I had seen staged illnesses, forged treatment plans, invented medical emergencies, and terrified relatives pressured into draining their savings or selling their homes.
By the second day of Daniel’s supposed illness, I had noticed that the medical terminology in Elaine’s messages did not sound authentic.
Some of it was used incorrectly. Other parts appeared to have been copied from unrelated medical documents.
By the fourth day, I had begun preserving everything.
Every phone call.
Every voicemail.
Every invoice.
Every threat disguised as concern.
Every demand presented as an act of love.
The sale of my father’s house was real.
But I had never intended to hand Daniel the money.
