PART 10
Then Eric suddenly spoke.
“Rachel, you don’t understand. Dad was desperate.”
I turned toward him.
“No. I understand perfectly.”
“You think he wanted to hurt you?”
“I think he chose himself.”
Everyone became quiet.
Then my father said something that changed everything.
Something I never expected.
“Rachel… I didn’t forge your signature.”
I looked at him.
“Then whose signature is it?”
His face changed.
Fear.
Real fear.
And slowly, he said:
“It was your brother.”
The room froze.
I turned toward Eric.
My brother.
The person who laughed when Mason humiliated me.
The person who called me selfish.
The person who acted like I was the problem.
His face went pale.
“Dad…”
My father closed his eyes.
“I told you not to do it.”
I looked at Eric.
“Do what?”
Nobody answered.
Then Eric finally whispered:
“I thought I was helping.”
The words that came next would reveal the biggest betrayal of my life.
Because Eric hadn’t just signed my name.
He had done it because he believed one thing:
That I would never say no to family.
And he was about to explain exactly why.
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
The room was so quiet I could hear the old clock above the fireplace ticking.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
It was the same clock I had given my parents for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.
I remembered carrying it into this house with both hands because it was heavier than I expected.
Dad had smiled and said, “You always think about everyone else, Rachel.”
I had believed him.
I thought he was complimenting me.
Now I realized something painful.
Sometimes people praise the thing they plan to take advantage of.
I looked at Eric.
My older brother.
The person who had spent my entire childhood acting like he was the protector of the family.
The person who told me I was too sensitive.
The person who laughed when his son humiliated me.
“You signed my name?” I asked.
My voice was calm.
Too calm.
Eric looked uncomfortable.
“Rachel, listen—”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“Answer the question.”
He looked down.
“Yes.”
The word hit harder than I expected.
Not because I didn’t already know.
Because hearing him admit it made it real.
“You forged my signature on a loan?”
“It wasn’t like that.”
I stared at him.
“How exactly is it not like that?”
He stood up.
“I didn’t steal anything from you.”
I almost couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“You used my identity.”
“I was trying to save Mom and Dad’s house.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“You were trying to save yourself.”
