Chapter 13 - Dr. Monroe’s Report
Dr. Elaine Monroe had never met Emily.
That fact was now confirmed.
She admitted it immediately when questioned.
She had written what she called a “consultative behavioral opinion” based entirely on information supplied by Rebecca and Charles.
That distinction did not help much.
The document was formatted like an assessment.
It contained clinical language.
It suggested therapeutic placement.
And it carried Dr. Monroe’s credentials.
Charles’s company paid her consulting firm $125,000 over eight months.
Not just for Emily.
For other family matters.
That created a serious conflict.
Dr. Monroe claimed she never knew the report would be submitted to a school as if she had evaluated my daughter.
Rebecca disagreed.
Emails showed she sent the school application draft to Monroe.
Monroe replied.
Looks suitable.
Keep my language focused on adjustment risk.
Detective Cole called the report intentionally misleading.
Her licensing board opened an investigation.
Then Allison discovered another use.
The report had been attached to a draft petition.
A petition for educational decision-making authority.
Rebecca planned to file it only if I resisted after marriage.
The theory was astonishing.
She would argue that I was allowing grief and guilt to prevent necessary treatment for Emily.
She would use Monroe’s report as support.
And because Rebecca would then be Emily’s stepmother, she hoped a court might at least hear the dispute.
Would she win?
Probably not.
But winning was not the immediate goal.
Pressure was.
Delay was.
Conflict was.
Charles understood litigation could exhaust people.
He believed I would compromise before risking public family court proceedings.
Everything came back to the same assumption.
Daniel hates scandal.
Daniel avoids conflict.
Daniel will surrender.
They were right about the old me.
They had not met the father who stood behind the chapel reading that note.
Then Detective Cole uncovered another email.
Rebecca to Charles.
If Daniel threatens to cancel the wedding, remind him about the merger announcement.
Merger announcement?
I called Michael immediately.
Our company communications director had received a press release draft.
Scheduled for Monday morning.
Two days after the wedding.
Headline:
HAYES-WHITMORE UNION CREATES NEW FAMILY INVESTMENT PLATFORM.
My wedding was being used as a corporate event.
Once the marriage happened, Charles planned to announce a financial alliance before I even approved one.
The public announcement would create market expectations.
Then refusing later would make me look unstable.
Marriage.
School placement.
Media.
Business.
May you like
Every piece had been designed to close around me at once.
Emily’s note broke the entire machine ten minutes before it started.
