Perfectly replicated.
Except…
He had never signed it.
He slowly looked at Vanessa.
“Tell me…”
His voice trembled.
“…tell me you didn’t know.”
She couldn’t.
Silence answered him.
Patricia suddenly exploded.
“This is Teresa’s fault!”
“If she’d stayed out of our lives…”
“The wedding would’ve happened…”
“And everyone would’ve been happy!”
I looked at her with something I never expected to feel.
Not anger.
Pity.
Because in her mind…
The real tragedy wasn’t the lies.
Or the fraud.
Or the humiliation.
The tragedy was getting caught.
“Yesterday,” I said softly,
“You saw me kneeling in the mud.”
“You worried I’d ruin your photographs.”
“Today your daughter is facing criminal investigations…”
“And you’re still not asking who she hurt.”
“You’re only worried about appearances.”
Patricia glared at me.
“You don’t know what it’s like to lose everything.”
I smiled sadly.
