Chapter 8 - THE RECORDING THAT BACKFIRED
My father had not been innocent.
That was the truth I had spent my entire life avoiding.
He had owned a small investment company.
Before I was born, he had worked with several business partners.
One of them was Nathan's father.
Money had disappeared.
Accounts had been altered.
And someone had moved funds into a private investment account.
The money had eventually been recovered.
Or so I had been told.
Marcus discovered that a portion of it had never been returned.
Nathan had found those records.
He had used them to threaten my father.
My father had been investigating Nathan because he believed Nathan had discovered the old financial crime.
But Nathan had a different plan.
He wanted to use the information to control my father.
Then, after my father died, Nathan turned his attention toward me.
He knew my father had left me an inheritance.
He knew I had access to protected assets.
He believed I would never investigate my own husband.
He had been almost right.
The recording Nathan had threatened to use was released in court.
His attorney claimed it proved I had been planning to hide money from my husband.
The recording was edited.
In the edited version, I appeared to say:
“I want to make sure Nathan never gets access to my money.”
The media immediately attacked me.
Headlines appeared.
WEALTHY WIFE ACCUSED OF HIDING MILLIONS FROM HUSBAND.
MARRIAGE OR FINANCIAL TRAP?
Nathan's family gave interviews.
Eleanor claimed I had always been selfish.
Derek said I had used money to control the family.
Vanessa refused to speak.
I wanted to scream.
Instead, Marcus said:
“Let them release it.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“Let them release the edited recording.”
“Why?”
“Because we have the original.”
The original recording was nearly an hour long.
The edited version was less than three minutes.
In the complete recording, I had been speaking to my father.
I had discovered that Nathan was secretly taking money.
I had asked my father how to protect myself.
My father had told me:
“Don't accuse him until you have proof.”
I had replied:
“I don't want to destroy my marriage.”
Then I had said:
“I just want to make sure he can't take everything if I'm wrong.”
That was the sentence Nathan had cut.
The complete recording proved that I had been afraid.
Not greedy.
Not manipulative.
Afraid.
Then the recording continued.
Nathan's voice appeared in the background.
He had been listening.
He had heard everything.
And later, he had told Eleanor:
“She knows too much.”
The entire story changed.
The court ordered the original audio to be released.
The media that had attacked me now reported the fraud.
Nathan's attorney withdrew.
Eleanor stopped giving interviews.
Derek disappeared.
Vanessa agreed to testify.
Walter finally contacted me.
I almost didn't answer.
“Claire,” he said.
His voice was weak.
“What do you want?”
“I want to apologize.”
I said nothing.
“I should have stopped him.”
“Yes.”
“I was afraid.”
“Of Nathan?”
“Of Eleanor.”
I closed my eyes.
Walter continued.
“I let her control everything.”
“You watched him hit me.”
“I know.”
“Why didn't you stand up?”
His voice broke.
“I don't know.”
That was the first honest thing he had ever said.
I did not forgive him.
Not yet.
But I listened.
The next day, Rebecca received a letter.
It came from a man named Robert Hale.
He had been my father's former business partner.
He claimed Nathan had stolen millions from him.
I met Robert in a quiet restaurant.
He looked older than his photographs.
“Your father tried to warn you,” he said.
“What did Nathan steal?”
Robert placed a folder on the table.
“Money.”
“How much?”
“Nearly three million dollars.”
I stared at him.
“What does that have to do with me?”
Robert looked at me.
“Everything.”
He explained that Nathan had discovered the old financial records.
He had used them to blackmail my father.
But Nathan had also learned that my father had protected a large amount of money for me.
Money Nathan could not access.
Unless he became my husband.
I felt sick.
Robert continued.
“Your father thought Nathan was trying to marry you for your inheritance.”
“He was.”
“Yes.”
“But there is more.”
Robert opened the folder.
Inside was a document signed by Nathan.
A financial agreement.
Dated six months before our wedding.
The document contained one sentence.
Upon marriage, Nathan Morgan shall gain access to all financial information connected to Claire Morgan's inheritance.
I stared at it.
He had planned everything.
Then Robert said:
“Your father was not the only person Nathan stole from.”
“Who else?”
May you like
Robert looked at me.
“Your husband stole from his own family.”
