Chapter 2: The Blue Folder
Nobody moved.
The music continued playing, absurdly cheerful, while Edward Mercer stood in our backyard holding the thick blue folder like it contained a body.
Victoria was the first to speak.
“This is a misunderstanding.””
Mercer didn’t blink.
“No, Mrs. Davis. It is not.””
I stepped between them.
“Mr. Mercer, what exactly are you saying?””
He looked at me.
“Are you Mr. Daniel Davis?””
“Yes.””
“Zoria’s father?””
“Yes.””
He glanced at Zoria.
“Then I suggest you hear this from me.””
Victoria grabbed his arm.
“You cannot discuss confidential admissions information at a private party.””
Mercer pulled away.
“You submitted documents containing your daughter’s forged signature.””
A murmur spread through the crowd.
Someone whispered, “Oh my God.””
I looked at Victoria.
She shook her head.
“I didn’t forge anything.””
Mercer opened the folder.
“We received two withdrawal notices.””
He took out a printed letter.
“One was sent by email from an address that appeared to belong to Zoria.””
Zoria frowned.
“I never sent that.””
Mercer nodded.
“I know.””
He pulled out another page.
“The second notice was mailed to our office.””
I felt my pulse beating in my throat.
“Who signed it?””
Mercer looked directly at Victoria.
“Someone attempting to imitate Zoria’s signature.””
Victoria crossed her arms.
“You’re accusing me based on a signature?””
“No.””
He turned another page.
“We tracked the submission.””
Victoria’s lips parted.
Mercer continued.
“The email originated from the home internet connection registered to this address.””
Silence.
My stomach dropped.
Victoria glanced at the house.
“That proves nothing.””
Mercer nodded.
“By itself, no.””
He pulled out a third document.
“But this does.””
He handed it to me.
It was a copy of Zoria’s scholarship acceptance letter.
Across the top was a handwritten note.
DECLINED.
I stared at the handwriting.
Victoria’s handwriting.
I knew it because she wrote grocery lists on the refrigerator. Signed birthday cards. Left notes beside my coffee cup.
My fingers tightened around the paper.
“Where did you get this?””
Mercer answered.
“It was attached to the second withdrawal notice.””
Zoria came closer.
“Dad…”
I handed her the page.
She stared at it.
“That’s not my handwriting.””
“I know.””
Her eyes filled.
Mercer closed the folder.
“We contacted Zoria directly after receiving the first notice because the wording didn’t match her previous correspondence.””
Zoria swallowed.
“I never heard from you.””
“We called the number on file.””
She shook her head.
“I changed my phone number in March.””
Mercer looked at Victoria.
“The number we reached was the one Mrs. Davis provided as your emergency contact.””
Victoria stepped backward.
“That’s normal.””
“No,” Mercer said.
“It became suspicious when we discovered that Zoria had also contacted the university weeks before the withdrawal.””
I looked at my daughter.
“You contacted Ashbourne?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
She looked at her mother.
“Because I thought I could fix it.””
Victoria snapped, “You were not supposed to talk about family matters outside the family.””
Zoria flinched.
That was enough.
I turned to my wife.
“What family matter?””
Victoria stared at me.
“I was protecting Kendra.””
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
The crowd went silent again.
“Kendra?”” I repeated.
Victoria’s eyes widened.
“I mean—”
“You were protecting Kendra from what?””
She said nothing.
Zoria answered for her.
“From me.””
I looked at my daughter.
She was trembling.
“Mom wanted Kendra to go to Eastbridge,” she said.
“She thought if I went to Ashbourne, people would compare us.””
Kendra suddenly stepped forward.
“I never asked her to do that.””
Victoria looked at her.
“Kendra—”
“I never asked you!””
Kendra’s voice cracked.
“I didn’t even know Zoria got a scholarship.””
Victoria’s face hardened.
“You were upset.””
“I was rejected from Eastbridge,” Kendra said.
“And?””
“And I cried for one night!””
She wiped her face angrily.
“I didn’t tell Mom to ruin Zoria’s life.””
Victoria went pale.
“Watch your mouth.””
Kendra laughed bitterly.
“You should watch your hands.””
Everyone stared at her.
She looked at me.
“I saw Mom at the computer.””
Victoria’s expression changed.
“When?””
“Two months ago.””
“Kendra,” Victoria warned.
“You were in Dad’s office,” Kendra continued.
“You told me not to come in.””
Victoria said nothing.
Kendra swallowed.
“I saw Zoria’s Ashbourne letter open on the screen.””
I looked toward the house.
My office.
The one room Victoria rarely entered without asking.
Mercer slowly closed the folder.
“Mr. Davis, there is something else.””
I turned.
He reached inside and pulled out a smaller envelope.
“This arrived at our office yesterday.””
He handed it to me.
My name was written on the front.
Daniel Davis.
No return address.
I opened it with shaking hands.
Inside was a single printed email.
I read it once.
Then again.
My vision blurred.
The message was from Zoria to Ashbourne.
Except it wasn't.
At the bottom was a digital signature showing that the message had been sent from an old family email account.
One Victoria had controlled for years.
The final line read:
I understand that I do not deserve the scholarship and will not be attending Ashbourne.
I looked up.
“That isn't her.””
Mercer nodded.
“We know.””
“How?””
“Because after receiving the message, one of our staff members reviewed Zoria's original application.””
He paused.
“Her recommendation letter was also altered.””
Zoria frowned.
“My recommendation?””
“Yes.””
Mercer opened the folder again.
“Your teacher originally described you as one of the strongest students she had taught in twenty years.””
He handed me another page.
“That recommendation was later replaced with a version describing you as unreliable and emotionally unstable.””
Zoria’s face turned white.
“What?””
I felt dizzy.
My wife had not simply stolen a college opportunity.
She had been building a paper trail to make it look like Zoria had failed.
Victoria stepped closer.
“Daniel, listen to me.””
I turned.
“I am listening.””
“I did what I had to do.””
“No.””
“You don't understand.””
“I understand enough.””
“No, you don't!””
Her voice rose.
“I spent years trying to keep this family together!””
I looked at Kendra.
“By destroying one child?””
Victoria started crying.
“I was protecting my daughter.””
Kendra shook her head.
“I'm not your excuse.””
Mercer cleared his throat.
“There is one more reason I came personally tonight.””
He removed a final document from the folder.
“We discovered the withdrawal was not the only forged document associated with Zoria’s scholarship.””
I took it.
At the bottom was a name.
A financial institution.
A date.
And a transfer amount.
$48,000.
My heart stopped.
“What is this?””
Mercer looked at me.
“It appears someone attempted to redirect part of your daughter’s scholarship-related housing and grant funds.””
Victoria stared at the document.
I slowly turned toward her.
“Where did the money go?””
She didn't answer.
Mercer did.
“To an account held by a company called Kendra Davis Consulting.””
Kendra’s mouth fell open.
“I don't own a company.””
I looked at Victoria.
“Then who does?””
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
May you like
Then Mercer said quietly,
“That's exactly what we intend to find out.””