushed the envelope toward me.
“You don't have to trust me. Read this.””
I picked it up.
It was heavier than I expected.
“What is inside?””
“Emails. Bank records. Copies of documents. Messages.””
“About Liam?””
“About Liam.””
I stared at her.
“Why are you giving me this?””
Her voice dropped.
“Because yesterday he told me we were going to disappear together.””
My stomach twisted.
“He said the divorce would be easy. He said you'd sign whatever he put in front of you because you were too exhausted to fight.””
I felt heat rise in my face.
“He said that?””
Megan nodded.
“He said you were completely dependent on him.””
I gripped the envelope.
“What else?””
“He said you had nowhere to go.””
My eyes burned.
“That's not true.””
“I know.””
The words came softly.
“I know because I looked into you.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
“He told me things about your family. Your finances. Your house. Everything.””
She took a shaky breath.
“At first, I thought he was just trying to make himself look like the victim.””
“And then?””
“Then I found the insurance policy.””
My fingers tightened around the envelope.
“The $250,000 policy?””
“Yes.””
“Why would he take out a policy on me?””
“I don't know.””
“You said you found it.””
“I found the paperwork in his office.””
I leaned closer.
“What's the date?””
Megan hesitated.
“Six months ago.””
My heart stopped.
Six months ago.
Hailey hadn't even been born yet.
I stared at her.
“That's impossible.””
“Why?””
“Because we were happy.””
Megan looked at me with something close to pity.
“Were you?””
I couldn't answer.
She continued.
“He purchased the policy shortly after he started seeing me.””
The noise of the coffee shop seemed to disappear.
I could hear only the blood pounding in my ears.
“He planned this.””
“I don't know what he planned.””
“You just said—”
“I said I found documents.””
She looked toward the window again.
“Claire, there is something else.””
I waited.
“He didn't take out the policy because he wanted to protect you.””
“Then why?””
Megan's lips parted.
Before she could speak, a chair scraped behind me.
I turned sharply.
A man in a dark jacket had stopped beside our table.
“Mrs. Bennett?””
My pulse jumped.
“Yes?””
He handed me a business card.
“I'm Daniel Reeves.””
“Who are you?””
“Attorney.””
I looked at Megan.
She nodded.
“I contacted him,” she said.
Daniel pulled out the chair beside us.
“May I sit?””
I didn't move.
“Why would I need an attorney?””
He looked directly at me.
“Because your husband has been moving money.””
I felt suddenly dizzy.
“How much?””
“That's difficult to determine.””
“Give me a number.””
He hesitated.
“More than two hundred thousand dollars.””
My mouth went dry.
Megan whispered, “That's why I brought you the records.””
Daniel opened his briefcase.
He removed several photocopies.
“Your husband opened another bank account eight months ago.””
“Why?””
“We don't know.””
“What name is on it?””
“His.””
“Then what's the problem?””
Daniel placed another document on the table.
“Your name appears on one of the transfer authorizations.””
I stared at it.
“That isn't my signature.””
“I know.””
The room seemed to tilt.
“What do you mean?””
Daniel slid the document closer.
“Someone forged your signature.””
I looked down.
My signature was there.
My name.
My handwriting style.
But it wasn't mine.
“I never signed this.””
“I believe you.””
“Then who did?””
“That is what we're trying to determine.””
A vibration came from my pocket.
My phone.
I pulled it out.
A message from Liam.
*Where are you?*
I froze.
Another arrived.
*I came home and you're gone.*
Then:
*Claire, call me.*
Megan saw the screen.
“Don't answer.””
I looked at Daniel.
“Can he track my phone?””
“Not normally.””
“Normally?””
Daniel's expression became serious.
“Mrs. Bennett, I need you to listen carefully. Don't go home with him today.””
My throat tightened.
“Why?””
“We found something concerning.””
“What?””
He lowered his voice.
“Your husband's attorney requested an emergency change to the beneficiary structure of a life insurance policy yesterday.””
I looked at Megan.
She was crying now.
“What does that mean?””
Daniel answered carefully.
“It means someone is preparing for a death.””
Silence.
I stared at him.
“No.””
He didn't blink.
“No,” I said again.
“This doesn't make sense.””
Daniel nodded.
“I hope it doesn't.””
I stood abruptly.
The envelope nearly fell from my hand.
“I need to go home.””
Daniel stood too.
“No.””
“My daughter is there.””
“Then we need to get her first.””
I looked toward the window.
Liam's SUV was gone.
My stomach dropped.
“He left.””
Daniel took out his phone.
“Where is your daughter?””
“With a nanny.””
“Name?””
“Emily.””
“Call her.””
My fingers were already dialing.
One ring.
Two.
Three.
Then voicemail.
“Emily?”” I said after the tone.
“It's Claire. Call me immediately.””
I hung up.
No answer.
I called again.
Nothing.
A cold sensation crawled up my spine.
“She's not answering.””
Megan grabbed my arm.
“Claire…”
I looked at her.
“What?””
“There is one thing I didn't tell you.””
“What?””
“The woman on the phone.””
My blood ran cold.
“You heard her?””
“No.””
Megan shook her head.
“Liam showed me her picture.””
My lips parted.
“You know who she is?””
“Yes.””
“Who?””
Megan looked toward the door.
Then back at me.
“She's not my replacement.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“She never was.””
“Then who is she?””
Megan's voice broke.
“She is the reason Liam needed the insurance policy.””
My heart pounded harder.
“Tell me her name.””
Megan swallowed.
“Her name is Emily.””
My body went numb.
“The nanny?””
Megan nodded.
“The woman you trust to watch Hailey.””
I couldn't hear anything after that.
The coffee shop, the traffic, Daniel speaking beside me—all of it blurred into noise.
My daughter.
My home.
Emily.
Liam.
The insurance policy.
Suddenly, the flowers on my kitchen counter came back to me.
The strawberries.
The hotel.
The late meetings.
The hidden documents.
None of it had been random.
I'd been looking for an affair.
But what I had found was something much darker.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?””
For several seconds, there was only breathing.
Then a woman's trembling voice whispered:
“Claire, don't go home.””
I stopped moving.
“Who is this?””
“I'm sorry.””
“Who are you?””
The voice cracked.
Then came the words that made my knees nearly give out.
“Emily is not with your daughter.””
A pause.
May you like
“She has Hailey.””
And before I could say another word, the call went dead.
