Then my father:
“Get off my property before I call security.”
The room went silent.
One board member removed his glasses and wiped away tears.
Federal investigators stepped forward.
“Richard Hayes. Rebecca Hayes. You are under arrest.”
My father immediately pointed at my mother.
“She forged the signatures.”
My mother spun toward him.
“You invented Blue Ridge Holdings!”
Their marriage collapsed before they even reached the elevator.
But I felt no satisfaction.
Only disgust.
I stepped into the hallway and called Emily.
She answered immediately.
“Jacob… the DNA report was fake.”
“I know.”
“But that’s not the worst part.”
My stomach tightened.
“What is it?”
“The lab found sedatives in my blood.”
I stopped breathing.
“What?”
“The doctor believes someone had been giving me medication without my knowledge.”
The hallway tilted beneath my feet.
Emily continued softly.
“Your mother kept making me herbal tea. She said it would help with anxiety.”
