Not the swallowed sobs she’d hidden from her parents.
Real, ugly, gasping grief.
For the childhood she didn’t have.
For the mother who looked at her like a problem.
For the father who threw her away.
Edward held her through all of it.
When she finally pulled back, his eyes were wet too.
“You’re safe now,” he said.
She wanted to believe him.
Three days later, Detective Chen called.
Claire was feeding Lily when Edward handed her the phone.
“It’s for you.”
Claire’s stomach dropped.
She put the phone to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Claire, it’s Detective Chen. I wanted to update you on the investigation.”
Claire’s hand trembled.
“Okay.”
“We’ve gone through five years of bank records. Your mother and father diverted the full amount of your trust payments into a separate account. None of it was used for household expenses.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“Where did it go?”
“Vacations. Jewelry. Your sister’s car. A boat your father purchased last year.”
Claire’s breath caught.
A boat.
They’d bought a boat.
While she worked double shifts at a grocery store to pay for prenatal vitamins.
“There’s more,” Detective Chen said.
Claire didn’t want to know.
“What?”
“Your college fund. The one your mother told you was used for your sister’s surgery. We found it.”
