The Sister My Husband Pretended Did Not Exist
Chapter 06 - The Sister My Husband Pretended Did Not Exist
Allie did not sleep.
By sunrise, she had learned more about Richard’s family from public records than he had told her in twenty-six years.
Evelyn Morgan Shaw was forty-nine.
Richard was fifty-eight.
Same father.
Same hometown.
Evelyn’s development company had quietly purchased land surrounding Morgan House properties for nearly four years.
That was not coincidence.
At 7:30 a.m., Richard came home.
He found Allie sitting at the kitchen table in civilian clothes.
The forged document lay between them.
His expression softened immediately.
“There you are.”
She almost admired the performance.
“Allie, yesterday got out of control.”
“Did it?”
“I made a terrible mistake with Vanessa.”
“One?”
Richard sat across from her.
“I’ve been lonely.”
Allie looked at him.
He continued.
“You were always gone.”
There it was again.
The blame.
She let him speak.
For ten minutes, Richard described himself as a neglected husband.
Then Allie asked, “Who is Evelyn?”
His face changed.
Barely.
But enough.
“A developer.”
“Try again.”
Richard leaned back.
“Why are you asking?”
“Because wives usually know when their husbands have sisters.”
His jaw tightened.
“My father had another family.”
“So she is your sister.”
“Half sister.”
“And you never mentioned her?”
“We’re not close.”
Allie placed a photograph of them holding hands on the table.
Richard stared at it.
“That proves nothing.”
“It proves you lied.”
Richard stood.
“This is exactly why I didn’t tell you things. You interrogate everyone like they’re under your command.”
Allie remained seated.
“Sit down.”
“I’m not one of your soldiers.”
“No. My soldiers have integrity.”
That landed.
Richard’s face hardened.
“Allie, give me the document you took from the office.”
“No.”
“You don’t understand the legal consequences.”
“I understand forgery.”
“You authorized me.”
“Show me where.”
Richard said nothing.
Then his eyes moved toward her laptop.
For the first time, Allie saw fear.
“What have you been looking at?”
She closed the computer.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Richard stared at her for several seconds.
Then he smiled.
Not warmly.
The smile of a lawyer who had decided negotiations were over.
“You should check your bank accounts.”
Allie’s heart stopped.
Richard picked up his keys.
“I tried to handle this quietly.”
“Handle what?”
He opened the door.
“Our separation.”
Allie reached for her phone.
Her retirement account was untouched.
Their checking account held $312.
Yesterday it had contained more than $180,000.
Richard looked back once.
“And Allie?”
May you like
She raised her eyes.
“You might want to find somewhere else to stay.”
