Chapter 5: The Diagnosis I Never Received
"That's impossible.""
Those were the first words out of my mouth.
My father was still holding the phone.
Patricia was speaking through the speaker, explaining that the company had received a formal medical assessment.
I had never undergone any assessment.
I had never requested one.
And I had certainly never been told that I was incapable of managing my own finances.
"Patricia, I have never met Dr. Hayes in the last six months," I said.
"I understand, Nia. That's why we need to verify the document immediately.""
My father paced across the living room.
"Can they actually transfer the shares based on this?""
"Not permanently," Patricia replied.
"But the trust agreement allows an emergency application for temporary administration if certain medical conditions are documented.""
"Who would become the administrator?""
Patricia paused.
"That depends on the application.""
My father looked at the paper Daniel had left behind.
Vanessa's name was written beside the proposed administrator position.
"Vanessa," he said.
Patricia exhaled.
"That's what the application requests.""
I felt my knees weaken.
My stepmother hadn't simply wanted my money.
She had wanted the legal authority to control my entire inheritance.
"How could a doctor sign something like that without seeing me?"" I asked.
Patricia's voice softened.
"That is precisely what we need to investigate.""
My father ended the call after arranging an emergency meeting for the following morning.
Then he turned to me.
"You're not going anywhere alone tonight.""
"Dad, I'm fine.""
"I know you're strong. That doesn't mean you have to handle this by yourself.""
I nodded.
He ordered dinner, but neither of us ate much.
At around nine, I went upstairs to collect some clothes.
My wardrobe still smelled faintly of smoke.
The protective cover where my blue gown had been stored hung empty.
I reached inside and touched the fabric lining.
There was a tiny crystal caught in the seam.
I pulled it free.
It was one of the crystals from the dress.
I held it in my palm.
For a moment, I was twenty-two again, standing in front of the mirror and imagining my mother at my graduation.
I closed my fingers around the crystal.
Then I heard a knock.
My father stood in the doorway.
"Can I come in?""
"Of course.""
He looked around the room.
"I should have paid more attention.""
I sat on the edge of the bed.
"Why?""
"Because Vanessa was making you feel unwelcome, and I kept convincing myself it was just adjustment.""
I looked at him.
"Did you ever notice she treated Madison differently?""
He nodded.
"I noticed.""
"Then why didn't you stop it?""
He sat beside me.
"I told myself I was keeping peace in the house. I didn't realize I was asking you to pay for that peace.""
I looked down at the crystal.
"Sometimes I thought if I was easier to live with, she might finally accept me.""
My father closed his eyes.
"You should never have had to earn kindness.""
I leaned against his shoulder.
For a few minutes, we didn't speak.
Then he asked whether I wanted to stay with my friend Olivia for a few days.
I shook my head.
"I don't want to run away from my own home.""
He nodded.
"Then we'll deal with this here.""
The next morning, we arrived at Patricia's office at eight-thirty.
She had already arranged for a forensic document examiner to review the medical report.
A second attorney specializing in trust disputes joined us.
His name was Michael Reed.
He placed the report on the table.
"At first glance, this document contains several irregularities.""
He pointed to the date.
"Dr. Hayes supposedly examined Nia on October twenty-eighth.""
I nodded.
"I was working that day.""
"Do you have proof?""
I opened my phone.
I still had the shift confirmation from the boutique.
My manager had also sent me a message asking whether I could stay late.
Michael examined the screenshot.
"Good. Preserve this.""
Then he pointed to another section.
"The report states that the patient was accompanied by a family member.""
"Who?""
"Vanessa Carter.""
My father leaned forward.
"Did she claim to have attended an appointment?""
Michael nodded.
"According to the document.""
I looked at the medical assessment.
It described symptoms I had never experienced.
Difficulty understanding financial decisions.
Emotional instability.
Poor judgment.
Inability to live independently.
I felt humiliated reading it.
They had taken ordinary disagreements and turned them into a supposed medical condition.
"Who wrote this?"" I asked.
Michael examined the signature.
"We need Dr. Hayes to confirm that.""
My father immediately called the clinic.
The receptionist said the doctor was unavailable.
He requested an urgent callback.
Twenty minutes later, Dr. Hayes called.
My father put him on speaker.
"Samuel, this is Richard Carter. We need to discuss a medical report submitted in my daughter's name.""
There was a pause.
"What report?""
My father read the date.
The doctor's voice changed.
"Richard, I have not examined Nia since last year.""
My father looked at Patricia.
"Are you certain?""
"Absolutely.""
I leaned toward the phone.
"Dr. Hayes, did you sign a report saying I was incapable of managing my finances?""
"No, Nia. I did not.""
My chest tightened.
"Then someone used your name.""
"I need to see that document immediately.""
Michael sent him a copy.
We heard silence on the other end.
Then the doctor spoke.
"That's not my signature.""
My father gripped the table.
"Can you confirm that in writing?""
"Yes. And Richard, I want to know how this happened.""
The call ended.
Patricia immediately instructed Michael to preserve the report and request the original submission records.
Then she received an email.
She opened it.
Her expression changed.
"What?"" I asked.
She turned the laptop toward us.
The document had been uploaded through an online legal-services portal.
The account used to submit it belonged to Vanessa.
But there was another detail.
The upload had been made from an IP address associated with Daniel's office.
My father leaned back.
"They were working together.""
Michael nodded.
"It appears so.""
I stared at the screen.
"Can we stop the emergency application?""
Patricia nodded.
"We can challenge the medical assessment and request an immediate suspension. The doctor's written confirmation will be important.""
Then she looked at me.
"However, I want you to understand something. The people involved may become more aggressive once they realize we have evidence.""
I thought about the anonymous messages.
I thought about the burning gown.
I nodded.
"I understand.""
That afternoon, I returned to the house with my father.
I found Madison sitting on the living-room floor surrounded by cardboard boxes.
She was folding clothes into a suitcase.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she looked up.
"Are you happy now?""
I put my bag down.
"No.""
"Mom says we're being thrown out.""
I looked at the boxes.
"Your mother can stay somewhere else while this is investigated.""
Madison laughed bitterly.
"Easy for you. You have Dad.""
I stared at her.
"You have Dad too.""
"Not anymore.""
"Madison, he isn't abandoning you. He's asking people to stop stealing from him.""
She stood.
"You're making everything sound so simple.""
"Then tell me what's complicated.""
She opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
I waited.
Finally, she said:
"Mom told me the inheritance was going to be shared.""
I looked at her.
"Who told you that?""
"She said your mother had left enough money for everyone.""
"That wasn't true.""
Madison looked down.
"She said Dad had agreed.""
I felt a strange mixture of anger and sadness.
"Did you know about the forged signature?""
She didn't answer.
"Madison.""
She wiped her eyes.
"I didn't know about the medical report.""
"But you knew about the money?""
She nodded slowly.
"Some of it.""
"How much?""
"I don't know.""
"Did you know about the seventeen purchases?""
She looked away.
"I bought things.""
I stared at her.
"With money from the trust?""
"Mom said it was fine.""
"Did you ever wonder why I was working six months to buy one dress while you were spending thousands?""
Madison's face crumpled.
"Yes.""
That answer hurt more than I expected.
She knew.
She had seen me coming home exhausted.
She had watched me count tips and save receipts.
And she had still taken what wasn't hers.
I picked up my bag.
"Then why didn't you stop?""
Madison sat down.
"Because I liked it.""
Her voice was barely audible.
"I liked having everything. I liked people thinking I had money. Mom said you would never notice because you were too busy working.""
I stared at her.
For the first time, Madison wasn't blaming me.
She was admitting what she had done.
But before I could respond, she reached into her pocket.
"There's something else.""
She took out a small flash drive.
I looked at it.
"What is that?""
"Something I found in Mom's bedroom.""
"Why are you giving it to me?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Because I think she lied to me too.""
I didn't take it immediately.
"What is on it?""
"Videos. Emails. Some recordings.""
I finally accepted the drive.
Madison looked at me.
"There's one recording you need to hear.""
"Which one?""
She swallowed.
"The one where Mom tells Uncle Daniel what she plans to do after the board meeting.""
My stomach tightened.
"What does she plan to do?""
Madison looked toward the staircase.
Then she whispered:
"She's planning to sell the company before you turn twenty-five.""
I stared at her.
"She can't do that.""
"She thinks she can.""
Madison picked up another box.
"She said once she gets control of the shares, nobody will ever be able to take them away.""
I looked at the flash drive in my hand.
Then my phone rang.
It was Patricia.
"Nia, we've received an update from the company.""
"What happened?""
"The emergency application has been challenged. But there's a new problem.""
My father appeared beside me.
"What problem?""
Patricia's voice became tense.
"The board has received a second document. This one claims your mother voluntarily transferred her controlling shares to Vanessa before she died.""
I felt the room tilt.
"That's impossible.""
"I agree. But the document includes a signature and two witnesses.""
I looked at Madison.
Her face had gone white.
"Who are the witnesses?"" I asked.
Patricia hesitated.
Then she read the names.
"Daniel Carter.""
And the second name was one I never expected to hear.
"Dr. Samuel Hayes.""
The same doctor whose identity had just been forged.
I looked at the flash drive.
May you like
Whatever was on it, I had a feeling it contained the answer.
But I also knew someone would do almost anything to stop us from hearing it.
