“The insurance payout.”
“What about it?”
“I want my share.”
For several seconds I honestly wondered whether I’d misheard her.
“My share,” she repeated.
“Linda…”
I spoke carefully.
“…Sarah’s funeral was four days ago.”
“I know.”
“And you’re asking me for money?”
“I’m asking for what I’m entitled to.”
“Entitled?”
“Sarah owed me.”
I stared at the wall, unable to believe the conversation was real.
“You cannot possibly be serious.”
“Oh, I’m completely serious.”
I laughed once.
Not because anything was funny.
Because it was the only alternative to screaming.
“You stole from my children.”
“I borrowed.”
“You robbed their futures.”
“I made sacrifices raising Sarah.”
“You chose to have a child.”
“And children owe their parents.”
“No.”
“They do.”
“They don’t.”
Her patience finally disappeared.
“Enough.”
Her voice became cold.
“Here’s what’s going to happen.”
Every instinct in my body told me the conversation was about to become much worse.
“You sign the life insurance proceeds over to me.”
I almost dropped the phone.
“…What?”
“You heard me.”
“You’ve lost your mind.”
“If you transfer the money, I disappear.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“You’ll never hear from me again.”
“And if I refuse?”
She didn’t answer immediately.
When she finally spoke, every word landed like ice.
“Then tomorrow morning my attorney files for emergency custody of the children.”
My heart stopped.
“What did you just say?”
“You heard me perfectly.”
“You would never—”
“I absolutely would.”
I gripped the edge of the kitchen counter.
“They’ve already lost their mother.”
“They don’t have to lose stability too.”
“They belong with me.”
“They belong with their father.”
“Does a judge see it that way?”
My breathing became uneven.
“You wouldn’t win.”
“Wouldn’t I?”
Her confidence frightened me.
“I’ve been paying attention, Daniel.”
“What does that mean?”
“You forgot Joan’s asthma medication twice this week.”
I froze.
“The school called about Julie’s missing homework.”
She knew about that?
“You’ve been late picking Jeremy up.”
One time.
Exactly one time.
“I’ve also spoken to several neighbors.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“You’ve been spying on us.”
“I’ve been documenting.”
Everything suddenly made sense.
The unexpected visits.
The constant phone calls.
The questions that seemed innocent.
She hadn’t been checking on us.
She’d been collecting evidence.
“You’ve planned this.”
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