Chapter 3 - The Secret Account
Daniel spent the next several days investigating.
Every discovery made the situation worse.
The company account Teresa created had been active for almost a year.
The timing was impossible to ignore.
It started shortly after Frederick was born.
The exact moment my family became vulnerable.
“She waited until you had more responsibilities,” Daniel explained.
“She knew you were focused on providing for your wife and child.”
I looked at the documents on his desk.
“How much money is missing?”
Daniel slowly pushed a folder toward me.
“Approximately fifty-eight thousand dollars.”
I felt sick.
Not because of the money.
Because of the betrayal.
My mother had looked me in the eyes every month.
She had hugged my son.
She had smiled at my wife.
And behind all of it, she was building a plan.
That evening, Amy and I sat on the porch.
For the first time since the birthday incident, the house felt quiet.
“I should have protected you,” I said.
Amy looked at me.
“You didn’t know.”
“But I should have seen it.”
She reached for my hand.
“Connor, your mother spent years making everyone believe she was the victim.”
That was true.
Growing up, Teresa always told the same story.
She sacrificed everything for me.
She raised me alone.
She deserved respect.
And I believed her.
But now I wondered how much of that story was real.
The next morning, Daniel called.
“We found something.”
“What?”
“Your mother and Mason visited a notary office three months ago.”
My heart started racing.
“For what?”
“A power of attorney document.”
I stood up.
“Power of attorney?”
“Yes.”
“She was trying to get legal authority over your financial decisions.”
I stared out the window.
The birthday party.
The money.
The fake deed.
The power of attorney.
They were all connected.
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My mother wasn’t trying to help my family.
She was trying to replace me as the person in control of my own life.
