Chapter 12 - The Woman Who Wanted My Name
Samantha Price had never met me, but she'd spent months making decisions about my life. I knew her from corporate events: a bright laugh, elegant dresses, the kind of handshake that lasted just a little too long.
June found her name on the lease for the depot holding our truck. It wasn't a coincidence. Samantha's company had bought the debt the previous evening, at a discount, using money routed through one of Carlos's suppliers.
"She wants us to panic," June said. "If we pay her, she makes a profit. If we don't, she ruins our reputation."
"Find another refrigerated truck," I said. "Get the hospital its medicine, even if we lose the whole contract."
Pilar called drivers she trusted. Within an hour, one of our competitors volunteered spare storage and a truck. They were people I'd argued with over prices for years; they helped because patients mattered more than winning.
As soon as the medicine moved, Samantha sent me a message.
YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE EASY WAY OUT.
I called her. She answered on the first ring, pleased with herself.
"Elena. I wondered when you'd reach out."
"You kept medicine from patients to pressure me."
"I held a shipment while a debt was settled. Let's not be dramatic."
"Carlos told you I would go to prison. Was that before or after you two picked a wedding date?"
She laughed. "He promised you were finished long before I met him. Men say things."
"If you didn't plan this, tell the investigators."
May you like
A pause. Then her voice changed. "You have no idea who signed the first agreement. Ask your mother why she kept the red notebook locked away."
Before I could answer, she sent a photograph: my mother's signature on a warehouse insurance claim, dated three days after Mom had been admitted unconscious to the hospital.
