Chapter 6: The Recording Glen Forgot
“You are not taking a feverish child out of medical care,” I said.
Glen tapped the petition.
“This says I can.”
“It says you requested temporary custody.
It doesn’t say it was granted.”
His smile disappeared for half a second.
Vanessa took the page from him.
“There’s no judge’s signature.”
“Give that back.”
“You lied to me about this too.”
Glen snatched the paper away.
“Go home, Vanessa.”
“I submitted Laura’s application because you sent me an authorization.”
“I sent what she signed.”
“I didn’t sign anything,” I said.
Vanessa pulled out her phone.
“Then I’m forwarding every email he sent me.”
Glen seized her wrist.
“Delete them.”
“Let go of me.”
I raised my cracked phone.
“I’m calling the police.”
He released her immediately.
“This is a family disagreement,” he said.
“Don’t turn it into something it isn’t.”
Vanessa rubbed her wrist.
“You used my business to submit forged papers.”
“And you processed them.
Think carefully before you blame me.”
For the first time, Vanessa looked frightened.
My phone rang.
Mark’s name appeared.
“Laura,” he said, “Emily is awake and asking for you.”
“I’m coming.”
“There’s something else.
One of the guys sent me his video from tonight.”
Glen froze.
“What video?” I asked.
“Dean recorded the spider jumping out of the bag.
He forgot to stop recording afterward.”
Mark sent me the file.
I pressed play.
The screen showed the carpet, several pairs of shoes, and Glen pacing beside the couch.
His voice was unmistakable.
“If Laura loses control in front of everyone, I’ll have witnesses.
Once the loan clears, Vanessa can list the house, and Laura won’t have enough money to fight me.”
Then another voice—Dean’s—asked, “Does Laura know about any of this?”
Glen laughed.
“She doesn’t even know I moved the college fund.”
I stopped the video.
“What college fund?” I whispered.
Glen reached for the phone, but Vanessa blocked him.
“You told me the transferred money came from your bonus,” she said.
“Get out of my way.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Laura, give me the recording, and I’ll return half the savings.”
“Half?”
“Take the deal or spend all of it fighting me.”
I emailed the file to myself, Mark, and a new address Vanessa gave me.
Glen watched each message send.
“You think that recording proves fraud?” he asked.
“It proves I wanted a divorce.”
“It proves you staged tonight.”
“It also shows you planned to frighten me.
You’re not innocent.”
My phone displayed a new notification.
Someone had tried to erase the video from my cloud account.
“Are you doing that?” I asked.
Glen held up his own phone.
“You left your account signed in on the family tablet.”
Another notification appeared.
ACCOUNT RECOVERY REQUEST APPROVED.
The video vanished from my screen.
Glen smiled.
“Now what?”
May you like
Vanessa lifted her phone.
“Now she uses my copy,” she said.
