Chapter 10 - The Family Truce
The diner was empty except for a waitress wiping down the counter.
My parents and Natalie were already sitting in a back booth.
Natalie looked perfectly fine. No tears, no red eyes. The crying video had been a total act.
I slid into the booth opposite them.
"Let's get straight to it," my father said nervously, looking around. "You have documents?"
I placed a thick manila folder on the table.
My father reached for it, but I slammed my hand down on top of it.
"Not so fast," I said. "First, I want to hear it."
"Hear what?" my mother asked defensively.
"I want you to admit what you did."
Natalie rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, Eleanor, get over yourself. We took some money. Big deal. You make six figures."
I pressed the record button on my phone, hidden in my coat pocket.
"You forged invoices and committed wire fraud, Natalie," I stated clearly. "You admit that?"
"Yes, fine! I did it!" she snapped. "Because Dad was crying in the kitchen saying they were going to break his legs! You're so selfish you probably wouldn't have helped anyway!"
"So you stole twenty thousand from me. And you let me pay for the rest of a fake wedding."
"The wedding wasn't fake until you ruined it!" Natalie yelled.
My father shushed her. "Quiet! Eleanor, we admit it. We were desperate. Now give me the documents."
I slowly lifted my hand.
He snatched the folder and tore it open.
He stared at the papers. His face went completely white.
"What is this?" he whispered.
"Those are printouts of Natalie's smear campaign against me," I smiled.
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"Where are the bank records?" he panicked.
"They're with my lawyer," I said, standing up. "And the police."
