Chapter 8 - JESSICA’S SECRET
Jessica called that night.
“I knew.”
I sat down.
“How much?”
“Not the DNA.”
“Then what?”
“Margaret hated Lily before she was born.”
Not news.
“Why?”
“Because Daniel was going to leave the family company.”
That surprised me.
Whitmore Restoration was a midsize home-repair business.
Richard? no. Margaret's late husband founded it. Daniel and Mark worked there.
Daniel wanted to start his own contracting business with me handling office work.
Margaret saw me as the reason.
“If Daniel left,” Jessica said, “Mark would have to take over everything.”
“So?”
“Mark didn’t want to.”
Family pressure.
Still not enough.
Jessica continued:
“Margaret thought if you and Daniel split, he would stay.”
My stomach turned.
“Did he?”
“Yes.”
Daniel remained at Whitmore Restoration for four more years.
Then left anyway.
Not millions.
Not a trust.
Control over her sons.
Plausible.
“Did Margaret fabricate the test to keep Daniel?”
“I don’t know.”
“Jessica.”
“I heard her say something.”
“When?”
“The day after the result.”
“What?”
Jessica began crying.
“She told Mark: ‘Now he has no reason to throw his life away for her.’”
Silence.
“Did you ask what she meant?”
“Yes.”
“She said the test proved you cheated.”
“Did Mark look surprised?”
Jessica took too long.
“Did he?”
“He looked sick.”
May you like
There.
Mark knew more than he admitted.
