Chapter 8 - THE PERSON WHO HELPED WITHOUT KNOWING THE PLAN

The handwriting belonged to me.

I recognized it as soon as the investigator enlarged the page.

I felt physically sick.

On two evenings, Marlene called while I was driving home.

She gave me numbers and told me Natalie had forgotten to log them.

I wrote them down when I arrived.

I never checked the monitor.

My own handwriting now supported Marlene’s false record.

Her attorney used it immediately.

If Ethan believed the readings were normal, why should Margaret have suspected danger?

Because Margaret supplied the numbers.

But proving that became another layer.

My participation complicated everything.

So did my texts.

Thanks for taking over.

I don’t know how we’d manage without you.

Make sure Nat takes whatever she’s supposed to.

I had sent all of them.

Marlene’s defense was obvious.

She had been acting under my authority.

Natalie’s attorney told me not to spiral.

“Being negligent about checking does not mean you authorized medication substitution.”

“I helped create her access.”

“Yes.”

“I ignored Natalie.”

“Yes.”

She did not soften it.

That helped.

I made an irreversible decision.

I gave investigators full access to my phone, work schedule, financial records, and every message with Marlene.

Anything embarrassing could come out.

I did not care.

Natalie made her own decision.

She filed for a temporary separation.

That one hurt more.

“I’m not punishing you,” she said.

“I know.”

“I need to know whether you can become safe without me supervising your growth.”

“I understand.”

“I don’t think you do yet.”

Probably not.

She and Lily moved into a rental townhouse near Rebecca.

I paid half the expenses without asking to move in.

Marlene lost unsupervised contact with Lily.

Scott stopped speaking to her outside communications arranged through attorneys.

For the first time in decades, Marlene had no adult child managing the consequences around her.

Then investigators found a deleted calendar entry on her phone.

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Monday — call attorney after next episode.

It was scheduled for the morning after Natalie collapsed.