Chapter 2 - The Woman Who Stole My Life
My mother stared at me as though she were looking at a ghost.
For five years, she had told everyone I was thousands of miles away.
For five years, she had controlled the money I earned with my blood, sweat, and broken hands.
For five years, she had apparently believed I would never discover what happened behind the walls of the mansion I built.
Now I was standing in front of her.
And she had nothing prepared for this moment.
“Julian,” she finally said.
Her voice was strangely calm.
Too calm.
Then she smiled.
That was when I knew.
She was going to lie.
“I thought your contract ended next month.”
“It did.”
She looked at Victoria.
My sister immediately stepped forward.
“You should have told us you were coming.”
I laughed.
It wasn't a happy sound.
“I wanted to surprise my family.”
Victoria folded her arms.
“Well, you certainly did.”
My eyes moved toward the mansion.
Music still echoed through the open doors.
People stood frozen inside, watching us.
I recognized several faces.
Business associates.
Neighbors.
People who had attended the parties my mother hosted using my money.
People who probably believed Evelyn owned the estate.
My mother straightened her shoulders.
“You're making everyone uncomfortable.”
“Good.”
Her smile disappeared.
“Let's go inside and talk privately.”
“No.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“You've had five years to talk privately.”
I pointed toward the shed.
“My wife and son were starving back there.”
A murmur spread through the crowd.
My mother's face hardened.
“That is an outrageous accusation.”
Elena stepped forward.
“It isn't an accusation.”
My mother looked at her.
For a moment, something ugly flashed across Evelyn's face.
“You.”
Elena flinched.
I stepped between them.
“Don't.”
My mother looked at me.
“Julian, your wife has always been unstable.”
I felt my jaw tighten.
“She was living in a shed.”
“She refused to cooperate.”
“She was starving.”
“She wasted money.”
“What money?”
My mother hesitated.
I smiled.
“Exactly.”
Victoria suddenly spoke.
“You're letting her manipulate you.”
I turned toward my sister.
“You changed my banking passwords.”
Her face went pale.
“No, I didn't.”
“Daniel Mercer has records.”
She swallowed.
“Daniel?”
“Yes.”
My mother's eyes flickered.
That tiny reaction told me everything.
They knew exactly who Daniel was.
And they knew he had evidence.
I pulled out my phone.
“Starting tonight, neither of you has access to anything.”
My mother laughed.
“You can't just cut off your own family.”
“Watch me.”
She stepped closer.
“You're angry. You're exhausted. You've just traveled across the world. You're not thinking clearly.”
I looked at the diamond necklace around her throat.
“That's funny.”
“What?”
“I bought that necklace.”
She touched it instinctively.
“No.”
“Yes.”
I looked at Victoria's earrings.
“And those.”
She stopped smiling.
I looked through the open doors.
“Probably half the things in that house were purchased with my money.”
Nobody spoke.
Then my mother said something I never expected.
“You owe us.”
I stared at her.
“For what?”
“For raising you.”
My chest tightened.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“The truth.”
My mother frowned.
“You think everything is about money.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“That's the problem. I thought family was about love.”
I looked toward Elena.
Then Julian.
“But apparently, in this family, it's about ownership.”
My mother stepped forward.
“You abandoned us for five years.”
“I went overseas to provide for everyone.”
“You chose money over your family.”
“I sent home eight thousand dollars every month.”
“And?”
“And you were supposed to take care of them.”
She scoffed.
“I did.”
I pointed at the shed.
“You call that taking care of them?”
My mother's face twisted.
“Your wife refused to live properly.”
Elena whispered, “That's not true.”
My mother snapped toward her.
“Don't interrupt me.”
I raised my voice.
“Don't speak to my wife like that.”
The party guests fell silent.
My mother suddenly realized she had lost control.
She looked around.
Then she changed tactics.
“Julian, perhaps you should take your family somewhere and rest. We'll discuss this tomorrow.”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?”
“You're leaving.”
She stared at me.
“This is my home.”
“No.”
I looked directly into her eyes.
“This is my house.”
Victoria stepped forward.
“You can't throw us out.”
“I can.”
“You wouldn't.”
“I already called my attorney.”
My mother's expression changed.
“You called him?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
I smiled.
“He said you forged my signature.”
The silence that followed was absolute.
My mother looked at Victoria.
Victoria looked at my mother.
That was enough.
I didn't need another confession.
But then my mother whispered:
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
She said nothing.
“Explain the power of attorney.”
Nothing.
“Explain the attempted transfer of my investment accounts.”
Victoria's eyes widened.
My mother turned toward her.
“Victoria.”
My sister shook her head.
“I didn't do that.”
“You said it was handled.”
“I said I'd spoken to the accountant.”
My mother looked furious.
I watched them carefully.
There was something bigger here.
Something they hadn't told each other.
That was when a voice came from inside the mansion.
“Mrs. Evelyn?”
Everyone turned.
A young woman stood near the doorway.
She was wearing a black dress and holding a folder.
I recognized her.
My mother's assistant.
Rachel.
She looked terrified.
My mother snapped.
“What are you doing?”
Rachel's eyes moved toward me.
Then she said:
“I think he deserves to know.”
My mother's face went white.
“Rachel, go upstairs.”
Rachel didn't move.
I stepped toward her.
“What do I deserve to know?”
She swallowed.
“Everything.”
Victoria grabbed her arm.
“Don't.”
Rachel pulled away.
“You told me he would never come back.”
Victoria froze.
I stared at my sister.
Rachel continued.
“You told me he was staying overseas permanently.”
My stomach tightened.
“Why would she say that?”
Rachel looked at me.
“Because she was planning to sell the estate.”
My mother shouted, “That's enough!”
Rachel opened the folder.
“She already had a buyer.”
My blood ran cold.
“Who?”
Rachel looked toward the road.
“A developer.”
“Name.”
She hesitated.
Then she handed me the folder.
I opened it.
The buyer's name was printed across the top.
Blackridge Development Group.
But beneath it was another name.
The person negotiating the sale.
Victoria Bennett.
My sister.
I looked at her.
“You were selling my house.”
She couldn't answer.
My mother stepped between us.
“Julian, listen to me.”
“No.”
“You don't know what you're doing.”
“I know exactly what I'm doing.”
I turned to Rachel.
“Thank you.”
Then I looked at my mother.
“You have until sunrise to remove your belongings.”
She stared at me.
“You're serious?”
“Completely.”
“You'd throw your own mother onto the street?”
I looked toward the shed.
“My wife and son lived there.”
Her lips trembled.
“Julian…”
“I gave you everything.”
My voice cracked.
“And you took everything from them.”
I turned away.
Then I heard my mother whisper:
“You'll regret this.”
I stopped.
Slowly, I looked back.
“What did you say?”
She raised her chin.
“You think you've won.”
I said nothing.
She smiled.
“You haven't even asked what happened to your first house.”
My heart stopped.
“What first house?”
Victoria closed her eyes.
My mother smiled.
“The house you bought before you went to Saudi Arabia.”
I stared at her.
“What did you do with it?”
She said nothing.
I stepped closer.
“Mom.”
Her smile vanished.
And for the first time, I saw something I hadn't seen in five years.
Fear.
Not fear of losing the mansion.
Fear of what I might discover next.
I turned to Daniel.
I called him immediately.
He answered.
“Julian?”
“Check every property I owned before I left.”
A pause.
“Why?”
“Because my mother just told me there was another house.”
Daniel went silent.
Then he said:
“Julian…”
“What?”
“I already checked.”
My stomach dropped.
“What did you find?”
His answer came quietly.
“That house was sold three years ago.”
“Who sold it?”
Another pause.
Then:
“Your mother.”
I closed my eyes.
“Was it legal?”
“No.”
My eyes opened.
“Why not?”
“Because she didn't own it.”
“Then how did she sell it?”
Daniel's voice became grim.
“That's what I've been trying to figure out.”
I looked at my mother.
She was watching me.
And suddenly I understood.
The mansion wasn't the beginning.
It was only the part of the story they thought I would never uncover.
“Daniel.”
“Yes?”
“Find the buyer.”
“I will.”
“And Daniel?”
“Yes?”
“Don't tell anyone we're investigating.”
“Understood.”
I ended the call.
Behind me, Elena whispered:
“Julian…”
I turned.
She was holding Julian's hand.
“What is it?”
She looked frightened.
“There is something else.”
“What?”
She glanced toward my mother.
Then back at me.
“I didn't tell you because I was afraid.”
My heart began pounding.
“Tell me.”
Elena took a breath.
“Your mother didn't just control the money.”
“What did she control?”
“My son's identity.”
I froze.
“What?”
“She changed something in Julian's school records.”
My blood went cold.
“Why?”
Elena looked at my mother.
“I don't know.”
Then my mother smiled.
And that smile told me there was another secret waiting for me.
A secret involving my son.
May you like
And whatever it was...
Evelyn had been hiding it for years.
