Chapter 13 - Rebecca Mercer
Rebecca asked for water.
Maya gave her a glass.
No one offered comfort.
Sarah continued reading the email chain.
Three years earlier, Daniel had sent Rebecca photographs of the trust documents.
At that time, Rebecca worked for a regional private lending firm.
The messages were mostly hypothetical.
Could trust property secure a business line?
Could beneficiaries waive notice?
Could Sarah amend the trust?
Rebecca’s responses were cautious then.
Possible, depending on documents.
Need trustee authorization.
Do not assume spouse has authority.
Daniel kept asking.
“Why?” Sarah whispered.
Rebecca answered.
“He wanted capital.”
“For what?”
“He had wanted to start a property company for years.”
Sarah remembered conversations.
Daniel complaining about corporate work.
Daniel watching renovation shows.
Daniel saying real wealth came from owning things.
She had treated those statements as fantasies.
Rebecca continued.
“He believed Helen’s house changed your financial position.”
“Our financial position?”
“That’s how he spoke about it.”
“He knew the house wasn’t his.”
“Yes.”
Sarah looked at the old emails.
“And you helped him study how to reach it.”
Rebecca lowered her eyes.
“I answered questions.”
Rachel said, “You liked him.”
Rebecca looked at her.
“Yes.”
“Even then?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
Sarah felt another piece settle into place.
The affair had not begun physically until years later.
Emotionally, perhaps it had been waiting.
Rebecca and Daniel shared something Sarah never had with him.
Ambition without discomfort.
Sarah had always wanted security.
Daniel wanted expansion.
Rebecca understood that language.
“When did Briar Glen begin?” Maya asked.
“Fourteen months ago.”
“Funding?”
Rebecca explained.
She personally invested $60,000.
Her company arranged another $110,000 through private investors.
Daniel contributed $35,000.
“Whose thirty-five?” Sarah asked.
Rebecca looked uncomfortable.
“I assumed marital savings.”
“It was my mother’s insurance.”
Rebecca said nothing.
The house failed inspection during renovation.
The contractor demanded more money.
Rebecca advanced additional funds.
Daniel promised repayment.
Then he began pawning valuables.
“Did you know?” Sarah asked.
“Not at first.”
“When did you know?”
“The necklace.”
Rachel’s face hardened.
“You knew he pawned their mother’s necklace?”
“Yes.”
“And you still took the money.”
Rebecca looked at Sarah.
“I told him to stop.”
“But you took it.”
“Yes.”
Sarah felt no need to raise her voice.
“And the ring?”
Rebecca swallowed.
“Yes.”
“You knew that too?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know he blamed Rachel?”
Rebecca’s eyes moved toward her.
That hesitation was enough.
Rachel whispered, “Of course.”
“I didn’t know at first.”
“When did you know?”
“After the watch claim.”
Rachel stared.
Rebecca continued.
“Daniel told me the insurer had paid. I asked how he explained the disappearance. He said Rachel had stayed at the house.”
“Did he tell you he accused me?”
“Yes.”
Rachel stood.
Maya gently said, “Rachel.”
“I’m fine.”
But she wasn’t.
She walked to the window.
Rebecca watched her.
“I am sorry.”
Rachel turned.
“No, you’re scared.”
Rebecca flinched.
“You’re sorry because the loan got frozen.”
“That’s not fair.”
Rachel laughed.
“Fair?”
Sarah expected anger to erupt.
Instead, Rachel’s voice became quiet.
“I slept in my car while eight thousand nine hundred dollars my sister tried to send me went to you.”
Rebecca looked at Sarah.
Sarah confirmed it with one nod.
Rebecca whispered, “I didn’t know where that money came from.”
Rachel replied, “That’s the first thing today I believe.”
The statement surprised everyone.
Rachel returned to the table.
“You didn’t know because you stopped asking.”
Rebecca looked down.
That accusation seemed to reach her.
Not innocence.
Willful blindness.
Maya collected the documents.
“Are you willing to provide electronic copies?”
“Yes.”
“Are you willing to speak with Hanover’s investigators?”
Rebecca hesitated.
“Yes.”
“And if law enforcement contacts you?”
Rebecca looked toward the window.
“I’ll have counsel.”
Maya nodded.
“Reasonable.”
Sarah studied Rebecca.
“What do you want from me?”
Rebecca’s eyes returned to her.
“I want you to acknowledge that the debt is real.”
“No.”
Rebecca frowned.
“The debt exists.”
“Daniel’s debt exists.”
“Some of the money went into maintaining obligations connected with your household assets.”
“My stolen assets.”
Rebecca stopped.
Sarah continued.
“You want me to treat his theft from me as a contribution toward money he owes you.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“It is exactly what you meant.”
Rebecca closed the portfolio.
For the first time, irritation appeared.
“If Daniel cannot repay the investors, this becomes larger than your marriage.”
“It already became larger when you impersonated me.”
Rebecca stood.
Maya said, “Sit down, Rebecca.”
Rebecca did.
Sarah realized then that Rebecca was not powerful.
She was trapped too.
Not like Rachel.
Not like Sarah.
By her own choices.
But trapped nonetheless.
Rebecca took a breath.
“There is something else.”
Sarah waited.
“Daniel has a second promissory note.”
“To who?”
“Not who.”
Rebecca looked directly at her.
“To what.”
She slid over a document.
CARTER FAMILY TRUST — PROPOSED BORROWER GUARANTY.
Sarah stared.
“It was never executed.”
Rebecca nodded.
“But Daniel created it.”
“Why?”
“He wanted me to show it to the investors as evidence that repayment was secured.”
Maya examined the document.
“This would have required Sarah’s authorization.”
“Yes.”
“Which he did not have.”
“Yes.”
Sarah looked at the date.
Eight months earlier.
Before Daniel took the money intended for Rachel.
Before the grandmother’s ring disappeared.
Before Sarah had suspected anything.
She whispered, “He was using my name as collateral.”
Rebecca corrected her.
“No.”
Sarah looked up.
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Rebecca’s expression was grim.
“He was using your whole family.”
