Chapter 8 - Diane Changed Her Story
Diane’s story changed three times in twenty minutes.
First, she insisted the photograph was taken at Natalie’s house.
Then she claimed she might have confused the location.
Finally, she said the photograph had been submitted “only as an example of Natalie’s general carelessness.”
Investigator Reyes wrote down every version.
Natalie watched quietly.
Diane kept glancing toward her.
Waiting for help.
Waiting for Natalie to smooth things over.
Natalie did not.
When the interview ended, Diane cornered her outside the school.
“Fix this.”
Natalie almost laughed.
“What?”
“Tell them I made a mistake.”
“You just told them that.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
“You want me to lie for you.”
Diane’s voice dropped.
“I am your mother.”
“There it is again.”
“What?”
“The sentence you use whenever being my mother is supposed to excuse what you did.”
Diane stared at her.
“You would destroy me over Lena?”
“No.”
“You did this yourself.”
Natalie walked toward her car.
Diane followed.
“Do you know what people are saying about me?”
Natalie stopped.
“Lena asked if I was going to send her back.”
Diane looked away.
“That matters more than what people are saying about you.”
Then Natalie left.
That afternoon, Brian called.
“Mom says CPS is threatening to charge her.”
“They’re investigating.”
“She wants me to say I’ve seen dangerous conditions at your house.”
Natalie closed her eyes.
“What did you say?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“She got angry.”
“I’m sure.”
Brian hesitated.
“She said if I don’t support her, she’s changing her will.”
Natalie almost smiled.
“Her will?”
“Yeah.”
“She nearly lost her house two years ago.”
“I know that now.”
“Exactly.”
Brian sighed.
“I’m starting to realize half the things she uses to control us aren’t real.”
Natalie looked at the ledger on her desk.
“Neither were half the things she claimed to provide.”
Three days later, the family reunion group chat exploded again.
Diane had sent everyone an invoice.
Each household owed $1,650 for the cabins.
People who had spent years assuming Diane paid began asking questions.
Aunt Carol:
Why is this so expensive?
Cousin Mark:
Didn’t Natalie usually cover part of this?
Diane:
Natalie abandoned the family financially.
Natalie did not answer.
Then Brian did.
Actually, Natalie paid almost all of it every year.
Silence followed.
Then Brian uploaded photographs of ledger pages.
Not the whole book.
Just enough.
Reunion 2023.
Reunion 2024.
Reunion 2025.
Within minutes, relatives began calling Natalie.
She ignored most of them.
But one message caught her attention.
Aunt Carol:
May you like
Natalie, I think there’s something you need to know about the money you gave your mother.
Some of it did not go where you thought.
