Chapter 4 - DANIEL'S SECRET AGREEMENT
Daniel spent the night at Patricia's house.
He barely slept.
At six in the morning, he found Patricia sitting at the kitchen table with three cups of coffee.
“You need to tell me what's happening.”
She looked exhausted.
“I told you to come here.”
“Why?”
She pushed an envelope toward him.
Daniel stared at it.
“What is this?”
“Open it.”
He did.
His expression changed immediately.
Inside was a photocopy of a document.
Daniel read it twice.
Then a third time.
“This can't be real.”
Patricia said nothing.
“It has Claire's signature.”
“Yes.”
“When did she sign this?”
“She didn't.”
Daniel looked at his mother.
“What?”
Patricia lowered her voice.
“Someone signed it for her.”
Daniel stood.
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means we have a problem.”
Daniel's face went pale.
“Mom, what did you do?”
“I did what I had to do.”
“You forged her signature?”
Patricia slammed her hand on the table.
“Don't make this my fault!”
“You just admitted it!”
“I was protecting you!”
“From what?”
Patricia's eyes filled with tears.
“From losing everything.”
Daniel looked at the document again.
It was an agreement stating that Claire intended to transfer ownership of the townhouse.
To Daniel.
But there was one problem.
Claire had never signed it.
Daniel sat down.
“What were you planning?”
Patricia whispered:
“You were going to refinance the property.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You said Claire agreed.”
“She would have.”
“She never agreed.”
“She would have if you handled her properly.”
Daniel looked sick.
“You told me this was legal.”
“It would have been.”
“No.”
He pushed the paper away.
“No, Mom.”
Patricia leaned toward him.
“Listen to me. Your wife has money, property, a family that would do anything for her, and now she's having your child.”
Daniel stared at her.
“What are you saying?”
“You can't let her leave you.”
“I never planned to leave her.”
Patricia's voice became softer.
“You didn't need to.”
Daniel looked at her.
She continued.
“You only needed her to believe she couldn't survive without you.”
He said nothing.
Then his phone buzzed.
A text from Claire.
You left me on the highway.
Daniel stared at it.
Patricia leaned over.
“Don't answer.”
“Why?”
“Because she's trying to control you.”
Another message arrived.
My father knows about the house.
Patricia's face went white.
Daniel looked at her.
“What did you do?”
She stood.
“Nothing.”
“Mom.”
“I said nothing.”
Daniel stared at the document.
Then he noticed something.
A second signature appeared beneath Claire's.
A witness.
His name.
Daniel's own handwriting.
He remembered signing something months earlier.
Patricia had told him it was an insurance document.
His stomach turned.
“Mom…”
She looked at him.
“What?”
“What did I sign?”
She didn't answer.
“Mom!”
Patricia whispered:
“You don't want to know.”
Daniel stood.
“Yes, I do.”
He grabbed the folder.
“I'm going to the hospital.”
Patricia stepped in front of him.
“No.”
“Move.”
“You can't see Claire.”
“She's my wife.”
“She'll have your arrest warrant waiting.”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
Patricia's eyes filled with panic.
“She knows.”
“Knows what?”
“About the forged signature.”
Daniel stared at his mother.
Then his phone rang.
A lawyer.
He answered.
“Mr. Monroe?”
“Yes?”
“This is Eleanor Price.”
Daniel's heart dropped.
“I represent Claire Monroe.”
“What do you want?”
“I want to inform you that my client has initiated an emergency legal action concerning her property.”
Daniel gripped the phone.
“What action?”
“She is seeking a protective order and exclusive possession of the residence.”
“That house is our marital home.”
“No.”
The lawyer's voice was calm.
“It is her property.”
Daniel's mouth went dry.
“There is also another matter.”
“What?”
“We have reason to believe a document was submitted containing a fraudulent signature.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
The room seemed to disappear.
“Mr. Monroe?”
He couldn't speak.
“Mr. Monroe, are you still there?”
He whispered:
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Her voice hardened.
“Because you need to understand something.”
“What?”
“If you contact Claire without permission, we will consider it harassment.”
The call ended.
Daniel slowly lowered the phone.
Patricia watched him.
“What did she say?”
Daniel looked at his mother.
“She knows.”
Patricia's face collapsed.
Then someone knocked on the front door.
Three hard knocks.
Patricia froze.
Daniel whispered:
“Who is that?”
The knocking came again.
A voice followed.
“Daniel Monroe?”
Police.
Daniel looked at Patricia.
And Patricia whispered:
“Don't open the door.”
That was the moment Daniel finally understood.
His mother hadn't been protecting him.
May you like
She had been using him.
And now whatever she had done was about to come crashing down on both of them.
