Chapter 6: The Day He Almost Won
My bank card failed at the courthouse café the next morning.
Martin stood behind me and placed a five-dollar bill on the counter.
“Let me help,” he said.
I left the coffee untouched.
In the hearing room, Martin’s attorney displayed the graduation video.
It showed Sophie pushing my hand away, then me threatening to withdraw payment for her trip.
“Mrs.
Mercer used money immediately after being rejected,” the attorney said.
“That is coercion.”
I rose.
“The account alert arrived hours later.”
The judge lifted a hand.
“You’ll speak when questioned.”
Martin lowered his eyes like a wounded husband.
“I only tried to protect my daughter.”
Sophie sat behind him, twisting a tissue between her fingers.
Daniel showed the court the false forms, but Martin’s attorney objected.
“The documents have not been independently examined.
Elaine Mercer had access to the seal and holds a personal grudge against her brother.”
Elaine stood.
“That isn’t true.”
The judge called for order.
Until the signatures were examined, the judge kept the financial freeze in place.
Martin would retain temporary access to the house, while I could enter only with an agreed witness.
Outside, he smiled.
“You should have taken my offer.”
“You forged my name.”
“Prove which hand held the pen.”
Sophie stepped between us.
“Stop talking to her like that.”
Martin’s smile vanished.
“Get in the car.”
“I’m going with Helen.”
“If you do, don’t expect me to save your college place.”
“You never paid for that either.”
His hand closed around her wrist.
She pulled free.
“Don’t touch me.”
Martin looked at the courthouse doors, then lowered his voice.
“Claire signed statements saying Helen controlled you for years.
If you turn against me, those statements will include you.”
“Include me in what?”
“The attempted transfer.
Your password opened the account.”
Sophie froze.
I moved beside her.
“You told me he said the money belonged to you.”
“He asked me to read him the security code,” she whispered.
“I didn’t know what he was doing.”
Martin pointed at her.
“Then be careful what story you tell.”
That evening, Sophie went to the house with Elaine as her witness.
I waited in Daniel’s office while they collected her clothes and school documents.
My phone rang forty minutes later.
“Helen,” Sophie whispered, “he’s destroying the files.”
“Where are you?”
“In the hallway.
Elaine is downstairs.”
A drawer slammed through the phone.
“Leave the house,” I said.
“I recorded him talking to Claire.”
“Do not confront him.”
Martin’s voice sounded nearby.
“Sophie?”
She ended the call.
I grabbed my coat, but Daniel blocked the door.
“You cannot go there alone.”
“That’s my daughter.”
Elaine called before we reached the car.
“He locked me outside,” she said.
“Sophie is still in there.”
Then Sophie’s number appeared again.
I put it on speaker.
Martin was shouting.
“Give me the phone.”
“No.”
“You have no idea what Helen has done to this family.”
“She raised me.”
“I’m your father.”
“Then why did you use me?”
A crash sounded, followed by Claire’s voice.
“Martin, the computer is gone.
Elaine took it.”
“Then get Sophie’s phone!”
The line cut out.
We reached the house as Sophie came through the front door, clutching her phone to her chest.
Elaine ran to her from the driveway.
“Are you hurt?” I asked.
“No.
But he knows I recorded everything.”
A black car turned into the street.
Martin appeared behind Sophie and stopped smiling.
Daniel looked at the car’s official plates.
“That’s the court investigator,” he said.
Sophie held out her phone.
May you like
“Good,” she replied.
“Because Dad just admitted what the second signature was for.”
