Chapter 9 - They Tried to Remove Her
I reached the house twelve minutes later.
A moving truck was parked in the driveway.
Two workers were carrying boxes from the garage.
Melissa stood outside with a clipboard.
Derek was nowhere in sight.
I got out of the car.
“What are you doing?”
Melissa didn't look surprised.
“Solving a problem.”
“What problem?”
She pointed toward Mom.
“Her.”
My mother went pale.
Melissa continued.
“I found her a place.”
“You mean the government apartment she was secretly applying for?”
Melissa froze.
Mom stared at me.
I hadn't told her I found the application.
“You searched her Bible?” Melissa asked.
That question told me Melissa already knew it was there.
I stepped closer.
“You knew she was planning to leave.”
Melissa rolled her eyes.
“She complains constantly.”
“No.”
“She was afraid of you.”
One of the movers stopped carrying a box.
Melissa noticed.
“Keep working.”
I turned toward him.
“Stop.”
Melissa snapped.
“She hired you.”
The mover looked confused.
I took out my phone.
“I am instructing you not to remove another object from this property until ownership is verified.”
Melissa laughed.
“She's insane.”
I looked at her.
“Show them the deed.”
Her confidence returned.
“With pleasure.”
She brought out the fake document.
One mover photographed it.
I did the same.
Then I called Caroline on speaker.
“Caroline, can you confirm whether the property at 418 Willow Ridge Drive is legally owned by Derek and Melissa Carter?”
Melissa's smile vanished.
Caroline's voice came clearly through the phone.
“No.”
The driveway became silent.
Melissa stared at me.
“What?”
Caroline continued.
“The property is owned by the Rachel Carter Family Residence Trust.”
Mom covered her mouth.
Derek had finally stepped outside.
His face turned gray.
Melissa looked between us.
“What trust?”
I looked directly into her eyes.
“The trust that bought this house eleven years ago.”
Her lips parted.
“No.”
“Yes.”
She shook her head.
“Derek owns this house.”
“No.”
“His mother gave it to him.”
“She couldn't.”
“Why not?”
“Because she never owned it.”
The movers slowly lowered the box they were carrying.
Melissa looked at Derek.
“Tell her.”
He couldn't.
“Derek.”
He stared at the ground.
Her voice sharpened.
“Tell her she's lying.”
He whispered, “She's not.”
Something shattered in Melissa's expression.
She turned toward me.
“You bought this place?”
“Yes.”
“With what?”
“My money.”
“That's impossible.”
“Why?”
“You were a nurse.”
I almost laughed.
“A nurse who worked overseas contracts, invested carefully, saved for years, and bought her mother a home.”
Melissa stepped backward.
“No.”
“The deed you showed everyone last night is fake.”
She looked at Derek.
“You told me it was real.”
Derek said nothing.
“You told me your mother transferred it.”
Still nothing.
Melissa struck him across the chest with the folder.
“You lied to me?”
He finally shouted.
“You were the one forging documents!”
The movers stopped pretending not to listen.
Mom stared at her son.
Melissa's face twisted.
“You signed them too.”
Derek went silent.
And there it was.
Not accusation.
Admission.
Melissa pointed at me.
“You think this means you can throw us out?”
I looked at my mother.
Then back at her.
“I think it means you should start packing.”
Melissa smiled suddenly.
Coldly.
“You might want to ask your mother what she signed last December before you get too excited.”
May you like
Mom went white.
And for the first time, I wondered whether Melissa had one more document none of us knew existed.
