Chapter 6 - The Mistress Wanted OutI did not go alone.
I remembered the day because Caleb had taken me to Napa for our anniversary.
At the time, I thought the trip was romantic.
Now I realized he had needed me out of Chicago.
The document transferred conditional voting rights in Winstead Holdings, the company that owned our estate and controlled three other properties.
My signature looked almost perfect.
Almost.
But I had spent years signing corporate documents.
I knew the small details.
The forged S in Savannah leaned too far right.
The V in Vance lacked the sharp downward stroke I'd used since college.
More importantly, the notary seal belonged to someone who claimed to have witnessed me signing it in Chicago.
On the date I was in California.
Elena stared at the screen.
"This is very bad for them."
"For Caleb?"
"For whoever participated."
My father stood by the windows.
"What was Richard trying to do?"
The forensic accountant, Henry Cho, enlarged several clauses.
"Acquire authority over Winstead assets upon the occurrence of certain financial events."
"In English?" I asked.
Henry adjusted his glasses.
"If Prescott Development defaulted on specific obligations, Richard could claim rights to properties owned by Winstead."
"Properties worth how much?"
"Approximately eighty-two million dollars."
My stomach turned.
My husband hadn't merely borrowed money.
He and his father had built a trap around my assets.
"Could it have worked?"
Elena shook her head.
"Not permanently. But it could have created a legal nightmare."
I thought about every time Caleb had told me I was paranoid.
Every time he said his father was "old-fashioned" when Richard excluded me from business conversations.
Every time Caleb told me not to worry about paperwork.
The pieces were rearranging themselves into a picture I hated.
That afternoon, we contacted federal investigators through outside counsel.
I gave a formal statement.
Claire gave hers.
The USB was copied and preserved.
But I wasn't thinking about prosecution.
I was thinking about Caleb.
That man had slept beside me every night while helping his father forge my signature.
Did he ever feel guilty?
Did he ever look at me and think, She trusts me?
Or was trust simply another resource he believed belonged to him?
At five-thirty, my mother-in-law called.
Evelyn Prescott.
I almost ignored her.
Then I remembered Richard's threat.
I answered.
"Savannah."
Evelyn sounded different.
No usual clipped superiority.
No criticism disguised as concern.
She sounded frightened.
"Mrs. Prescott."
"Please don't call me that."
"What should I call you?"
A pause.
"Evelyn."
"What do you want, Evelyn?"
"Can we meet?"
"No."
"Please."
That word shocked me.
Evelyn Prescott never said please.
"I have something you need to see."
"Send it to my attorney."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because Richard watches everything."
My pulse quickened.
"Where are you?"
"At the Drake."
"Why aren't you home?"
Silence.
Then:
"Because I left him."
I looked at Elena.
She was listening.
"When?"
"Thirty minutes ago."
"Why?"
Evelyn exhaled.
"Because twenty-seven years is long enough to be afraid."
That sentence changed everything.
We met in a private suite under security.
When Evelyn opened the door, I barely recognized her.
Her hair was pulled back without its usual perfect styling.
No jewelry.
No makeup.
She wore jeans and a sweater.
She looked smaller.
More human.
She glanced at my face and immediately covered her mouth.
"Caleb did that?"
"You didn't know?"
"He said you attacked Vanessa."
Of course he did.
Evelyn sat down.
"I believed him for about ten minutes."
"What changed?"
"Richard laughed."
I frowned.
"When Caleb told us what happened, Richard said, 'Maybe now she'll finally behave.'"
My blood chilled.
Evelyn looked toward the window.
"I have heard versions of that sentence my entire marriage."
Suddenly, I understood why she was always so controlled.
Why every napkin had to be perfect.
Why she never contradicted Richard in public.
She hadn't been cold.
She had been surviving.
Evelyn opened her handbag and removed a small notebook.
"Richard keeps records."
"Records of what?"
"Everything he believes might protect him."
She slid the notebook toward Elena.
Inside were handwritten dates, company names, initials, dollar amounts.
Some matched the transfers Claire had found.
Others were much larger.
One entry caught my eye.
S.V. AUTHORITY — C.P. COMPLETED.
My hands shook.
Caleb Prescott completed.
Evelyn nodded.
"Caleb forged your signature."
I stared at her.
"How do you know?"
"I saw him practicing it."
The room vanished.
"What?"
"Last year. Richard's study. There were pages of your signature."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Tears filled her eyes.
"Because Richard told me if I interfered, he'd destroy my younger son's career."
Caleb had a brother, Andrew, who lived in Boston and barely spoke to the family.
"What does Andrew have to do with this?"
"Nothing."
She swallowed.
"Which is why the threat worked."
My father asked softly, "What else has Richard done?"
Evelyn laughed without humor.
"You don't have enough coffee."
For the next two hours, she told us.
Bribes.
Shell companies.
Manipulated valuations.
Political donations routed through employees.
Secret debts.
And years of intimidation.
Caleb wasn't merely participating.
He was being groomed to inherit the system.
Then Evelyn said something none of us expected.
"Richard hates Vanessa."
I blinked.
"He knows about her?"
"He arranged her."
My throat tightened.
"What does that mean?"
"Vanessa didn't meet Caleb by accident."
Evelyn looked at me.
"Richard introduced them."
"Why?"
"Because he wanted Caleb emotionally separated from you."
I almost laughed.
"He was already cruel."
"Not enough."
She wiped her eyes.
"Richard was afraid you would eventually discover your own power in the marriage."
Dad leaned forward.
"So he encouraged the affair."
"Yes."
"And Vanessa?"
"She was supposed to keep Caleb distracted while Richard completed the asset transfers."
I stared at Evelyn.
Then the truth hit me.
"She was being paid."
Evelyn nodded.
"Not by Caleb."
"By Richard."
"Yes."
My stomach turned.
Vanessa was still responsible for her choices.
Caleb was responsible for his.
But behind both of them stood a man designing the betrayal like a corporate acquisition.
I whispered, "Where is Vanessa now?"
Nobody knew.
We found out at 9:12 that evening.
My phone lit up with an unfamiliar number.
A photo arrived first.
Vanessa.
Sitting in a parked car.
Her makeup smeared.
A bruise on her cheek.
Then a message:
I NEED TO TALK TO YOU.
Another message appeared.
RICHARD KNOWS I WANT OUT.
Then:
HE HAS SOMETHING ON CALEB THAT WILL DESTROY YOUR FAMILY TOO.
May you like
And finally:
COME ALONE OR I'M GONE.
Related Stories
