Chapter 13 - THE MIRROR HE BUILT
The forged policy on Julian was clever in the ugliest possible way.
Not clever enough.
Hospital records showed I was sedated when the electronic application was submitted.
A verification code had been sent to an old email account Julian controlled.
The insurance broker remembered speaking to a man who said his wife was "too exhausted to get on the phone."
Still, Julian's criminal attorney used the policy in pretrial motions.
He suggested my father had steered the investigation because of his military connections.
A reporter waited outside rehab.
"Mrs. Mercer, did your father pressure police to arrest your husband?"
Dad stood three feet behind me.
"My father did not cut my brake line. My father did not forge my signature. My father did not try to remove me from a hospital bed with two broken legs. If anyone has questions about the investigation, ask the investigators."
Dad caught up in the lobby.
"That was concise."
"I used to present audit findings to executives who hated me."
"I forgot."
"So did I."
I had not been "just staying home."
The criminal case moved fast because Eric Baines agreed to cooperate.
He admitted Julian paid him ten thousand dollars in cash.
The garage recording destroyed that excuse.
"If she hits traffic before it drains, that's on you."
The prosecutor offered Eric a reduced charge in exchange for truthful testimony.
Dana accepted a plea on fraud-related offenses and agreed to testify about the financial planning and Julian's statements.
Dr. Mallory's medical license was suspended while his case proceeded.
Julian refused every plea offer.
Then, two weeks before trial, something unexpected happened.
Evelyn advised against it.
Dad said nothing until I asked.
"What would you do?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Dad."
"I'd ask what outcome you want."
The state had evidence.
I wanted to understand whether Julian could say one true thing about Chloe.
Then he said, "You look better."
"Why did you ask to see me?"
His eyes moved to Evelyn, then back to me.
"Tell them to stop using Chloe against me."
Not "How is she?"
Not "Does she sleep?"
Not "Tell her I'm sorry."
Using Chloe against me.
"No one is using her," I said. "They're protecting her from secrets you taught her to keep."
"Your father turned you against me."
"My broken brake line did most of the work."
"You think you're innocent? You let your father run our marriage from the minute he came back."
"He came back after you tried to pull me out of a hospital bed."
"Because the bills were destroying us!"
Julian realized what he had said.
"You still think that was the problem," I whispered.
"Goodbye, Julian."
"Audrey!"
I did not turn around.
Behind me, he shouted one last thing.
May you like
"Ask your father where he was the week before your crash!"
This time, I stopped.
