Chapter 8: My Wife Had Known About Rachel's Money Before She Met Me
I didn't sleep that night.
I sat in Rachel's old study until nearly four in the morning, reading the letter again and again.
Celeste had known about Rachel before she met me.
That sentence kept repeating in my mind.
I remembered how we had met.
A charity dinner.
A mutual friend.
Celeste had approached me while I was standing near the drinks table, holding a photograph of Maya.
She had asked about my daughter.
She had listened while I explained that my wife had died.
She had told me she admired men who remained devoted to their children.
At the time, I had thought she was simply being kind.
Now I wondered whether the entire conversation had been carefully arranged.
The next morning, Daniel arrived at the house.
He came carrying a leather briefcase and a folder containing copies of the original trust documents.
Margaret sat beside him.
Vanessa had agreed to give a formal statement.
Celeste was upstairs.
I stood near the window.
"Daniel, I want the truth.""
He placed his briefcase on the table.
"Then we need to start with the original estate attorney.""
He opened a file.
"Rachel's attorney was a man named Edward Collins. He retired three years ago, but his office still maintains the original records.""
"Can we contact him?""
"Already have.""
Daniel removed a printed email.
"He agreed to meet us this afternoon.""
I looked at the letter.
"Rachel said Celeste knew about her before we met.""
Daniel nodded.
"Edward may be able to explain why.""
Margaret leaned forward.
"Rachel once told me she was worried about a woman who had been asking questions about the trust.""
I turned.
"When?""
"About six months before she died.""
"Did she give you a name?""
Margaret shook her head.
"No. But she said the woman was connected to someone at the hospital.""
My stomach tightened.
"Someone at the hospital?""
"Yes.""
Daniel looked up.
"Did Rachel say anything else?""
Margaret hesitated.
"She said the woman had been asking whether the inheritance could be changed if you remarried.""
I stared at the table.
A terrible possibility was forming.
Before I could ask anything else, Devin walked into the study.
He looked exhausted.
"Can I talk to you?""
I immediately stood.
"Of course, buddy.""
He glanced at Daniel and Margaret.
"Alone?""
I nodded.
We walked into the kitchen.
He sat down at the island.
I poured him a glass of water.
"What's going on?""
He looked at his hands.
"Mom said she's leaving.""
I took a breath.
"What do you mean?""
"She said she can't live here anymore because Dad has turned everyone against her.""
I pulled out a chair.
"How do you feel about that?""
He shrugged.
"I don't know.""
"That's okay.""
He looked up.
"She told me Maya is the reason.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
"She told you that?""
"She said if Maya hadn't come on the vacation, none of this would have happened.""
I sat quietly.
Then Devin said something that broke my heart.
"Maybe I shouldn't have told you about the emails.""
I moved closer.
"Why?""
"Because now Mom hates me.""
I placed my hand on his shoulder.
"Listen to me. You didn't do anything wrong.""
He stared at me.
"She said I'm supposed to be on her side.""
I took a slow breath.
"You don't have to choose between your parents, Devin.""
"But she keeps saying I have to.""
I looked at my son.
Then I said the one thing I wished someone had told Maya years earlier.
"Being a good son doesn't mean agreeing with everything your mother does. And being a good brother doesn't mean betraying your sister.""
Devin's eyes filled.
"I don't want Maya to leave.""
"She isn't going anywhere.""
He nodded.
Then he leaned forward and hugged me.
I held him tightly.
When he returned upstairs, Daniel approached me.
"Andre, there's another issue.""
"What now?""
"Celeste has contacted the school.""
I frowned.
"Which school?""
"Devin's.""
"What did she tell them?""
"That you are planning to move the children out of state and prevent her from seeing them.""
I stared at him.
"That's absurd.""
"She also requested that Devin's emergency contact information be changed.""
I rubbed my forehead.
"Can she do that?""
"Not unilaterally if both parents retain legal rights. I've already contacted the school to clarify the situation.""
I looked toward the staircase.
Celeste was no longer simply trying to control the money.
She was building a narrative.
One in which I was unstable.
One in which Maya was manipulative.
One in which Celeste was the victim.
And Devin was the child caught in the middle.
At two that afternoon, Daniel and I met Edward Collins at his office.
He was in his late seventies, with silver hair and a walking cane.
When I introduced myself, he shook my hand firmly.
"Andre. I was hoping we'd never need to have this conversation.""
I sat down.
"Why?""
He looked at Daniel.
Then he opened a drawer and removed an old file.
"Because Rachel specifically asked me to keep certain records confidential unless her daughter or you needed them.""
He placed a document on the desk.
"Your wife came to my office three months before Rachel died.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"Celeste?""
He nodded.
"She wasn't your wife then. She was someone Rachel had met through a hospital charity event.""
I stared at him.
"How did she know Rachel?""
"She volunteered at the same fundraising organization.""
I remembered the charity dinner.
The evening Celeste and I had met.
She had mentioned that she worked with families affected by cancer.
I had assumed it was a coincidence.
Edward continued.
"Rachel told me that Celeste had asked several questions about her estate. She found it unusual because the two women weren't close.""
"What questions?""
"Whether the trust could be modified. Whether Maya's inheritance could be shared with another child. Whether the house could be transferred to a future spouse.""
I closed my eyes.
"Did Rachel confront her?""
"Yes.""
"What happened?""
Edward opened another folder.
"Rachel documented the conversation.""
He handed me a typed statement.
It was dated eight months before my wedding to Celeste.
I read the first paragraph.
I have reason to believe that Celeste Bennett is pursuing a personal relationship with my husband partly because of the financial arrangements established for my daughter.
I looked up.
"She wrote this before we were married?""
"Yes.""
I continued reading.
I do not know whether Andre is aware of her intentions. I do not want to interfere with his ability to find happiness. But I want to ensure that Maya's inheritance remains protected.
My hands were shaking.
I looked at Edward.
"Did Rachel know Celeste was interested in me?""
"She suspected it.""
"Why didn't she tell me?""
Edward lowered his eyes.
"She was afraid you would think she was trying to control your life while she was dying.""
I couldn't speak.
Edward continued.
"Rachel asked me to investigate whether Celeste had made any previous inquiries about the estate.""
"And?""
He removed another document.
"She had.""
I stared at the page.
There was a record of a property inquiry submitted through a real estate office.
The inquiry had been made using Celeste's name.
It concerned the value of Rachel's house.
The date was nearly a year before I met her.
I looked at Daniel.
He was reading the same document.
"That's impossible," I whispered.
Edward shook his head.
"Unfortunately, it appears to be genuine.""
I sat back.
For years, I had told myself that Celeste had entered our lives at exactly the right moment.
That she had helped me rebuild after losing Rachel.
That she had loved my children.
Now I was beginning to understand that she might have seen my grief as an opportunity.
"Was there anything else?"" I asked.
Edward nodded.
He removed a small envelope.
"Rachel asked me to give you this if the trust was ever challenged.""
I opened it.
Inside was a photograph of Celeste standing outside the hospital.
She was speaking to someone.
A man.
I recognized him immediately.
Dr. Richard Hale.
Rachel's former physician.
I looked at Edward.
"Why is he in this photograph?""
Edward folded his hands.
"Because Rachel believed he had given Celeste confidential information about her medical condition and estate arrangements.""
I stared at the photograph.
"Was that ever proven?""
"No. Rachel asked me to investigate, but she passed away before I could complete the process.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"Do we have the original photographs?""
Edward nodded.
He placed a small envelope on the desk.
"These were taken by a private investigator Rachel hired shortly before her death.""
I opened it.
There were six photographs.
In four of them, Celeste was speaking with Dr. Hale.
In another, she was handing him a folder.
The final photograph showed them standing beside a black sedan.
On the back, someone had written a date.
The same date as the supposed execution of the forged authorization.
I looked at Daniel.
"Can we find him?""
Daniel nodded.
"I'll have the investigator locate him.""
Edward looked at me.
"Andre, there's one more thing.""
I turned.
"Rachel left a recorded statement with my office. She asked that it only be released if someone attempted to challenge Maya's inheritance.""
I felt my heart pound.
"Do you have it?""
He nodded.
He reached into a cabinet and removed a small digital recorder.
Then he pressed play.
At first, there was only static.
Then Rachel's voice filled the room.
"Andre, if you're hearing this, something has happened that I desperately hoped would never happen.""
I closed my eyes.
It was her.
My Rachel.
Her voice was weak, but unmistakable.
"I need you to understand that I love you. I want you to be happy. But please don't confuse someone being kind to you with someone being kind to our daughter.""
A pause.
Then she continued.
"Celeste has asked about the money. She has asked about the house. She has asked what happens if I die.""
I gripped the edge of the desk.
"I don't know what she wants, Andre. I only know that she has become very interested in our family since she discovered what I left for Maya.""
There was another pause.
Then Rachel said something that made the room disappear around me.
"If you ever discover that she has been using my name to hurt Maya, please look into the circumstances surrounding our first meeting.""
The recording ended.
I sat completely still.
Daniel slowly closed the file.
Edward looked at me.
"Your wife may have had a connection to Rachel's estate long before she met you.""
I looked down at the photograph of Celeste and Dr. Hale.
Then my phone rang.
An unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A man's voice spoke.
"Mr. Bennett? My name is Richard Hale.""
I straightened.
"Dr. Hale?""
"Yes. I understand you've been asking questions about Rachel.""
I looked at Daniel.
"Who gave you my number?""
There was a pause.
Then he said something that made my blood run cold.
"Celeste called me this morning. She told me you had discovered the recording.""
I gripped the phone.
"What do you know about my wife?""
His voice dropped.
"More than I should have known.""
"Explain.""
"I can't do this over the phone.""
"Then where?""
He gave me an address.
Then he added:
"Mr. Bennett, there's something you need to understand. Celeste wasn't the first person who tried to access Rachel's estate.""
I stared at the photographs.
"Who was?""
He took a breath.
May you like
"Someone inside your own family.""
And then he ended the call.
