Chapter 5: Jack’s Final Warning
The next morning, I drove to Margaret’s office.
I did not call ahead.
I needed answers.
The city felt different from the farm.
Louder.
Faster.
Everyone rushing somewhere.
Everyone chasing something.
I wondered how many people were like Brooke.
People who looked at something beautiful and immediately calculated its worth.
Margaret’s office was on the third floor of an old brick building downtown.
When I walked in, she looked up.
One glance at my face told her everything.
“You found something.””
I placed Jack’s letter on her desk.
She read it carefully.
Then looked at me.
“Linda…”
“What?””
She removed her glasses.
“Jack never told me about this letter.””
“What does that mean?””
“It means he wanted you to find it yourself.””
I frowned.
“That makes no sense.””
“It does if I know Jack.””
She smiled sadly.
“He always believed people revealed themselves when they thought nobody was watching.””
I sat down.
“Margaret, someone has a document with my signature.””
“I reviewed the copy you sent.””
“And?””
Her expression became serious.
“It’s fake.””
I exhaled.
Even though I already knew.
Hearing it from her made it real.
“How can you tell?””
“Your signature is close, but not accurate. The pressure marks are wrong. The spacing is wrong. Someone copied your name without understanding how you actually write.””
“So what happens now?””
Margaret folded her hands.
“Now we find out who created it.””
I looked at her.
“You think it was Brooke?””
“I think Brooke received it.””
“That’s not what I asked.””
Margaret was quiet.
Finally she said:
“Linda, people rarely commit fraud alone.””
The words stayed with me.
“Someone helped her.””
“Possibly.””
“Who?””
Margaret looked at the document again.
“That’s what we need to discover.””
Before I left, she stopped me.
“One more thing.””
“What?””
“Do not tell Brooke you know the document is fake.””
“Why?””
“Because whoever created this believes they have an advantage.””
She pushed the paper toward me.
“Let them continue believing that.””
I understood.
For the first time in days, I felt something besides hurt.
I felt prepared.
That evening, Ethan came to the farm again.
This time, he looked angry.
Not at me.
At the truth.
“Mom.””
“What happened?””
He walked inside.
“Brooke admitted she met with someone before the birthday dinner.””
I froze.
“Who?””
“She wouldn’t tell me.””
“Ethan.””
“I know.””
He rubbed his face.
“She said it was about planning our future.””
“Our future?””
“Yes.””
I laughed quietly.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was unbelievable.
“She was planning your future with someone else’s property?””
He looked down.
“I know how it sounds.””
“It sounds like you’re finally seeing it.””
He didn’t argue.
That scared me more.
“Mom, there’s something else.””
“What?””
“She wants to meet you.””
I stared at him.
“Why?””
“She says she wants to apologize.””
I waited.
“And?””
“And she says she has an explanation.””
I looked outside.
The sun was setting over the fields.
A beautiful orange glow covered everything Jack and I built.
“Fine.””
Ethan looked surprised.
“You’ll meet her?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
I turned toward him.
“Because I want to hear what she says when she thinks I don’t know the truth.””
The next day, Brooke arrived alone.
That surprised me.
No designer outfit.
No perfect makeup.
No audience.
Just Brooke.
For the first time, she looked nervous.
“Linda.””
I opened the door.
“Come in.””
She stepped inside.
Her eyes moved around the house.
The old photographs.
The wooden furniture.
The memories.
For a second, I thought she finally understood.
Then she spoke.
“I’m sorry about the restaurant.””
I said nothing.
She continued.
“I was stressed.””
“Stressed.””
“Yes.””
I looked at her.
“You humiliated me because you were stressed?””
She looked away.
“I shouldn’t have said those things.””
“No.””
She swallowed.
“I made a mistake.””
I waited.
Then she said the words I knew were coming.
“I just think you need to understand something.””
“What?””
“The farm affects Ethan’s future too.””
There it was.
Not an apology.
A negotiation.
I almost smiled.
“You came here to discuss the farm.””
“No.””
But her answer came too quickly.
I noticed.
She noticed I noticed.
“I just want what’s best for my family.””
I looked directly at her.
“Your family?””
“Yes.””
“Brooke, my son is your family.””
“And the farm is part of his inheritance.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
Her face changed.
“No?””
“No.””
For the first time, she looked angry.
“You don’t understand.””
“I understand perfectly.””
“You’re keeping something from Ethan.””
“No.””
“You are.””
I stepped closer.
“I protected something your father-in-law built.””
Her expression hardened.
Then she whispered:
“You really think Jack wanted you to keep everything?””
I froze.
“What did you say?””
She smiled faintly.
And that was when I knew.
She knew something.
Something she should not know.
“Jack left instructions,” she said.
“Where did you hear that?””
She didn’t answer.
Instead, she picked up her purse.
“I think you should ask yourself why he didn’t trust Ethan with the truth.””
Then she walked toward the door.
I followed.
“Brooke.””
She stopped.
“Who gave you that information?””
Slowly, she turned around.
And the name she said next made my blood run cold.
Because it was someone I thought I could trust.
“It was your son.””
I stared at her.
“No.””
Brooke smiled sadly.
“Ask him.””
Then she left.
And for the first time since Jack died…
May you like
I wondered if the person standing against me was not my daughter-in-law.
But my own son.
