{"id":955,"date":"2026-10-04T12:06:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T12:06:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/?p=955"},"modified":"2026-10-04T12:06:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T12:06:23","slug":"part-8-the-roofing-contractors-message-gave-me-proof-of-deliberate-damage-but-geralds-next-move-threatened-to-drag-daniel-into-the-fraud-with-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/?p=955","title":{"rendered":"PART 8 \u2013 The Roofing Contractor\u2019s Message Gave Me Proof of Deliberate Damage, but Gerald\u2019s Next Move Threatened to Drag Daniel Into the Fraud With Him"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I read the message three times.<\/p>\n<p>Each time, the meaning became worse.<\/p>\n<p>NORTHWEST CREST: Morning, Gerald. Need confirmation on access. We still have to finish the test damage on rear slope before carrier reinspection. Call me ASAP.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel was holding his father\u2019s phone as though it had become contaminated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does \u2018test damage\u2019 mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald reached for it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGive me my phone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stepped back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnswer me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s contractor terminology.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor cutting shingles?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t know what they did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen explain it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald glanced toward me.<\/p>\n<p>That was when I understood his next strategy.<\/p>\n<p>He had lost control of Olivia.<\/p>\n<p>The CPS story was unraveling.<\/p>\n<p>So now he needed to contain the insurance problem.<\/p>\n<p>And the easiest person to absorb blame was the son whose signature already appeared on the claim.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald\u2019s voice softened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel, you signed the authorization.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s face went still.<\/p>\n<p>I felt the trap before he did.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou spoke to the adjuster.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou confirmed access.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause you told me Rachel knew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI never said that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stared at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou absolutely did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. I said Rachel wouldn\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s mouth opened.<\/p>\n<p>Nothing came out.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald shrugged.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re an adult. You signed it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There it was.<\/p>\n<p>The same man who had trained his son not to question him was now using Daniel\u2019s obedience as evidence that Daniel had acted independently.<\/p>\n<p>I stepped closer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t say another word about the claim.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy? Afraid your husband is involved?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m telling Daniel not to discuss anything further until we understand what was filed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou think a lawyer is going to make his signature disappear?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>The panic in his face was immediate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCould I be charged?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was the only honest answer.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald smiled faintly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course you could.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marlene stood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGerald.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He turned on her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStop what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cScaring him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe should be scared. He signed the form.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stared at his mother.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked away.<\/p>\n<p>His face collapsed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew there was a claim.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you know Dad changed the ownership box?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t see him do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat isn\u2019t what I asked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She began crying again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel sat down.<\/p>\n<p>Emma moved instinctively toward him.<\/p>\n<p>Then stopped.<\/p>\n<p>That hesitation devastated him more than any accusation.<\/p>\n<p>He looked at his daughter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m okay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She nodded but stayed where she was.<\/p>\n<p>I took Gerald\u2019s phone from Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m photographing this message.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grabbed for it.<\/p>\n<p>I stepped back.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stood between us.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald shoved his son\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n<p>Not hard enough to knock him down.<\/p>\n<p>Hard enough to change the room.<\/p>\n<p>Emma gasped.<\/p>\n<p>Olivia backed into the wall.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel froze.<\/p>\n<p>His father had never struck him in front of me.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe never at all as an adult.<\/p>\n<p>But something about that shove stripped away the last polite fiction that Gerald was merely forceful.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t touch me again,\u201d Daniel said.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald scoffed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re being dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t touch me again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His voice was different now.<\/p>\n<p>Low.<\/p>\n<p>Certain.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald looked at him for a long second.<\/p>\n<p>Then stepped away.<\/p>\n<p>I photographed the roofing message with my phone, including the contact information, timestamp, and surrounding thread.<\/p>\n<p>The previous texts were even worse.<\/p>\n<p>There were references to \u201ccreating representative marks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOpening suspect tabs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaking carrier see what it needs to see.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One message from Gerald said: Need enough visible evidence to support full replacement.<\/p>\n<p>My skin crawled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much of my roof did they damage?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald folded his arms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not answering questions without counsel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Finally.<\/p>\n<p>A sensible sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Too late, but sensible.<\/p>\n<p>I forwarded the photos to myself and Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>Then I opened the insurance portal again.<\/p>\n<p>The claim showed a reinspection scheduled for Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>One day after the CPS home visit that had just been suspended.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald had built his week around two separate approvals.<\/p>\n<p>Monday: convince Child and Family Services that he controlled a stable residence suitable for Olivia.<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday: convince the insurer that my roof had sustained enough storm damage to justify replacement.<\/p>\n<p>Both depended on lies involving my house.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happens if the claim is paid?\u201d Daniel asked.<\/p>\n<p>I scrolled through the documents.<\/p>\n<p>The payment instructions had not yet been finalized.<\/p>\n<p>Normally, because I was the policyholder and owner, any settlement should come to me or to a mortgage holder if one existed.<\/p>\n<p>But my mortgage was already discharged.<\/p>\n<p>I looked at the claim contact information.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel Hart was listed as primary recipient for communications.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald was alternate.<\/p>\n<p>My own email had been entered incorrectly.<\/p>\n<p>Not by accident.<\/p>\n<p>One letter was missing from my last name.<\/p>\n<p>The mailing preference had been changed to paperless.<\/p>\n<p>The phone number belonged to Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>I turned the screen toward him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you change the policy contact?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you give Dad your login?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t even know your login.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald looked toward the window.<\/p>\n<p>I felt my pulse hammer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow did you access my insurance account?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No answer.<\/p>\n<p>I thought back.<\/p>\n<p>Passwords.<\/p>\n<p>Paperwork.<\/p>\n<p>The locked filing cabinet.<\/p>\n<p>Then I remembered.<\/p>\n<p>Three weeks earlier, Marlene had asked to borrow my laptop because hers was updating.<\/p>\n<p>I had been making dinner.<\/p>\n<p>I handed it over without thinking.<\/p>\n<p>My browser stored passwords.<\/p>\n<p>She had sat at this very table.<\/p>\n<p>I turned toward her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou used my computer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her face betrayed her.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald snapped, \u201cDon\u2019t answer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That was answer enough.<\/p>\n<p>I stared at Marlene.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou opened my insurance account from my laptop?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She began crying.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t know everything he was going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you log in?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe asked me to find the policy number.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo yes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought he was trying to help.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe roof.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was nothing wrong with the roof.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She covered her face.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know that now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald turned on her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew what we were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou went along with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought the contractor found damage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou were standing outside when they were up there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She shook her head frantically.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t know they were causing it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia whispered, \u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Everyone looked at her.<\/p>\n<p>Her face was white.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>She rubbed both hands along her sleeves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI saw them from the backyard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe day the man came with the ladder.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I remembered the security footage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you see?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne guy was lifting shingles with something metal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald interrupted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey inspect under shingles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Olivia ignored him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe asked Grandpa if it was enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My stomach clenched.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did Grandpa say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said, \u2018Make it look like the pictures.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald swore.<\/p>\n<p>Marlene began sobbing.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stared at his father.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou had men damage Rachel\u2019s roof.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt needed replacement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was four years old.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe installation was cheap.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI chose the contractor,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father\u2019s contractor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That shut him up.<\/p>\n<p>My father had been almost obsessively careful about home repairs.<\/p>\n<p>After he died, I kept using the same local company he trusted.<\/p>\n<p>The roof had been professionally installed.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald knew it.<\/p>\n<p>He also knew insulting the work meant insulting a dead man who could no longer contradict him.<\/p>\n<p>I took another breath.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis stops now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald rolled his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe claim.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can\u2019t just cancel it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am the policyholder.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel signed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel does not own the property.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe resides here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd the insurer will be very interested to learn how his signature was altered after he signed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel looked terrified.<\/p>\n<p>I touched his arm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re documenting the sequence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald barked out a laugh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cListen to her. \u2018Documenting.\u2019 She thinks she can organize her way out of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I turned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. I think documentation prevents people like you from rewriting history afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He stared.<\/p>\n<p>That hit.<\/p>\n<p>Because rewriting history was what Gerald did best.<\/p>\n<p>He was already preparing the version where Daniel knowingly filed the claim.<\/p>\n<p>The version where Olivia misunderstood.<\/p>\n<p>The version where Emma stormed outside.<\/p>\n<p>The version where Marlene innocently logged into my account.<\/p>\n<p>If I allowed even six hours to pass without preserving evidence, the story would shift again.<\/p>\n<p>I opened my email and began forwarding screenshots.<\/p>\n<p>The CPS letter.<\/p>\n<p>The claim documents.<\/p>\n<p>The altered ownership authorization.<\/p>\n<p>The roofing text thread.<\/p>\n<p>Photographs of Emma\u2019s packed bags.<\/p>\n<p>The incident number from the police.<\/p>\n<p>Everything went into a new folder.<\/p>\n<p>I named it HART DOCUMENTATION.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald watched.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re really going to report your husband?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel flinched.<\/p>\n<p>I looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald smiled.<\/p>\n<p>I continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m going to report the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His smile disappeared.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s voice was quiet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf the truth includes me signing something stupid, include it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I turned toward him.<\/p>\n<p>He looked exhausted.<\/p>\n<p>But there was something new in his posture.<\/p>\n<p>No hiding.<\/p>\n<p>No request that I soften reality for him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI signed without reading,\u201d he said. \u201cI gave Dad access. I told the adjuster I lived here. If I have consequences for that, I\u2019ll deal with them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald\u2019s expression hardened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have no idea what you\u2019re saying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m saying I\u2019m done letting you decide what version of me survives your mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marlene cried harder.<\/p>\n<p>Emma stood beside the stairs listening.<\/p>\n<p>I saw something in her face ease.<\/p>\n<p>Not forgiveness.<\/p>\n<p>Not yet.<\/p>\n<p>But recognition.<\/p>\n<p>Her father was finally standing somewhere.<\/p>\n<p>I checked the time.<\/p>\n<p>8:36 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>The insurance company\u2019s fraud hotline opened at eight.<\/p>\n<p>I picked up my phone.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald saw the number on the portal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCalling the insurer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His composure cracked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRachel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I pressed call.<\/p>\n<p>He moved toward me.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel blocked him again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald stopped.<\/p>\n<p>The automated system asked for the policy number.<\/p>\n<p>I entered it.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald spoke quickly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou make this call, they could deny the whole claim.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is the idea.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey could cancel your policy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf they do, I\u2019ll deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey could investigate Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen they investigate me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald looked between us.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re both insane.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The automated voice offered an option for suspected fraud.<\/p>\n<p>I pressed the number.<\/p>\n<p>Marlene sank onto the sofa.<\/p>\n<p>Olivia reached for Emma\u2019s hand again.<\/p>\n<p>After a brief hold, a representative answered.<\/p>\n<p>I gave my name.<\/p>\n<p>Policy number.<\/p>\n<p>Property address.<\/p>\n<p>Then I said the sentence Gerald had been desperate to prevent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am the sole owner and policyholder, and I believe a storm-damage claim was initiated through unauthorized access to my account using deliberately created roof damage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The representative became very quiet.<\/p>\n<p>She transferred me to a special investigations intake specialist.<\/p>\n<p>I repeated everything.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel\u2019s signature.<\/p>\n<p>The altered ownership designation.<\/p>\n<p>The contractor texts.<\/p>\n<p>The suspicious photographs.<\/p>\n<p>The incorrect email address.<\/p>\n<p>The unauthorized account changes.<\/p>\n<p>The specialist asked whether I could preserve the evidence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Whether I consented to the scheduled reinspection.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Whether any contractor currently had permission to enter the property.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He placed a fraud hold on the claim.<\/p>\n<p>Then he said something that made Gerald sit down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMs. Moore, because the file contains a signed ownership representation and a contractor agreement, our special investigations unit may refer portions of this matter to law enforcement depending on what the evidence shows.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>He nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The specialist asked to speak with him.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel took the phone.<\/p>\n<p>He gave his full name.<\/p>\n<p>Confirmed he had signed an electronic form.<\/p>\n<p>Confirmed he had not checked the owner box.<\/p>\n<p>Confirmed Gerald had presented the document as permission for inspection access.<\/p>\n<p>Then he said, \u201cI should have read it before signing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald closed his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI take responsibility for that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Something inside me shifted.<\/p>\n<p>This was the version of responsibility Gerald had never taught him.<\/p>\n<p>Not shame.<\/p>\n<p>Not surrender.<\/p>\n<p>Accountability.<\/p>\n<p>When Daniel finished, he handed me the phone.<\/p>\n<p>The specialist gave me a case number and asked that nobody disturb the roof until an investigator could inspect it.<\/p>\n<p>I wrote everything down.<\/p>\n<p>When the call ended, the kitchen was silent.<\/p>\n<p>Then Gerald said, \u201cYou just destroyed this family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He pointed at the girls.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCPS. Insurance. Police. Eviction. You\u2019re burning everything down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stared at the man who had damaged my property and thrown my daughter into the rain to support a lie.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou keep confusing exposure with destruction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His face went rigid.<\/p>\n<p>I gathered the papers from the table.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom this point forward, you do not access my office, computer, insurance documents, mail, financial records, or Emma\u2019s room.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd if I do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI call the police again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou think they care about paperwork?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think they will care about documented fraud.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marlene whispered, \u201cGerald, please stop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He turned on her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou caused this by talking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her face changed.<\/p>\n<p>For the first time, she looked angry instead of frightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She stood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou caused this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald stared.<\/p>\n<p>She wiped her face.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said we only needed somewhere to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMarlene.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said the condo would sell before anyone noticed the payments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said the roof money would buy time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMarlene.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said Olivia\u2019s guardianship payment would make the loan work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His face went white.<\/p>\n<p>She kept going.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you said once the bridge loan cleared, we could put everything back before Rachel ever knew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The room froze.<\/p>\n<p>I felt every hair on my arms rise.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPut what back?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marlene realized what she had said.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald moved toward her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEnough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stepped between them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you take?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Neither answered.<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>He looked as frightened as I felt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMarlene.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She began shaking.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did Gerald intend to put back?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her eyes filled.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, she whispered, \u201cThe money from the account.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat account?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>Then at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe college account Rachel\u2019s father left for Emma.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Emma made a small sound behind us.<\/p>\n<p>I turned.<\/p>\n<p>Her face had gone completely blank.<\/p>\n<p>The roof claim had been forty-three thousand dollars.<\/p>\n<p>The guardianship fraud had been about income.<\/p>\n<p>But now Marlene had just revealed something worse.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald had not only tried to use my house.<\/p>\n<p>He had apparently already taken money that belonged to my daughter.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/?p=956\">Click here to continue reading: PART 9: When I Opened Emma\u2019s College Account, the Missing Balance Showed Me Gerald Had Crossed a Line No Family Apology Could Repair<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I read the message three times. Each time, the meaning became worse. NORTHWEST CREST: Morning, Gerald. Need confirmation on access. We still have to finish the test damage on rear &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":947,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama-sory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=955"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":985,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955\/revisions\/985"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastestdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}