Chapter 7 - Colleen Declared War on the Wrong Woman
Colleen denied everything.
Of course.
She called the anonymous emails “concerned whistleblowing.”
That phrase told Rebecca more than a confession would have.
My firm reacted quickly.
We notified clients that false claims were circulating.
Independent accountants verified our records.
The twins’ trust was untouched.
Caleb’s property was protected.
My company finances were clean.
Still, reputation moves faster than audit reports.
One client paused a project.
Another requested additional assurances.
For forty-eight hours, I understood exactly what Colleen wanted.
Panic.
The old Mara might have called Grant.
Begged him to fix his mother.
The new Mara called my partners.
We put every fact on the table.
No hiding.
No shame.
Then something unexpected happened.
My employees became angry.
Not at me.
For me.
Our senior architect, Jasmine, said:
“You built this firm while raising three kids. If somebody wants to imply that makes you financially irresponsible, they can explain it to all forty-three of us.”
That night, Grant arrived at Rebecca’s office.
Not my house.
Good choice.
He brought Colleen’s laptop.
Rebecca stared at him.
“How did you get this?”
“She gave me access years ago.”
“Did she consent to you taking it?”
Grant stopped.
Then set it down.
“No.”
Rebecca pushed it back.
“We’re not using improperly obtained evidence.”
Grant looked frustrated.
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Stop behaving like your mother.”
That landed.
He sat down.
Then handed us something else.
His own phone.
“My messages with her.”
Those were his.
Legally his to provide.
The thread was ugly.
Colleen calling me manipulative.
Colleen telling Grant he needed “financial protection.”
Grant agreeing more often than I wanted to see.
Then the anonymous-email plan appeared.
Not from Grant.
From Colleen.
Her message:
If Mara starts losing clients, she’ll stop playing righteous and negotiate.
Grant’s reply:
Do not touch her business.
Colleen:
You’re weak.
Grant:
I mean it.
Then later:
I’m done, Mom. Don’t contact her again.
He had drawn a line.
Late.
But real.
Rebecca preserved the messages.
My firm sent formal demands to stop the defamatory campaign.
Colleen’s attorney suddenly became interested in settlement.
But one more message mattered more.
Three months earlier, Colleen had written:
After the wedding, we deal with the Michael problem.
Grant replied:
What problem?
She answered:
Caleb eventually finds out why his father really died.
I stared at the screen.
Michael died in a single-car accident.
At least that was what I had always been told.
Grant looked just as confused as I was.
“What does your mother know about Michael?”
May you like
He whispered:
“I have no idea.”
Related Stories
