Chapter 4: The Woman in My Mother’s Coat
Derek lunged for the computer, but Elaine turned the screen away.
“Sit down,” she said.
“That image proves nothing.”
“It proves you arrived with someone using your mother’s identification.”
Mom stared at him.
“Who is she?”
“A clerk made a mistake.”
“Who is she, Derek?”
He grabbed Mom’s arm.
“We’re leaving.”
I stepped between them.
“Take your hand off her.”
He released her and pointed at me.
“You caused this.
If you had kept paying what you promised, none of us would be here.”
Elaine picked up the telephone.
“Security is coming.”
Derek backed toward the door.
“You’ll regret choosing strangers over family.”
“You chose money over family,” I said.
He left before security arrived.
Mom remained beside the desk, staring at the photograph.
“I didn’t know about the woman,” she whispered.
“You knew about my signature.”
“I knew he had paperwork.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
Mom picked up her purse.
“Come home.
I’ll explain everything.”
“I’m not going anywhere alone with Derek.”
“He won’t be there.”
Elaine handed me her card.
“Call me if anyone pressures you to sign or withdraw your dispute.”
Mom looked offended.
“I would never pressure my own child.”
I held Elaine’s card between two fingers.
“You called me a leech less than twenty-four hours ago.”
At the house, Derek’s truck was gone.
His children were at school, and my boxes were still stacked beside the front door.
Mom touched the top one.
“I didn’t expect you to leave so quickly.”
“You told me to be gone before morning.”
“I thought you’d argue.”
“You wanted me to beg?”
“I wanted you to understand that Derek needed me.”
“What did he tell you?”
She sat at the kitchen table.
“He said he was behind on bills.
He said the children might lose everything.”
“So you helped him use my income.”
“I signed one paper.”
“What did it say?”
“He covered the page and showed me the signature line.”
I pulled out my phone.
“Say that again.”
Mom’s eyes widened.
“Are you recording me?”
“Yes.”
She stood.
“Turn it off.”
“No.”
The back door opened, and Derek stepped inside.
“You always were sneaky,” he said.
Mom spun around.
“You said you were going out.”
“I forgot something.”
“You forgot to explain the woman in my coat.”
Derek dropped his keys on the counter.
“That was Hannah.”
“Hannah?” Mom said.
“Your former wife?”
“She helped with the account.”
“She used my identification!”
“She wore your coat because the photograph had to match the address.”
I could barely believe his calmness.
“You just admitted it.”
“No, I explained a clerical shortcut.”
I held up my phone.
“Elaine will enjoy hearing that explanation.”
He snatched at it, but I stepped back.
The front door suddenly opened.
“Don’t touch her,” a woman said.
Our neighbor, Mrs.
Alvarez, stood in the doorway holding a small memory card.
Derek laughed.
“This is family business.”
“Not when you use my driveway camera to record it.”
He stopped smiling.
Mrs.
Alvarez handed the card to me.
“Your brother came here three times while you were working.
Once he carried out your laptop.
Another time, he photographed your mail on my trash bin.”
“That’s a lie,” Derek said.
“I watched the recordings this morning.”
Mom covered her mouth.
“Derek, you told me she lent you the laptop.”
“I returned it.”
“You went through my financial files,” I said.
He looked at the memory card.
“That footage belongs to her.
You can’t use it.”
Mrs.
Alvarez folded her arms.
“I already sent copies to the bank.”
Derek’s face changed.
“You had no right.”
“You used my property while pretending to be your sister.
That gave me every right I needed.”
The doorbell rang before he could answer.
A courier stood outside with an envelope addressed to Mom.
She tore it open and sank into a chair.
“What is it?” I asked.
Derek reached for the pages, but she pulled them to her chest.
May you like
“It’s a power of attorney,” she whispered.
“It says I gave Derek control of everything.”
