Chapter 11 - THE GRANDMOTHER WHO FINALLY HEARD THE TRUTH
Diane arrived at Sarah's house carrying a pink gift bag for Ivy.
I almost refused to see her.
Then I remembered that Ivy loved her grandmother, and I didn't want my anger with Grant to erase every relationship my daughter had.
Sarah remained nearby while we spoke.
Diane placed the bag on the table.
Inside was a small knitted cardigan.
“I thought she might like this.”
“Thank you.”
Diane looked around the room.
Then at me.
“Grant says you're refusing to bring Ivy home.”
I took a slow breath.
“Grant and I are arranging separate living spaces while we work through the legal process. Ivy is safe and well cared for.”
Diane's expression tightened.
“He says you've become obsessed with returning to work.”
“I've accepted a position with Redwood.”
She blinked.
“A full-time position?”
“A senior executive role with a flexible schedule.”
Diane looked genuinely surprised.
I almost felt sorry for her.
Grant had spent so long describing me as an exhausted woman who had forgotten how to function that apparently even his mother had begun believing it.
Then she said:
“Grant told me you hadn't worked in almost two years.”
“I've been on maternity leave for five months. Before that, I worked throughout most of my pregnancy.”
Her face changed.
“He said you left your job because you couldn't handle the pressure.”
I stared at her.
“No.”
Diane looked down at the gift bag.
For the first time, she seemed uncertain.
Then I showed her the photograph from the restaurant.
Grant kissing Elise.
Diane closed her eyes.
“I didn't know they were involved.”
“You knew they spent time together.”
“Yes.”
“You knew he brought her to family dinners.”
“He told me they were business partners.”
I believed that part.
Then I explained the missing joint savings, the disputed signature, and the proposed loan against my house.
Diane looked increasingly distressed.
“Grant said the property was jointly owned.”
“I bought it before we married. We both contributed during the marriage, and any financial interests will be addressed properly, but I never agreed to use it for Northline.”
She stared at me.
Then asked:
“Does he know about your job offer?”
“Yes.”
Diane became quiet.
Finally, she whispered:
“I thought you were giving up on your family.”
My eyes burned.
“I've been fighting for this family almost entirely by myself.”
She looked toward Ivy, who was sitting on Sarah's lap.
Then she began crying.
I wasn't prepared for that.
“Emily, I don't know what to say.”
“You don't have to say anything right now.”
But Diane did have something important to tell me.
Grant had asked her to write a statement supporting his request for equal parenting time.
She had agreed.
In the statement, she described me as overwhelmed, emotionally fragile, and unable to manage the household without assistance.
“Have you actually observed me being unable to care for Ivy?” I asked.
Diane shook her head.
“Then why did you write that?”
“Because Grant told me you were struggling.”
I stared at her.
She covered her face.
“I should have spoken to you.”
“Yes.”
The word felt heavier than a shouted accusation.
Diane promised to speak with her attorney about correcting any inaccurate statements based on information she had not personally observed.
I did not forgive her immediately.
But I appreciated that she had finally stopped defending Grant long enough to consider the truth.
Before leaving, she asked whether she could spend time with Ivy that weekend.
I agreed to discuss a suitable arrangement with Grant and our attorneys.
Then Diane hesitated at the doorway.
“Emily, there's something else.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
“Grant asked me for money last month.”
“How much?”
“Twenty-five thousand dollars.”
I stared at her.
“What did he say it was for?”
“He told me Ivy had unexpected medical expenses and your insurance wasn't covering them.”
My blood went cold.
Ivy's medical expenses were covered.
There was no outstanding twenty-five-thousand-dollar bill.
May you like
Grant hadn't merely used our daughter's existence to belittle me.
He had apparently used her name to borrow money from his own mother.
