Chapter 12 - The Letter Rebecca Wrote)
Rebecca’s apology arrived three days later.
Daniel did not open it.
He gave the sealed envelope to Emily.
They sat together on the couch at home.
Daniel had changed the locks.
Rebecca’s belongings were gone.
Laura’s photographs remained exactly where they had always been.
Emily held the envelope.
“Can you read it?”
“Only if you want me to.”
She nodded.
Daniel opened it.
Emily,
I am sorry.
I frightened you because I was angry at someone who was not you.
I told you things that were cruel and untrue.
Your father was never going to stop loving you.
I had no right to tell you otherwise.
I had no right to touch your mother’s belongings, your flowers or your home.
I tried to send you away because I knew your presence reminded me that what I was doing was wrong.
That was my failure.
Not yours.
You do not owe me forgiveness.
You do not owe me another conversation.
I only want you to know that you told the truth when the adults around you were lying.
You were braver than I was.
Rebecca
Emily sat quietly.
Daniel waited.
Finally she asked, “Is she going to jail?”
Daniel exhaled.
“There are legal things being decided.”
“Did she steal?”
“She tried to.”
“From me?”
“Yes.”
Emily frowned.
“Why?”
“Because she thought some of your money should have belonged to her family.”
“But it didn’t?”
“Some of it came from investments connected to a bad situation years ago. But the money was legally your mother’s, and she legally put it into your trust.”
Emily thought.
“Money makes grown-ups weird.”
Daniel laughed unexpectedly.
“Yes.”
Emily folded Rebecca’s letter.
“Can I keep this?”
“Of course.”
“Why?”
Emily looked at him.
“So when I’m older, I remember she said I was brave.”
Daniel felt his chest tighten.
“You were.”
The following weeks were consumed by lawyers, audits and interviews.
Andrew’s transaction was blocked before execution.
The forged debt was canceled.
Carter Holdings recovered the archived Merritt records.
The records proved Andrew had hidden his beneficial ownership during the acquisition.
Daniel’s company had a strong civil claim against him.
More importantly, investigators discovered Andrew had diverted money from Carter Holdings through consulting contracts for nearly six years.
The betrayal was larger than Daniel imagined.
Yet the company survived.
Jonathan had moved quickly.
The board rallied around Daniel.
Michael temporarily joined the audit committee.
No customer accounts were affected.
Emily’s trust remained intact.
The most surprising development came from Margaret.
She voluntarily produced everything.
Old files.
Bank records.
Emails.
She admitted her role in Bellweather.
She admitted helping Rebecca prepare the fraudulent placement documents.
She admitted possessing the duplicate bank key.
Her attorneys begged her to remain silent.
She refused.
“I’ve spent sixteen years blaming other people,” she told Jonathan. “I’m finished.”
Rebecca did the same.
Her written statement was devastating.
She admitted she approached Daniel deliberately.
She described Andrew’s involvement.
She admitted forging Daniel’s signature.
She surrendered every copy of Laura’s private documents.
Daniel never spoke to her directly during those weeks.
He did not need to.
Then, six weeks after the canceled wedding, Emily turned eight.
Daniel brought her to the lake house.
The trees had begun turning gold.
They sat on Laura’s old dock eating chocolate cake from paper plates.
Michael and Anna were inside preparing dinner.
Emily had received more presents than Daniel thought any child needed.
But one remained.
Laura’s envelope.
Daniel held it.
“Ready?”
Emily nodded nervously.
He gave it to her.
She opened it.
Laura’s handwriting covered four pages.
Daniel looked away while Emily read.
The letter belonged to her.
Halfway through, she started crying.
Daniel moved closer.
She handed him the page.
“Read this part.”
Daniel looked.
My sweet Emily,
If Daddy ever falls in love again, please remember something important.
Love does not divide like cake.
If someone new enters your family, loving that person does not mean loving me less.
But anyone worthy of your father must understand that you were here first.
You are not luggage to be moved when life changes.
You are home.
Daniel stopped.
He could not continue for several seconds.
Emily leaned against him.
Finally he read the rest.
Be kind, but do not confuse kindness with silence.
If someone frightens you, tell Daddy.
If Daddy is being stubborn, tell him twice.
Daniel laughed through tears.
Emily did too.
At the end Laura had written:
Your life will become bigger than the sad parts.
I promise.
Love always,
Mom
Emily pressed the letter against her chest.
“She knew.”
Daniel looked at the lake.
“She knew a lot.”
Emily smiled.
“Not everything.”
“No.”
“She didn’t know you’d almost marry a crazy lady.”
Daniel stared at her.
Then he laughed harder than he had in months.
Emily laughed too.
The sound carried across the lake.
Later that evening, Jonathan called.
Daniel almost ignored the phone.
He answered because Jonathan rarely called on weekends.
“What happened?”
“We found something in Andrew’s archived files.”
Daniel walked onto the porch.
“What?”
“A payment.”
“To whom?”
Jonathan hesitated.
“Rebecca.”
Daniel’s face hardened.
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
Daniel looked through the window.
Emily was helping Anna place candles on a birthday cake.
Two years ago was when Daniel first met Rebecca.
“What was the payment for?”
“We don’t know.”
“How much?”
“Fifty thousand dollars.”
Daniel’s stomach tightened.
Rebecca had said she approached him for revenge.
Had Andrew paid her to do it?
Daniel gripped the phone.
May you like
“Get me everything.”
The story was not finished after all.
