Chapter 4 - Blood Isn't Thicker Than Water
By Monday morning, the fallout within our family had erupted into an all-out civil war. Tom had arranged for me to stay in a secure executive apartment building in the city center where he kept an office. My phone, which I finally turned on, was inundated with fifty-two missed calls and dozens of voicemails.
The most disturbing message came from my mother. Her voice was hysterical, but her anger was directed entirely at me.
“Rachel, how could you let Tom humiliate your sister like that? You need to call your father and Tom right now and tell them to drop these ridiculous legal filings. Chloe is in bed, crying her eyes out! Michael made a mistake, men do that, but airing our private family business to lawyers will ruin our reputation at the country club! Call me back immediately!”
I stared at the phone in sheer disbelief. My sister had kissed my husband, slept with him for two years, and robbed our family trust, yet my mother was worried about country club gossip and Chloe's delicate feelings.
A sharp knock came at the apartment door. Tom was already at work with his legal team, so I checked the peephole. Standing in the hallway was my sister Chloe, wearing dark sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat, looking around nervously.
I opened the door, keeping the security latch on. ""How did you find this address?""
""Michael remembered Tom mentioning he owned an investment unit here,"" Chloe said, pushing her sunglasses onto her head. Her eyes were puffy, but her lips were set in that familiar, entitled sneer. ""Rachel, take off the chain. We need to talk like sisters.""
""We stopped being sisters the moment you opened your legs for my husband,"" I said bluntly.
Chloe scoffed, crossing her arms. ""Oh, please. Don't be so dramatically self-righteous. You and Michael were basically roommates for the last two years. You worked eighty hours a week at your firm. You ignored him! I gave him what you were too busy to provide.""
""Did you give him my grandfather's money, too?""
Chloe’s expression flickered with panic, but she quickly masked it. ""Grandpa left that money to both of us! I had every right to invest it as I saw fit. Michael’s firm was going to multiply that capital. We were going to give you your share back once the offshore accounts matured!""
""You're lying, Chloe. You had one-way tickets booked to San Jose for the end of this month.""
Chloe took a sharp breath, realizing how deep Tom’s investigation had penetrated their secret network. ""Listen to me, Rachel. If Tom moves forward with criminal fraud charges, Michael and I could go to federal prison. Do you really want that on your conscience? Do you want Mom and Dad to see their daughter in an orange jumpsuit?""
I leaned forward against the door frame, feeling an icy clarity wash over me. ""You didn't care about my conscience when you kissed him on your patio. You did that to humiliate me. You wanted me to see that you could take anything from me and get away with it.""
""I did it because I was sick of you always being the golden child!"" Chloe exploded, her voice echoing down the hallway. ""Rachel the brilliant! Rachel the successful! I wanted you to know that the man who swore to love you cherished me more than he ever cherished you!""
""And look where it got you,"" I replied calmly. ""You're standing in a hallway, begging the golden child for mercy.""
""Rachel, don't do this!"" she screamed as I began closing the door. ""If you ruin my life, I swear to God I'll make sure you regret it!""
""The only thing I regret, Chloe, is not seeing through you years ago.""
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I shut the heavy door and clicked the deadbolt into place. Behind the wood, Chloe slammed her fist against the frame twice before her retreating footsteps faded away. I walked over to the kitchen counter, picked up my phone, and dialed Tom’s attorney.
""Sarah?"" I said, my voice steady and unyielding. ""This is Rachel. Move forward with every single charge. Don't hold back.""
