Chapter 6: My Sister's Betrayal
I read the witness signature again.
Rebecca Bennett.
My older sister.
The woman who had stood beside me in a pale blue dress on my wedding day.
The woman who had cried when Marcus proposed.
The woman who had spent three nights in my apartment after my first failed fertility treatment because she didn't want me to be alone.
My sister had witnessed an agreement to steal my child's inheritance.
"No," I whispered.
Eleanor placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Claire—"
"No. There must be some mistake.""
Robert examined the signature.
"We cannot establish authenticity from this copy alone. But if it's genuine, Rebecca may have information relevant to the agreement.""
I shook my head.
"She wouldn't do this.""
Natalie lowered her eyes.
"I saw her at the office twice.""
I turned toward her.
"Rebecca?""
Natalie nodded.
"She visited Marcus privately. I assumed she was there because you were sisters.""
My throat tightened.
"When?""
"About two months ago. Then again three weeks ago.""
I stared at the papers.
Two months.
Three weeks.
The dates matched the period when Rebecca had started calling me more often.
She had asked about my pregnancy.
My appointments.
My plans for the baby.
She had even asked whether Marcus had updated our insurance.
At the time, I thought she was being protective.
Now every question felt different.
"Did you hear what they discussed?"" I asked.
Natalie hesitated.
"Not everything. But I remember Rebecca saying something.""
"What?""
Natalie looked uncomfortable.
"She said you would never understand the arrangement, but you would eventually thank her.""
I felt as if someone had punched me in the chest.
Robert closed the folder.
"We should not jump to conclusions. A witness signature does not necessarily mean she understood the entire agreement.""
"But she signed it.""
"Possibly. We need the original.""
I stood up.
"I want to speak to her.""
Eleanor immediately shook her head.
"Not yet.""
"She's my sister.""
"Which is precisely why you shouldn't confront her without understanding what she's involved in.""
I looked at the document again.
"She knew I was pregnant. She knew how much I wanted this baby. She knew everything.""
Eleanor took both my hands.
"Claire, I understand. But if she is involved, confronting her now could give Marcus and Vivian time to destroy evidence.""
I sat down slowly.
Robert agreed.
"Let us contact her through counsel first. We need to establish whether she witnessed the document and whether she received anything in exchange.""
Natalie suddenly spoke.
"There may be another reason.""
We turned toward her.
"What reason?"" Eleanor asked.
Natalie looked at the table.
"Marcus told Vivian that Rebecca was the easiest person to persuade because she already had a financial problem.""
My heart sank.
"What financial problem?""
Natalie swallowed.
"She owed money.""
I stared at her.
"How much?""
"I don't know exactly. But I heard Marcus mention a loan. He said he'd arranged to have it settled.""
Eleanor's expression hardened.
"Through company funds?""
"I don't know.""
Robert wrote something down.
"Did you hear a figure?""
Natalie hesitated.
"Three hundred thousand dollars.""
I felt my stomach turn.
Three hundred thousand.
For a signature?
For betraying her own sister?
I reached for my phone.
Eleanor gently placed her hand over mine.
"Don't call her yet.""
I looked at her.
"How am I supposed to sit here knowing my sister helped them?""
"By making sure you don't give them an opportunity to hurt you again.""
I looked down at the baby.
The little kicks had become stronger.
I needed to stay calm.
I needed to think.
But all I could remember was Rebecca sitting on my couch two weeks earlier, rubbing my stomach and telling me how lucky my baby would be to have an aunt like her.
That afternoon, Robert contacted Rebecca through his office.
She responded within twenty minutes.
Her message was brief.
*I have no idea what this is about. I haven't signed anything involving Claire's child.*
Robert forwarded it to us.
Eleanor read it twice.
"She's denying it.""
Natalie looked nervous.
"Then she knows something is wrong.""
Robert shook his head.
"Or she genuinely doesn't understand what we're asking.""
I stared at the message.
There was no greeting.
No concern.
No question about why my sister's name was suddenly connected to a legal agreement involving my unborn child.
Just a denial.
I typed a response.
Then deleted it.
Typed another.
Deleted that too.
Finally, I wrote:
*Rebecca, I need you to tell me the truth. Did you sign an agreement with Marcus and Vivian?*
I sent it.
The message showed as delivered.
Then read.
No reply.
Five minutes passed.
Ten.
Finally, my phone rang.
Rebecca.
I answered.
"Hello?""
"Claire, what is going on?""
Her voice sounded irritated rather than frightened.
"That's what I'm trying to understand.""
"Why are you accusing me of signing some kind of agreement?""
"Because your name is on one.""
Silence.
Then she laughed nervously.
"That's ridiculous.""
"Is it?""
"Claire, I don't know what Marcus has told you, but you need to stop listening to Eleanor. She's always been controlling.""
I looked at Eleanor.
She said nothing.
"Rebecca, did you visit Marcus at his office?""
"I visit lots of people.""
"Did you sign something?""
"Claire, you're pregnant. You're stressed. Maybe you should stop obsessing over every little thing.""
My stomach tightened.
There it was.
The same language Marcus had used.
The same suggestion that my questions were symptoms of instability.
"Did Marcus pay off your debt?"" I asked.
The silence was immediate.
Then Rebecca whispered, "Who told you that?""
My heart sank.
"Answer me.""
"Claire, it's not what you think.""
"Did he pay you?""
"No!""
"Then why did you ask who told me?""
She exhaled sharply.
"Because I don't want you making assumptions.""
I closed my eyes.
"Did you sign the agreement?""
Another silence.
Then her voice changed.
"Listen to me. Marcus said it was temporary.""
My blood went cold.
"What was temporary?""
"He said the arrangement was only to protect the baby until you recovered.""
"Recovered from what?""
"Your emotional problems.""
I gripped the phone.
"I don't have emotional problems, Rebecca.""
"That's not what he said.""
"What did he tell you?""
"He said you've been having episodes. That you've been accusing him of cheating, becoming aggressive, and threatening to take the baby away from him.""
I stared at the wall.
Marcus had told her those things.
And she had believed him.
Or perhaps she had wanted to believe him.
"Did you ever ask me whether any of that was true?""
Rebecca's voice became defensive.
"You never tell me anything anymore.""
"Because you were asking Marcus about my private medical information!""
"I was trying to help.""
"By signing a document that gives Vivian control over my child's inheritance?""
"Vivian isn't supposed to have control over the baby!""
"Then why is her company listed as the proposed administrator?""
Rebecca said nothing.
I heard her breathing.
Then she spoke in a quieter voice.
"Claire, please. You don't understand how complicated this is.""
"Then explain it.""
"I can't.""
"Why?""
"Because Marcus promised everything would be settled before the baby was born.""
My fingers went numb.
"Everything?""
"Yes.""
"Including my divorce?""
She didn't answer.
"Rebecca?""
Finally, she whispered, "He said you would sign eventually.""
I felt tears burning behind my eyes.
"You knew he was planning to divorce me?""
"Claire—"
"You knew he was going to leave me?""
"That's not how he explained it.""
I let out a broken laugh.
"How did he explain it? That I was an inconvenience?""
"Don't do this.""
"Don't do what? Ask my own sister why she helped my husband replace me?""
Rebecca's voice rose.
"You're making this sound much worse than it is!""
"Then tell me what it is.""
She hesitated.
Then she said something that changed everything.
"Marcus told me the baby wasn't really going to be yours to raise.""
I stopped breathing.
"What?""
"He said the trust required a different arrangement. He said you would still be allowed to see the child, but someone else would handle the financial decisions.""
"Who?""
Rebecca whispered.
"Vivian.""
I felt a cold wave wash over me.
"You knew that?""
"I thought it was only temporary.""
"How can you think a mother losing control over her own child is temporary?""
Rebecca began crying.
"Claire, I made a mistake.""
I closed my eyes.
"How much did he pay you?""
"Nothing.""
"Rebecca.""
She hesitated.
Then whispered, "He paid off my loan.""
"How much?""
"Three hundred thousand.""
I couldn't speak.
She had sold my trust for three hundred thousand dollars.
My sister.
The woman who had once told me she would protect me from anyone who tried to hurt me.
"Was that the only thing he promised you?""
She didn't answer.
"Rebecca?""
Finally, she said, "He promised me a position in the family company after the transfer.""
I felt something inside me break.
"So you weren't just helping him.""
"No.""
"You were going to profit from it.""
"Claire, please.""
I ended the call.
For several seconds, I stared at the phone.
Then I placed it facedown on the table.
Eleanor moved beside me.
"Are you all right?""
I shook my head.
"No.""
She wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
I didn't cry immediately.
I simply sat there, trying to understand how one family could contain so many people willing to betray an unborn child.
Then Natalie's phone vibrated.
She checked the screen.
Her face went pale.
"Mrs. Hale?""
Eleanor looked up.
"What is it?""
Natalie turned the phone toward her.
It was an email from Marcus.
The subject line read:
*EMERGENCY BOARD MEETING — TOMORROW, 8:00 A.M.*
Below it was a notice explaining that Marcus intended to request the temporary suspension of Eleanor's authority as trustee.
Robert read the message.
"He's moving faster than expected.""
Eleanor stood.
"Then we'll be ready.""
But Natalie wasn't finished.
"There is an attachment.""
Robert opened it.
A new document appeared.
It was a formal request for the appointment of an interim guardian for the unborn beneficiary.
I leaned forward.
"Who is listed?""
Robert scrolled down.
His expression changed.
Eleanor stepped closer.
"Read it.""
Robert looked at me.
"The proposed guardian is Rebecca Bennett.""
I felt my chest tighten.
My sister.
The woman who had just admitted she helped Marcus.
The woman who had taken three hundred thousand dollars.
And now, apparently, the woman they wanted to place between me and my child.
But the final page contained something even more disturbing.
A sworn declaration.
It described me as emotionally unstable, increasingly hostile, and incapable of making sound decisions during pregnancy.
At the bottom was Rebecca's signature.
And beneath it, a statement declaring that she had personally witnessed several episodes of my alleged instability.
I stared at the page.
"I've never had those episodes.""
Robert nodded.
"I believe you. But we need to prove the declaration is false.""
Eleanor took the document from him.
Her voice was cold.
"Then we will.""
Just then, my phone rang again.
Rebecca.
I ignored it.
A message arrived seconds later.
*Claire, please don't let them use the second recording.*
I frowned.
Second recording?
Before I could respond, another message appeared.
*Marcus has a recording of you from the night you lost the pregnancy last year. He says it proves you're unstable.*
My hands began shaking.
I remembered that night.
The hospital.
The empty ultrasound room.
The doctor telling us there was no heartbeat.
I remembered crying on the kitchen floor afterward.
Marcus holding me.
And me screaming that I couldn't bear to lose another baby.
I looked at Eleanor.
"What recording?""
She read Rebecca's message.
Then she slowly turned toward Robert.
"Find out whether Marcus has been recording Claire without her knowledge.""
Robert nodded.
But my phone vibrated once more.
This time, the message came from Marcus himself.
*I warned you not to involve my mother. Tomorrow, everyone will finally see the truth about you.*
I stared at the words.
May you like
Then another message arrived.
*And Claire? Bring a lawyer. You're going to need one.*
