Chapter 4 - The Voice From The Past
The phone stayed pressed against my ear.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The voice on the other end breathed softly.
Like she knew exactly how much damage one sentence could cause.
"Your father didn't forge your signature alone."
My fingers tightened around the phone.
I looked at my father.
For the first time in my entire life, he looked afraid of someone else.
Not angry.
Not confident.
Afraid.
"Who is this?" I asked.
The woman didn't answer immediately.
I heard a small sound in the background.
A chair moving.
Paper being placed on a table.
Then her voice came again.
"Someone who should have told you the truth years ago."
My heart started beating faster.
"How do you know about my signature?"
Silence.
Then:
"Because I was there when they created the document."
The hallway suddenly felt freezing.
My mother covered her mouth.
Jason looked confused.
Thomas stepped closer.
But my father?
My father looked at the phone.
Like he knew exactly who was speaking.
"Who is it?" I whispered.
My father finally moved.
"Erin, hang up."
I turned toward him.
"No."
His expression hardened.
"You don't understand."
I almost laughed.
Because that was the sentence everyone kept using.
You don't understand.
But this time, I was done being the person who didn't understand.
"No, Dad."
I held the phone tighter.
"I understand enough."
The woman's voice came through again.
"Erin, listen carefully."
I closed my eyes.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Margaret Ellis."
The name meant nothing to me.
Until I looked at Thomas.
His face changed.
A small reaction.
But I saw it.
"You know her," I said.
Thomas didn't deny it.
"Yes."
I looked between them.
"What is happening?"
Margaret continued.
"Your grandfather asked me to protect something before he died."
My breathing stopped.
"My grandfather?"
"Yes."
I looked at the trust document.
The one that had destroyed everything I believed about my family.
"He knew?"
"He suspected."
Margaret's voice became softer.
"He knew someone inside the family was trying to change his plans."
I looked at my father.
Someone inside the family.
The words felt heavier than they should have.
Because I already knew.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Margaret sighed.
"Because the person controlling the documents controlled the information."
My father stepped forward.
"Enough."
Everyone looked at him.
His voice was different now.
Not commanding.
Desperate.
"Erin, this woman is manipulating you."
I stared at him.
"Is she?"
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
That silence answered for him.
Margaret spoke again.
"Your father changed the trust amendment after your first deployment."
My eyes widened.
"What?"
Thomas looked down.
Like he already knew.
"That's impossible."
Margaret continued.
"It happened eight years ago."
I shook my head.
"No."
I looked at the papers.
"No, because I wasn't even told about a trust."
"Exactly."
Her answer was quiet.
"But your signature appeared anyway."
The hallway went silent.
I felt sick.
Because the question I had been avoiding was finally being answered.
Someone had stolen my identity.
Someone had used my name.
Someone had taken the one thing I had spent my whole life protecting.
My future.
"Who helped him?" I asked.
Margaret didn't answer.
Not immediately.
And that scared me.
Because some answers hurt more when people hesitate.
Finally she said:
"Your mother."
My mother started crying.
Not silently this time.
A broken sound escaped her.
I turned toward her.
"No."
She looked at me.
"Erin..."
"No."
I shook my head.
"Tell me she's wrong."
My mother couldn't.
That was the worst part.
She couldn't even lie.
My father immediately stepped between us.
"Your mother was trying to protect this family."
I looked at him.
"Protect?"
My voice cracked.
"You erased me."
"No."
His response came too quickly.
"You don't understand why."
I stared at him.
"Then explain."
He stayed silent.
Because there was no explanation that didn't sound exactly like betrayal.
Thomas took the folder from my hand.
"There is more."
I looked at him.
"What more could there be?"
He opened another document.
"This."
I looked down.
It was a legal statement.
At the top was a date.
The day before my last deployment.
My stomach dropped.
"That's the day I left."
Thomas nodded.
"Yes."
I read the first line.
"I, Erin Callahan, voluntarily surrender all claims..."
I couldn't continue.
Because I knew those words weren't mine.
"I never wrote this."
Thomas nodded.
"I know."
"Then why does it exist?"
Nobody answered.
I looked at my father.
"Who created it?"
He looked away.
And that was enough.
My anger became something colder.
"You were going to let me believe this was my choice?"
My father finally spoke.
"We thought you would understand eventually."
I stared at him.
"Understand what?"
His voice became quieter.
"That the family needed stability."
I laughed.
A short, painful laugh.
"Stability?"
I pointed at myself.
"I was nineteen when I joined the Army."
Silence.
"I missed holidays."
Silence.
"I missed funerals."
My voice shook.
"I missed watching my brother get married."
Jason looked down.
"And every time I called home, you told me everything was okay."
My mother cried harder.
"But it wasn't okay."
I looked at them.
"You just didn't want me to stop."
Nobody argued.
Because they couldn't.
Then Margaret spoke.
"Erin, there is something else you need to know."
I pressed the phone closer.
"What?"
"Your grandfather left a second document."
My eyes narrowed.
"A second trust?"
"No."
She paused.
"A letter."
I looked at Thomas.
"Where is it?"
Margaret didn't answer.
My father did.
"Nobody needs that."
I turned toward him.
The fear returned to his face.
And suddenly I knew.
Whatever was in that letter was worse than the trust amendment.
"Where is it?" I repeated.
My father shook his head.
"Erin."
"No."
I stepped back.
"You don't get to hide things anymore."
Thomas looked at me.
"I know where it is."
Everyone looked at him.
My father whispered:
"Thomas."
Thomas ignored him.
"It's in the original family property."
The property.
The one bought with my money.
The one that was supposed to belong to me.
I looked at my phone.
"Can we get it?"
Margaret answered.
"You can."
A pause.
"But you need to be careful."
"Why?"
Her voice lowered.
"Because the person who removed your name from the trust is not the only person who knows about the letter."
A cold feeling moved through me.
"Who else knows?"
No answer.
"Margaret?"
The line remained silent.
Then she finally spoke.
"Someone who has been watching you since the day you came home."
My heart stopped.
"What does that mean?"
Before she could answer, the call ended.
I stared at the screen.
Disconnected.
Nobody moved.
Then Jason looked toward the hallway window.
His face suddenly changed.
"What?"
I followed his eyes.
Outside the building.
A black SUV was parked across the street.
The engine was running.
And someone was sitting inside.
Watching.
My father saw it too.
His face went pale.
Because he recognized the person behind the glass.
Then my phone received a new message.
May you like
One sentence.
"Don't go to the property alone. The person who betrayed you is already waiting there."
