Chapter 8 - Danielle Explains the Eight Months
Danielle arrived the next morning.
Ava ran to her before the front door fully opened.
“Mommy!”
Danielle dropped to her knees.
Ava crashed into her arms.
“I thought you forgot me.”
Danielle sobbed.
“Never.”
Marcus turned away.
He had not created the lie.
But he had believed it too easily.
Later, Danielle explained.
She had moved temporarily to Seattle for work.
Rachel volunteered to coordinate calls because Marcus traveled
frequently.
Then calls stopped connecting.
Packages returned.
Marcus’s email responses became strangely formal.
Danielle now knew Rachel had sent some of them from his account.
Danielle hired an attorney after discovering the trust changes.
But before she could file a challenge, someone emailed her private
medical information and warned that a custody dispute would expose it
publicly.
Marcus stared.
“What medical information?”
Danielle looked ashamed.
“Therapy records from after the divorce.”
Someone had stolen confidential information and used it to frighten her.
Rachel looked toward the floor.
May you like
Marcus understood.
The scheme had relied on shame as much as technology.
