I’m sorry I kept so much from you.
I covered my mouth as tears filled my eyes.
Emma explained that she had discovered Evan’s affair approximately four months earlier. Initially, he denied everything. When she eventually confronted him with evidence, he admitted what had happened but somehow managed to turn the blame back on her.
He claimed pregnancy had made her distant. He complained that she was always exhausted and no longer interesting to be around. He insisted Celeste understood his ambitions in ways Emma never could.
My hands began shaking.
My daughter had been carrying his child while he made her feel responsible for his betrayal.
Then I reached the third page.
Mom, there’s something else I need you to understand. It’s about Dad’s house.
I straightened in my chair.
Emma wrote that Evan had suggested selling the property on Willow Lane and using the proceeds to finance a new business venture. She refused because the house was an important part of her father’s legacy.
After that disagreement, his behavior became increasingly hostile.
She later discovered documents from a real estate agency indicating that he had been making inquiries about selling the property without her knowledge.
I stopped reading for a moment.
The house had once belonged to Thomas’s parents. He had spent years repairing it, replacing damaged windows, and caring for the garden. The spring Emma turned seven, he planted a magnolia tree in the front yard.
When Thomas died, he left the property to her.
Emma kept it as a rental rather than selling it. She didn’t particularly need the income. She simply wanted to preserve a place that reminded her of her father.
I continued reading.
I asked Mr. Halden to examine the property records. He discovered a suspicious document connected to a proposed sale. It includes a copy of my signature, but I never signed that authorization.
My heart began pounding.
I don’t know how far Evan has gone. Mr. Halden is helping me investigate. If something happens before this is resolved, please make sure Dad’s house is protected.
I lowered the pages.
Until that moment, I had believed Evan’s affair was the worst betrayal my daughter had suffered.
Now I was beginning to understand that the situation was much more serious.
The following morning, I went to Mr. Halden’s office.
He had prepared two cups of tea and several documents on his desk. After greeting me, he pulled out a chair and invited me to sit.
“Did you manage to read Emma’s letter?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Every page.”
He placed several documents in front of me: property records, a real estate listing agreement, an unsigned draft purchase contract, and a document that supposedly authorized Evan to represent Emma in the proposed sale.
I studied the signature.
At first glance, it looked convincing. But something about it seemed wrong.
Emma had a distinctive habit when writing her name. She always made the second letter unusually tall.
The signature on the document didn’t have that characteristic.
“She didn’t write this,” I said.
Mr. Halden nodded.
“Emma noticed the same thing.”
I swallowed.
“Was the house actually sold?”
“No. The transaction never reached completion. Once Emma challenged the authorization, we informed the relevant parties that its validity was disputed.”
Relief washed over me.
