Chapter 13 - The Statement Helen Signed
Mara carried the sworn declaration into the backyard.
She needed air that had not passed through the same rooms as Helen's excuses.
The grass was still marked where Ethan's duffel bag had rested earlier.
The white plastic tub lay upside down beside the hose.
One broken plate remained near the patio.
Mara sat on the concrete step and read every page.
Helen had sworn that Mara requested private home care.
Helen had sworn that Mara understood the rate.
Helen had sworn that Mara had repeatedly confirmed the debt after treatment.
Every sentence was false.
Ethan came outside but did not sit beside her.
"Do you want me to leave you alone?"
Mara looked at the document.
"I don't know what I want from you."
"Okay."
He stayed several feet away.
For once, he did not try to fix the silence.
Mara reached the final page.
Helen's signature was dated August 11.
Three weeks after she claimed to have realized Martin was stealing.
Mara looked toward the kitchen window.
"She knew."
Ethan nodded.
"Yes."
"She knew it was fraud and signed this anyway."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Ethan sat on the grass.
"Because Martin had something on her."
Mara looked at him.
"You sound sure."
"I'm not."
"Then why say it?"
"Because my mother is controlling, proud, and capable of lying to herself for years."
He paused.
"But she isn't stupid."
Mara laughed weakly.
"That's supposed to comfort me?"
"No."
He looked at the house.
"It means I think Martin had leverage."
Mara studied him.
"Like what?"
"Something connected to Dad."
"Or you."
Ethan looked at her.
Mara held his gaze.
"Don't act surprised."
"I'm not."
"Your father wrote that you knew enough to keep things buried."
"I know."
"You tried to move the house into a trust before checking whether I wanted a divorce."
"I know."
"And Martin had access to your financial information."
Ethan looked down.
"Yes."
Mara folded the declaration.
"So I don't know whether you're sitting on the grass because you love me or because your own plan went wrong."
The words hurt him.
She saw it.
She did not take them back.
Ethan nodded slowly.
"You shouldn't trust me right now."
Mara blinked.
That was not the answer she expected.
"I want you to," he said.
"But wanting it doesn't earn it."
Mara looked away before tears could come.
Inside, Helen appeared in the doorway.
She held a folded piece of paper.
"Mara."
Mara did not respond.
Helen stepped onto the patio.
"There is something you need to see."
"I have seen enough things you thought I didn't need to see."
Helen winced.
"This is different."
She offered the paper.
Mara did not take it.
Ethan stood.
"What is it?"
Helen looked at him.
"A copy of the message Martin sent before I signed the declaration."
Mara finally took the paper.
It was a screenshot of a text conversation.
Martin's message read, Sign the declaration by Friday or the Bennett file goes to the state attorney general.
Helen had replied, Ethan had nothing to do with Paul's fraud.
Martin answered, Then you should have thought about that before Ethan signed the 2020 amendment.
Mara looked at Ethan.
His face tightened.
Helen continued.
"Martin said the amendment could be used to make it appear Ethan knowingly ratified Paul's fraudulent records."
Ethan shook his head.
"That's not how criminal liability works."
"I know that now."
Mara stared at Helen.
"You signed a false statement against me because you thought it might protect Ethan."
Helen nodded.
"Yes."
Mara's voice became quiet.
"After everything, you still chose him."
Helen started to speak.
Mara raised her hand.
"Don't tell me he's your son."
Helen closed her mouth.
"I was your family too."
Tears filled Helen's eyes.
"I know."
"No."
Mara looked at the house.
"You liked me when I was easy to include."
She looked back at Helen.
"When protecting me required you to risk something, I became expendable."
Helen covered her face.
Ethan turned away.
Mara stood.
She felt weak, but not powerless.
Those were not the same thing.
"Tomorrow morning, I'm hiring my own attorney."
Helen lowered her hands.
"I can pay for one."
"No."
"Mara."
"You are done managing things for me."
Helen nodded slowly.
Mara looked at Ethan.
"And you are not calling the attorney for me."
He nodded.
"Understood."
"You can give me the bank records."
"All of them."
"And the recorder."
"Yes."
"Then you can sleep in the living room."
Ethan almost smiled from sheer relief that she had not told him to leave.
Mara noticed and immediately hardened her expression.
"That wasn't forgiveness."
"I know."
Helen looked toward the street.
A dark sedan had stopped across from the house.
The driver remained inside.
Ethan noticed it too.
"Is that Martin?"
Helen's face drained of color.
"No."
Mara stared at the car.
"Then who is it?"
Helen whispered.
"His daughter."
Ethan looked at her.
"Martin has a daughter?"
Helen nodded.
"Her name is Claire Vale."
Mara felt an inexplicable chill.
May you like
Helen's next words made it worse.
"And she used to work at your hospital."
