“What else?”
“They took my debit card. Said I couldn’t be trusted with money.”
I felt anger building again.
Emily continued.
“They showed me a power of attorney with your signature. It said your father controlled your accounts and the house.”
“I never signed one.”
“I know.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“But they knew things from our private messages. Things only you and I should have known.”
She looked away.
“They said you were tired of me. That you didn’t want to come home.”
My chest tightened.
Emily’s voice cracked.
“They even said Sophie wasn’t your daughter.”
I reached into my jacket pocket.
The envelope.
Inside was a DNA report.
According to the paperwork, Sophie wasn’t mine.
It looked authentic.
Official seals.
Laboratory signatures.
Verification numbers.
And a handwritten note from my mother.
“When you finally open your eyes, you’ll understand why we had to remove her.”
It was a trap.
A very carefully built trap.
“Did they hurt you?” I asked quietly.
Emily hesitated.
Too long.
“My mother didn’t.”
