But some wounds do not announce themselves until they start healing.
Courtney whispered, “He knew?”
I looked at her.
“Yes.”
She turned on our mother.
“You told me he chose me.”
Patricia’s expression hardened.
“He would have.”
Courtney recoiled.
That was the first time I saw her understand what I had understood all my life.
Patricia did not love Courtney more.
She used Courtney more.
And Courtney had mistaken usefulness for love.
There was one more page.
I almost stopped there.
But the room was too quiet, and my mother was too afraid.
So I read it.
“I have reason to believe Patricia is pursuing a private sale of Anderson Real Estate assets through entities linked to Thomas Vail and the Briar Glen redevelopment proposal. If those transfers occur, investigate Patricia first.”
Thomas closed his eyes.
Patricia looked at him.
“You said that file was destroyed.”
Courtney gasped.
There it was.
The sentence nobody could explain away.
Rebecca’s phone was already recording.
Thomas opened his eyes.
“I destroyed my copy,” he said quietly. “Edward clearly kept his.”
My mother’s lips parted.
“You coward.”
Thomas nodded.
“Yes.”
Then he turned to me.