Chapter 6: The Things Vanessa Said When She Thought No One Was Recording
Nathan's attorney sent a second letter two days later, softer in tone, suggesting mediation.
Patricia declined on my behalf and filed the discovery motion the same afternoon.
The financial freeze held.
Nathan called three times that week.
I let two go to voicemail.
The third I answered because Lily had asked me that morning whether Daddy was angry at us, and I needed to hear his voice to know how bad it had gotten.
"Emily.
This is getting out of hand."
"Discovery is standard procedure, Nathan."
"You're trying to destroy my family."
"I'm trying to understand where my money went."
"It went to keeping my mother's house.
Is that so terrible?
She was going to lose it."
"Then you should have told me."
"You would have said no."
I let that sit for a moment.
"You don't know that."
"I know you never liked her."
"I replaced her industrial refrigerator.
I built her daughter's website.
I redesigned her dining room for free.
Whatever I felt about Judith, I was never cruel to her."
He didn't answer that.
"Nathan.
Was Vanessa involved in deciding where the money went?"
"She manages the business accounts."
"So she knew you were transferring from our joint account."
"She knew I was helping Mom."
"Did she know the money was mine?"
A long pause.
"She knew it was ours."
"It wasn't ours.
It came from my studio.
You know that."
He hung up.
Vanessa called twenty minutes later.
I almost didn't answer.
Then I thought about Lily's question that morning, and I thought about twenty-six thousand dollars, and I picked up.
"You need to drop this," Vanessa said.
No greeting.
"Hello, Vanessa."
"You're going to drag our mother through a courtroom over money you don't even need."
"I'm going to find out where my money went.
That's not the same thing."
"Nathan was protecting his family.
That's what a good son does."
"With my income.
Without my knowledge.
For two years."
"You have plenty.
You've always had plenty.
That's the difference between you and us, Emily — you've never had to worry, so you don't understand what it means to protect the people you love."
"I understand exactly what it means," I said.
"I've been doing it for twelve years.
I just didn't know I was doing it for your family instead of mine."
Vanessa's voice dropped.
"If you take this to court, I will tell them about the miscarriage."
I stopped breathing.
"Excuse me?"
"The one you had before Owen.
Nathan told me.
He said you were unstable for months afterward.
I'll tell them you have a history of emotional instability.
That you're not fit to have the children full time."
My hand was shaking.
Not from fear.
From something colder than fear.
"Vanessa," I said, "I'm going to ask you one question.
And I need you to think carefully before you answer."
"What?"
"Did you just threaten to use my miscarriage against me in a custody hearing?"
"I'm telling you what I'll do if you force us into court."
I said nothing.
I reached across the table and pressed the button on my phone that I had pressed at the start of the call, the one Patricia had told me to use any time a member of Nathan's family contacted me directly.
The recording light had been on the entire time.
May you like
"Goodbye, Vanessa," I said, and ended the call.
I forwarded the audio file to Patricia before I stood up from the table.
