Chapter 5 - THE WOMAN WHO KNEW OUR FAMILY SECRETS
Patricia Wells had worked for Julian for nine years.
She organized his travel, maintained his executive calendar, and managed nearly every administrative detail of his professional life.
She also knew how much I trusted her.
When Harrison was born, Patricia sent flowers to the hospital and personally arranged meals for us during the first week.
I used to consider her a friend.
Now her name appeared on a document supporting a financial transaction I had never approved.
Rebecca sent a formal request for the complete notarization records and advised me not to confront Patricia directly.
I followed her advice.
For once, I wasn't going to let anger interfere with evidence.
Meanwhile, Julian returned to Connecticut earlier than planned.
He went straight to our house.
The following afternoon, he called from the living room.
“Where are your things?”
“I took my personal belongings.”
“You cleared out the nursery.”
“Harrison is staying with me for now, so I brought what he needs. Rebecca will help us arrange appropriate parenting time.”
Julian exhaled sharply.
“You planned this.”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Long enough to make sure I didn't leave important decisions to someone who was lying to me.”
He didn't answer.
Then he said something unexpected.
“Isabel and I are finished.”
I closed my eyes.
“You don't need to tell me that.”
“It's true.”
“Julian, my decision isn't a competition with Isabel.”
“She manipulated the financing.”
“And you signed the agreements.”
He fell silent.
I continued.
“You chose to lie about your trip. You chose to leave Harrison on Christmas morning. You chose not to tell me about the business arrangements involving my property.”
“Elena, I didn't forge your signature.”
That stopped me.
“Then who did?”
He hesitated.
“I thought you'd signed the documents.”
I stared at the wall.
“How?”
“Patricia told me she'd coordinated everything with your office.”
“My office?”
“You used to have someone handling your personal investments.”
“Three years ago, Julian.”
He knew that.
I had closed my small investment office after Harrison's birth.
Julian's explanation was either a lie or an admission that he'd approved a multimillion-dollar transaction without confirming my consent.
Neither answer improved my opinion of him.
Before ending the call, I said:
“Whatever Patricia told you, you were responsible for making sure I actually agreed.”
He didn't argue.
That surprised me.
Two days later, Patricia contacted Rebecca through her own attorney.
She wanted to cooperate.
They arranged a recorded interview with appropriate legal representation.
Patricia admitted she'd prepared several of the supporting documents.
She also admitted using an old signature specimen supplied by Isabel's team.
But she denied personally executing the notarization shown in the lender's file.
She said someone had used her expired notary credentials and reproduced her seal.
Rebecca examined the records.
The apparent notarization date did fall after Patricia's commission had expired.
Then Patricia produced an email.
It was from Isabel to Julian.
Sent three weeks before Christmas.
Elena's approval is being handled. We cannot afford another delay.
Julian's response contained only four words.
Do whatever is necessary.
I stared at the message.
He could tell himself he hadn't personally forged my signature.
But he'd given Isabel permission to push the transaction forward without asking the questions a responsible husband or executive should have asked.
Then Patricia showed us one final document.
It was a draft letter prepared for Julian's signature.
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According to the draft, I had supposedly agreed to sell Harbor House after the New Year.
And the proposed purchase price was less than half the value established by a recent independent appraisal.
