Chapter 5 - Secrets in the Ledger
By Wednesday, the storm had fully engulfed our extended family.
Shawn’s parents, who had always favored Olivia’s outgoing charm over my quiet independence, tried calling me dozens of times. When I refused to answer, my mother-in-law, Eleanor, showed up on my front porch.
I opened the door, keeping the brass security chain latched.
"Clara! Open this door right now!" Eleanor demanded, clutching her designer handbag against her coat. "This family is falling apart because of your vindictive gossip!"
"It's not gossip, Eleanor," I said through the three-inch gap. "Your daughter stole a hundred and fifty thousand dollars from Anthony and roped Shawn into illegal liens."
"Shawn was helping his sister!" Eleanor yelled. "Family helps family! You've always been an outsider, Clara. You've always looked down on us!"
"If being an outsider means I don't commit bank fraud, then I'm happy to stay one," I said flatly. "Please leave my porch, or I'll call the neighborhood patrol."
"You monster!" she screamed as I closed the heavy wooden door, cutting off her voice.
I walked back into Shawn’s home office. Since he was currently staying at a local hotel—a condition I insisted upon if he wanted to maintain any visitation rights with Maya—I had spent the last forty-eight hours digging through his locked filing cabinets.
With the help of a locksmith, I had finally opened his primary safe.
Inside were three blue folders labeled Corvino Investments.
I opened the first folder. It wasn't just loan documents.
There were bank statements dating back four years. Transfers moving from Shawn’s personal consulting accounts into a shell business registered under Olivia’s maiden name.
But what caught my eye was a series of checks made out to a private medical facility in Boston.
The checks were signed by Shawn.
The patient name on the invoice was Olivia Vance.
The date on the earliest invoice was six months before Shawn and I got married.
My heart began to hammer against my ribs. I pulled out my phone and dialed Anthony's cell number.
He answered on the first ring, his voice sounding exhausted. "Clara? Did something happen?"
"Anthony," I said, leaning against the desk to steady my legs. "Did Olivia ever tell you she had medical treatments in Boston five years ago?"
May you like
There was a long pause on the line. "Boston? No. Olivia’s never been to Boston. She spent that summer visiting her college friend in Vermont."
I gripped the paper tightly. "Anthony, you need to come over here right now. There's something in Shawn's files you need to see."
