Chapter 5
Laura had left Sophie nearly two million dollars.
Land sold from her mother’s estate.
Insurance.
Investments.
All placed in a protected trust for Sophie’s future.
I was trustee.
I should have known every detail.
But after Laura died, grief made paperwork feel like drowning.
Megan had handled most of it with the attorney.
Rachel must have found out later.
Nora Patel, my lawyer, met us that afternoon.
She reviewed the trust documents and then the camera footage.
Her expression grew colder with every page.
“This is not only abuse,” she said. “This is attempted financial exploitation.”
She showed me a draft petition Rachel had created.
It claimed I was emotionally unstable.
It claimed Sophie had violent tantrums.
It claimed Rachel was the only consistent maternal figure.
It requested trustee authority.
My skin went cold.
“She was going to use the abuse as evidence.”
“Yes,” Nora said.
Rachel had not only hurt Sophie.
She had staged her fear.
Patricia had helped.
The police found messages between them.
Make her cry before filming.
Do not leave marks where teachers can see.
Daniel will believe anything if you make him feel guilty about working.
I read those words and walked into the hallway.
I pressed my hand against the wall and tried not to vomit.
Megan followed me.
“You failed,” she said softly.
“I know.”
“But failing once doesn’t mean you get to collapse.”
I looked at her.
“Sophie needs you awake now.”
May you like
She was right.
So I stood up.
