Chapter 10 - THE DOCTOR
Dr. Cross refused to speak with us.
His attorney did not.
By evening, the doctor had retained criminal counsel.
That was all Rachel needed to know.
She filed the emergency divorce petition, the asset freeze, and a request barring Michael from entering our home.
The judge granted temporary orders within hours.
Michael responded by posting online that I was having a “breakdown.”
Patricia reposted it with a prayer-hands emoji.
The cruelty was almost elegant.
Then the police report from dinner became public.
So did photographs of my stitches.
Michael deleted his post.
At 6:30 p.m., Jenna came to my apartment.
She carried a banker’s box.
“I took this from Mom’s study.”
Inside were copies of my tax returns, old medical records, bank statements, and drafts of the fake settlement.
Jenna was shaking.
“I thought Mom was controlling. I didn’t know she was…”
“Criminal?”
She nodded.
At the bottom of the box was a yellow legal pad.
Patricia’s handwriting covered every page.
TIMELINE — EMMA.
Hospitalization.
Daniel funeral.
Anxiety prescription.
Board vote.
Transfer savings.
Incident.
File petition.
I pointed to one word.
“Incident?”
Jenna swallowed.
The date beside it was Sunday.
The dinner.
Before Michael threw the glass.
Rachel took the pad.
“They expected a confrontation.”
“No,” I said slowly.
I looked at the next line.
POLICE / DOCUMENT INSTABILITY.
They had wanted me to lose control.
The affair reveal had been bait.
May you like
The dinner had been staged.
And Michael throwing the glass had been the one part of the plan that went wrong.
