Chapter 16 - Hannah's Last Decision
I went straight to Vera's house. She was waiting with tea, a box of old files, and a confession she'd never found the right moment to make.
"Hannah asked me not to tell you about the investigation until she had proof," she said. "You were working nights. June was three. Hannah was frightened someone would target you."
"Celia said Hannah wrote something I shouldn't see."
Vera opened a folder. There was a second letter, addressed to me, dated shortly before Hannah's surgery. It wasn't a secret about an affair or a hidden child. It was an apology.
Grant, I used the charity accounts because I thought I could help families quietly. I signed off on one invoice before I realized the numbers were wrong. I'm scared it helped people who hurt children. If I don't get a chance to explain, please know that I tried to correct it.
I put the letter down. Hannah hadn't been perfect. She had been honest enough to face an error instead of burying it. She had preserved the records, named the people involved, and arranged to give them to an independent auditor.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked Vera.
"She wanted to tell you herself. After she died, I thought I was respecting her privacy. I was wrong about how long to wait. I'm sorry."
I was angry. I was also grateful Vera stayed when I had been too broken to stand on my own. Both feelings could be true.
Rebecca called as I drove home. The edited clip of me pulling June away from Celia had gone viral. A headline called me a violent groom. Another story claimed June had been placed in protective care, which was false.
May you like
Then Rebecca told me the part she was most worried about.
"Celia's filed for a civil protective order against you. The hearing is tomorrow morning."
