Chapter 7 - THE BAIT
Ryan was released before sunrise because the assault charge was still being processed and Margaret claimed self-defense.
By then, Alan Price had a lawyer.
Dr. Bell had given a statement.
And I had stopped thinking of my marriage as broken.
Broken things happen by accident.
This was engineered.
Ryan came home at 9:05 a.m. because his name was still on the occupancy agreement even though the deed was mine.
Ryan looked exhausted.
“Where’s Emma?”
“Safe.”
“With Diane?”
“Safe.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You’re keeping my daughter from me.”
I laughed once. “You forged custody papers.”
“You can’t prove I forged anything.”
“Your text to Alan was helpful.”
That hit him.
He pulled out a chair.
“Lauren, you don’t understand what my mother was trying to do.”
“Then explain it.”
He rubbed both hands over his face.
“My company is in trouble.”
I stared.
“What does that have to do with Emma?”
“Nothing.”
“Wrong answer.”
He looked toward Kate, then back at me.
“My mother thought you’d take Emma and cut me off financially.”
“I don’t finance you.”
“Yes, you do.”
Then he told me.
My father had created a trust for Emma. I knew about college funds, not the emergency family-support distributions.
Ryan had borrowed against anticipated distributions through a private lender.
Without telling me.
“How much?”
“Four hundred thousand.”
Kate whispered, “Jesus.”
“If you divorced me,” Ryan said, “the lender could call the note.”
“And forged custody helps how?”
“It doesn’t.”
“Then why do it?”
“My mother went too far.”
“Stop blaming her.”
His face changed.
For the first time, anger broke through the tired act.
“You think you’re innocent? Your father set up a trust that treated me like some temporary guest in my own family.”
“My father didn’t force you to steal.”
“I didn’t steal.”
“You pledged money that wasn’t yours.”
Ryan moved closer.
Kate stood too.
He stopped.
Then he said the sentence that changed everything.
“The trust isn’t the only thing your father left Emma.”
I stared at him.
“What else?”
May you like
Ryan’s mouth tightened.
“You should ask Diane why she never told you about the house in Vermont.”
