Chapter 5: Selina’s Price for Silence
“You are not going near my son,” I said.
Selina removed her gloves one finger at a time.
“Don’t be childish, Phoebe.”
Her attorney opened his case.
“My name is Martin Vale.
Mrs.
Bennett has asked me to resolve this privately.”
Dad stood behind me.
“Then you can resolve it from the hallway.”
Martin took out a document.
“This agreement states that the transferred funds were a loan to Bennett Family Consulting.”
“I never signed a loan agreement.”
Selina smiled.
“That appears to be your signature.”
She handed me the final page.
My name curved across the bottom.
Beside it sat a notary seal dated two months earlier.
“I was at my prenatal appointment that morning.”
Rowan folded his arms.
“You signed it before we left.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You’ve been forgetful for months.”
I looked at him.
“Are you really using my pregnancy to explain a forged signature?”
Martin cleared his throat.
“That is a serious accusation.”
“So is taking $186,000.”
Selina stepped inside without permission.
“The money kept Rowan’s company alive.”
“What company?
He works for an investment firm.”
“He resigned eight months ago.”
I turned toward Rowan.
“You left your job?”
“I was building something better.”
“You dressed for work every morning.”
“Because you panic over everything.”
Selina touched the document.
“If you challenge this agreement, we will produce medical notes showing you complained of exhaustion, confusion, and anxiety.”
My knees weakened.
Rowan saw it.
“Think carefully, Phoebe.
A court might question whether you can handle a newborn.”
Dad caught my elbow.
“Look at me.”
I couldn’t.
Selina lowered her voice.
“Give Rowan access to the Sterling trust when Gideon changes his will.
In return, we forget the missing money and keep this family together.”
“You took my money, forged my name, and now you’re offering me my own marriage?”
“I’m offering Leo a father.”
I looked at Rowan.
“He had a father three nights ago.
He chose a birthday cake.”
Rowan’s face reddened.
“Keep pushing me, and I’ll ask for sole custody.”
My breath caught.
Dad placed one hand on my shoulder.
“No court rewards a man for abandoning his wife during labor.”
Martin lifted the agreement.
“A court considers documentation, Mr.
Sterling—not emotion.”
Dad studied the notary seal.
“Who notarized this?”
Selina answered too quickly.
“A woman named Eleanor Price.”
Dad took out his phone.
Martin stepped forward.
“You may not photograph privileged documents.”
“It stopped being privileged when you brought it into my daughter’s home.”
Dad took the photograph.
Selina turned to Rowan.
“Get the original statements.”
He hurried toward my laptop.
I closed it and held it against me.
“Don’t touch this.”
“You’re my wife.
That computer was bought with marital funds.”
“It was a gift from Dad before our wedding.”
Rowan grabbed the edge.
Leo began crying.
Every hand in the room stopped except mine.
I lifted my son, and he pressed his face against my shoulder.
“Leave,” I said.
Selina pointed at me.
“By tomorrow morning, every joint account will be frozen.
You won’t buy a diaper without Rowan’s permission.”
Dad opened the door.
“Martin, take your client home.”
Martin returned the papers to his case.
“You’ll receive a court filing by noon.”
Selina paused beside me.
“You could have had a comfortable life,” she whispered.
“All you had to do was teach your father to obey.”
She walked out with Martin.
Rowan followed, but turned at the threshold.
“When the accounts freeze,” he said, “call me.
I’ll tell you my terms.”
Ten minutes later, my phone lit up with a bank alert.
ACCESS SUSPENDED BY JOINT ACCOUNT HOLDER.
Then a second message appeared.
May you like
TRANSFER COMPLETE: $74,000.
The remaining balance was zero.
