Chapter 3 - OLIVIA'S SECRET
Clara drove to her sister Rachel's house across town.
Rachel opened the door before Clara reached the porch.
One look at Clara's face was enough.
"What happened?"
Clara could not answer immediately.
Olivia carried Emma inside while Clara broke down in her sister's arms.
Rachel listened to the entire story in stunned silence.
When Clara finished, Rachel's expression had become cold.
"He hit you?"
Clara nodded.
Rachel glanced toward Olivia.
Olivia looked down.
"Vanessa lied to him."
Rachel's voice softened.
"That explains why he was angry."
Then she looked back at Clara.
"It doesn't excuse what he did."
"I know."
Olivia suddenly spoke.
"There's more."
Clara turned.
Olivia was standing near the sofa with her phone pressed between both hands.
"What do you mean?"
Olivia looked terrified.
"I should've told you sooner."
Clara sat down slowly.
"Tell me now."
Olivia unlocked her phone.
"For the past few weeks, Vanessa's been saying weird things about you."
"What things?"
"That you were tired of being a mom."
Clara frowned.
"She said you regretted having Emma."
"That's ridiculous."
"I know."
Olivia swallowed.
"She also kept asking whether Dad would believe me if I ever saw you lose your temper."
Clara stared at her.
"When did she ask that?"
"Three times."
Rachel moved closer.
"What else?"
Olivia scrolled through her messages.
"She started texting me whenever Dad was traveling."
Clara took the phone.
The first message was from Vanessa.
Has Clara been acting strange today?
Another followed two days later.
Keep an eye on Emma when Clara is tired.
Then another.
Your dad needs to know if Clara ever gets rough with the baby.
Clara felt sick.
"This wasn't spontaneous."
Olivia nodded.
"There's something else."
She opened her camera roll.
"I started recording Vanessa because she kept coming into your office."
Clara froze.
"My office?"
"Last Tuesday."
Olivia played a short video.
Vanessa was visible through the partially open office door.
She was standing beside Clara's desk.
She opened one drawer.
Then another.
She removed several envelopes.
Clara leaned closer.
"I know those envelopes."
"What are they?"
"Bank statements."
Rachel's expression sharpened.
"Why would Vanessa want your bank statements?"
Clara stood up.
Her exhaustion disappeared beneath a sudden surge of adrenaline.
"Three weeks ago I found something strange in Adrian's company accounts."
Olivia looked confused.
"You work on his company accounts?"
"I review certain expenses."
Clara had worked as a forensic accountant before Emma was born.
She had reduced her workload during maternity leave but still occasionally helped Adrian review unusual transactions in his family-owned real estate firm.
"I found payments to a consulting company I'd never heard of."
Rachel asked the obvious question.
"How much?"
"Almost one hundred eighty thousand dollars over eight months."
Olivia's mouth fell open.
"Did you tell Dad?"
"I was going to."
Clara looked at the video again.
"But I wanted proof first."
"What was the company called?"
"Northbridge Advisory."
Olivia went still.
Clara noticed.
"What?"
Olivia slowly opened another message.
"Vanessa told Grandma she started a company last year."
Clara's pulse quickened.
"What was it called?"
Olivia showed her the message.
Northbridge Lifestyle Consulting.
Rachel stared at Clara.
"That's not a coincidence."
Clara immediately opened the banking app on her phone.
She had screenshots from the transactions.
Each payment had been authorized from an internal administrative account.
Vanessa had worked for Adrian's company for eleven months.
She managed vendor relationships.
She had access.
Clara suddenly understood why Vanessa had been so interested in whether Adrian trusted her.
This was not only jealousy.
It was desperation.
Clara looked at Olivia.
"Vanessa knew I was looking into those payments."
Rachel whispered.
"And if Adrian believed you were dangerous..."
"He wouldn't believe anything I told him about Vanessa."
Silence filled the room.
Olivia looked horrified.
"She risked Emma just to make Dad hate you?"
Clara looked toward her sleeping baby.
She wanted to say no.
She wanted to believe no human being could do something that monstrous.
But the broken brake.
The planted accusations.
The stolen statements.
The video.
They were all pointing in the same direction.
May you like
Clara picked up her phone.
"I'm calling Adrian."
