Her Dead Sister Was Watching From Across the Street
CHAPTER 3 - The Bride Who Wore a Dead Woman's Ring
Richard Whitmore's engagement celebration was held at the family's largest hotel.
His future bride, Celeste, wore Emma's wedding ring.
Margaret had given it to her after declaring Emma legally dead.
Ava entered the ballroom first. She was twenty-five, frightened and furious, but she kept her expression calm.
Margaret approached her.
"Where is your sister?"
"So you admit she is alive?"
Margaret's smile vanished.
"I admit nothing. Emma is unstable. If she has returned, she intends to manipulate Richard."
Ava activated the recorder on her phone.
"You forged my letters."
"I protected this family from a woman who never belonged in it."
Before Ava could answer, the ballroom doors opened.
Emma entered holding Noah's hand.
Richard dropped his champagne glass.
For seven years, he had believed his wife and son were dead. He crossed the room slowly, as though one sudden movement might make them disappear again.
"Emma?"
Noah hid behind his mother.
Richard looked at the boy.
"Noah?"
Celeste grabbed Richard's arm.
"This is a trick. Margaret warned us someone might impersonate her."
Emma noticed her wedding ring on Celeste's hand.
"You helped her."
Celeste turned pale.
Rose stepped forward with the documents. The records showed that Celeste transferred company money into false accounts and placed Emma's signature on the withdrawals.
Margaret had promised Celeste that she could marry Richard once Emma was gone.
Richard confronted his mother.
"You told me their bodies were never recovered."
Margaret raised her chin.
"I saved you from a criminal."
"You stopped the police search after three days."
"Because continuing would have embarrassed the company."
Noah suddenly removed the matching earring from his pocket.
"My mom kept this because she said someone still loved her."
Richard began crying.
He knelt several feet away, careful not to frighten his son.
"I never stopped loving either of you."
Emma remained still.
"You also never questioned your mother."
Richard lowered his head.
She was right.
Police entered the ballroom accompanied by investigators from the financial crimes unit. Rose had already turned over copies of the evidence.
Celeste tried to leave through a side door, but two officers stopped her.
Margaret pointed at Emma.
"She will destroy this family!"
Ava moved beside her sister.
"No. She survived what you did to her."
Richard removed Emma's wedding ring from Celeste's hand and placed it on the table.
He did not offer it to Emma.
He understood that he had no right.
Then Rose produced one final recording.
It captured Margaret ordering someone to disable Emma's brakes.
For the first time, Richard understood that his mother had not merely separated his family - she had tried to kill them.
