Chapter 5
I stared at Vanessa.
"What did you just say?"
Her expression changed.
For a second, I thought she realized she'd spoken too much.
Then she lifted her chin.
"You heard me."
Nathan stepped toward her.
"Vanessa, stop talking."
She pulled away.
"Why? She's going to find out anyway."
My father moved beside me.
"Nathan, explain the guarantee."
Nathan looked at the floor.
Then back at me.
"Emily, it's complicated."
I shook my head.
"No."
My voice was steady.
"What's complicated is understanding why my husband thinks he can use my company to secure his family's debts."
He rubbed his forehead.
"Nobody is trying to hurt your company."
"Then why did you hide the documents?"
He didn't answer.
Vanessa folded her arms.
"Because you would have said no."
I turned toward her.
"Exactly."
She rolled her eyes.
"You're so selfish."
My father stepped forward.
"Enough."
Vanessa looked startled.
Dad's voice remained controlled.
"You are standing in my daughter's workplace, insulting her while refusing to explain documents involving her business."
She opened her mouth.
He continued.
"You need to leave."
Nathan looked toward me.
"Emily, don't let your father interfere in our marriage."
I stared at him.
"Our marriage?"
He nodded.
"Yes."
I laughed bitterly.
"Nathan, our marriage is the reason you're standing here demanding access to money that doesn't belong to you."
His face tightened.
"That's not fair."
"Neither was watching your sister hit me."
The room became silent.
Nathan looked away.
I continued.
"Neither was telling me not to make things worse while our children watched me being humiliated."
Vanessa scoffed.
"Oh, here we go again."
I turned toward her.
"Leave."
She stared.
"What?"
"This is my office. You are no longer welcome here."
Her face flushed.
"You can't speak to me like that."
"I just did."
Nathan stepped closer.
"Emily—"
I raised my hand.
"No."
Then I looked at Grace.
"Please contact building security."
Grace nodded immediately.
Vanessa laughed.
"You're calling security on family?"
I met her eyes.
"Yes."
For once, she had no answer.
Security arrived minutes later.
Nathan and Vanessa left after receiving notice that they were not permitted to remain.
But as Nathan reached the door, he turned toward me.
"You're going to destroy twelve years over money?"
I stared at him.
"No."
My voice cracked.
"You destroyed twelve years when you decided your family mattered more than your wife and children."
He looked wounded.
I almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
Then he left.
I sank into a chair.
Dad sat beside me.
Grace brought water.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Then my phone rang.
Rachel.
I answered.
"Emily, we have important news."
My heart began pounding.
"What happened?"
"The lender has confirmed receipt of our fraud notice."
I exhaled.
"Good."
"They've temporarily suspended further funding while they review the disputed guarantee."
Relief washed through me.
"But there's something else."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
"The guarantee file includes a document purporting to give Nathan authority to sign on behalf of your company."
I closed my eyes.
"I never gave him that."
"I understand."
Rachel continued.
"Do you remember signing any authorization two years ago when you reorganized the business?"
I thought carefully.
Two years earlier, my company expanded.
We hired additional employees.
Changed accounting software.
Updated insurance policies.
Nathan had helped me coordinate some paperwork.
Then I remembered a conversation.
He handed me a folder one evening.
"Just routine administrative forms," he said.
I had been feeding Owen dinner.
Lily was doing homework.
I signed several documents without reading every page.
My stomach turned.
"Rachel?"
"Yes?"
"I signed a packet two years ago."
She paused.
"Do you have copies?"
"I don't know."
"We need to locate them."
I swallowed.
"Could he have hidden something in the packet?"
"It's possible. We need to examine what you actually signed and whether the claimed authority is valid."
I nodded.
Then Rachel said something that made me sit upright.
"The lender also provided correspondence showing Nathan represented himself as your company's chief financial officer."
I stared ahead.
"He isn't."
"I know."
"And Vanessa?"
Rachel paused.
"She appears to have been involved in preparing the loan materials."
I closed my eyes.
For years, Vanessa had mocked my education.
Called my design work a hobby.
Told Nathan I was spoiled.
Now she had apparently helped use my business to finance her own ambitions.
I wanted to scream.
Instead, I took a breath.
"What do we do?"
Rachel answered calmly.
"We keep gathering evidence. We protect the company. And we let the facts speak."
That evening, I returned to my parents' house.
The children were watching a movie.
Lily ran toward me.
"Mommy!"
I hugged her.
"Hi, sweetheart."
Owen followed.
He wrapped his arms around my waist.
"Are we sleeping here again?"
I nodded.
"For now."
He looked worried.
"Does Daddy know where we are?"
"Yes."
He stared at me.
"Is Daddy mad?"
My throat tightened.
"Your dad is dealing with some big problems."
Owen lowered his head.
"Did I make him mad?"
I knelt immediately.
"No, baby."
I held his face gently.
"Nothing that's happening is your fault."
He nodded slowly.
Then whispered, "I miss him."
My heart broke.
I pulled him into my arms.
"I know."
That night, after both children were asleep, I received another email from an unfamiliar address.
The subject line read:
YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT VANESSA DID.
I opened it.
The sender claimed to be a former employee of Cole Family Hospitality.
Her name was Patricia Ellis.
She wrote that she'd worked for Judith and Vanessa for seven years.
She said the company had been struggling financially.
Vendors hadn't been paid.
Employees had received late wages.
And Vanessa had been telling everyone that Emily's company would soon provide enough money to save the business.
I read the message twice.
Then I reached the final paragraph.
Emily, I left because I discovered documents that made me uncomfortable.
Vanessa and Judith were planning to transfer their debts into the new hospitality company while using your financial information to secure funding.
I have copies.
Please contact me.
My heart pounded.
I forwarded the email to Rachel.
Then I called Patricia.
She answered on the third ring.
"Hello?"
"Patricia? This is Emily Cole."
There was silence.
Then she whispered, "Thank God."
I swallowed.
"Why?"
Her voice trembled.
"Because I've been trying to warn you for months."
My stomach tightened.
"What do you know?"
Patricia took a deep breath.
"Emily, your husband isn't the only person who signed those documents."
I closed my eyes.
"Who else?"
She hesitated.
May you like
Then said something I hadn't expected.
"Your mother-in-law."
