Chapter 2 - THE HOUSE HE THOUGHT HE OWNEDEric stared at the document in his mother's hand.
For several seconds, the only sound was the low rumble of the moving trucks.
Then he laughed.
It was an ugly, disbelieving sound.
"This is ridiculous."
Barbara said nothing.
"Mom, seriously. Whatever point you're trying to make, you've made it."
He reached for the document.
Barbara moved it out of his reach.
"Read the first page."
"I don't need to read anything."
"Then I'll explain."
She turned the paper toward him.
"The townhouse is owned by Bennett Property Holdings. The furnishings belong to the company. The vehicle in the garage is registered to the company. Your occupancy was permitted under a written agreement."
Eric's jaw tightened.
"I know how the arrangement works."
"Then you also know the agreement ended when your employment was terminated."
I blinked.
Employment?
Terminated?
Eric had always told me he was vice president of business development at Bennett Financial Group, his family's investment company.
He earned nearly $240,000 a year.
Or so I believed.
Eric glanced toward Vanessa.
"Mom, we discussed this."
"No," Barbara replied. "You informed me you intended to resign. I subsequently discovered you had already been dismissed by the board."
Vanessa took a step backward.
"Dismissed?"
Eric snapped at her.
"Stay out of it."
Barbara continued.
"You haven't worked for Bennett Financial Group in seven weeks."
My stomach dropped.
Seven weeks.
That was before he abandoned me.
Before Chloe was born.
Before he drained our savings.
"Eric?" I whispered.
He refused to look at me.
Barbara turned toward the moving trucks.
Two men in dark work jackets stepped out.
Behind them came a woman holding a clipboard.
"Mrs. Bennett?" she asked.
Barbara nodded.
"Please begin with the furniture listed on the company inventory. Leave anything personally owned by Mr. Bennett or Ms. Cole untouched."
Eric stepped into their path.
"Nobody is coming inside my house."
The woman stopped.
Barbara looked at her son.
"The company has recovered possession under the agreement you signed. You received notice, and you confirmed the inventory appointment by email."
"I didn't agree to this!"
"You agreed to an inventory inspection yesterday. Your attorney acknowledged the termination notice last week."
Vanessa's eyes widened.
"Attorney?"
Eric's face reddened.
"Mom, stop talking."
Barbara held up the document again.
"You were given the opportunity to collect your belongings privately. You chose not to."
A man in a charcoal suit emerged from a black sedan parked behind the trucks.
He introduced himself as Daniel Lawson, counsel for Bennett Property Holdings.
He spoke calmly.
"Mr. Bennett, you received the notice and the inventory schedule. We're here to recover the company's property. Any disputed items will remain in place until ownership is established."
Eric pointed at him.
"You're fired."
Daniel looked almost sympathetic.
"You aren't my client."
That was when Vanessa finally seemed to understand something was terribly wrong.
She stepped toward Eric.
"Baby, what does she mean you haven't worked in seven weeks?"
Eric grabbed her wrist.
"Not now."
Vanessa pulled away.
"You told me you were being promoted."
"Vanessa!"
"You told me the board approved your new compensation package!"
Barbara closed her eyes briefly.
When she opened them, she looked exhausted.
"Eric, Claire needs to take the baby somewhere warm."
I realized Chloe had begun making the small restless sounds she made when she was uncomfortable.
My entire body reacted.
I adjusted her blanket.
"She's getting cold."
Barbara immediately reached for my diaper bag.
"Come with me."
Eric moved toward us.
"Claire, don't you dare take my daughter anywhere with her."
I froze.
His daughter.
Those words sounded strange coming from a man who had refused to acknowledge her existence twenty minutes earlier.
Barbara stopped walking.
"What did you say?"
Eric pointed at Chloe.
"She's my child. I have rights."
I felt something inside me harden.
"You called her my problem."
"That's not what I meant."
"You said you didn't want her."
"I was angry."
"You haven't even held her."
He stepped closer.
"I can hold her now."
I instinctively moved back.
Barbara positioned herself between us.
"Not like this, Eric."
His eyes narrowed.
"You're turning her against me."
"No," Barbara replied. "You've managed that without assistance."
She escorted me toward a dark blue SUV parked farther down the street.
The heater was running.
A professional driver opened the rear door.
Inside was an infant car seat.
Not a random one.
A properly installed newborn seat with a soft gray cover.
I stared at it.
Barbara noticed.
"I bought it the morning I learned Chloe had been born."
My throat tightened.
"You knew?"
"Three days ago."
"Eric said you were overseas."
"He told me you had moved away."
I looked back toward the townhouse.
"He said what?"
Barbara's face changed.
"He told me you filed for divorce months ago. That you didn't want me involved in your pregnancy. He said you were planning to give the baby up for adoption."
I couldn't breathe.
"Barbara, that's a lie."
"I know."
"He told you I was giving Chloe away?"
Her eyes filled.
"Yes."
I looked down at my daughter.
She was sleeping peacefully against my chest.
For months, I had wondered why Barbara never called.
We had been close once.
She had attended every holiday dinner.
She had cried when we told her I was pregnant.
She had bought a tiny yellow blanket and promised to teach her granddaughter how to bake.
Then her calls stopped.
Eric said his mother needed space because she was disappointed in our financial situation.
I had believed him.
Barbara gently touched Chloe's cheek.
"When I found out you had given birth, I asked Eric which hospital you were in."
"What did he say?"
"He said the baby hadn't survived."
The world seemed to tilt.
I stared at her.
"What?"
Barbara's voice broke.
"He told me my granddaughter was dead."
Behind us, Eric was shouting at the moving crew.
Vanessa had begun crying.
None of it mattered.
I looked at Barbara's devastated face and understood why she had arrived with two moving trucks.
This wasn't simply a mother disciplining her spoiled son.
This was a grandmother who had spent three days believing a child was dead.
And then discovered her own son had lied.
"How did you find out?" I whispered.
Barbara glanced toward Daniel Lawson.
"Someone at the hospital contacted me about an unpaid account associated with the family foundation."
I frowned.
"What foundation?"
She hesitated.
Then she said something that made my heart begin pounding.
"Claire, there's something else you need to know about Eric."
I looked at her.
"What?"
She glanced at Chloe.
"Your husband didn't just take your savings."
A cold sensation moved through my body.
Barbara reached into her handbag and removed a sealed envelope.
"He tried to take money that belonged to your daughter."
I stared at the envelope.
"What money?"
Barbara's answer changed everything.
"Two million dollars."
I couldn't speak.
May you like
She took my hand.
"And that's why I need you to come home with me."
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