Chapter 6 - THE DAUGHTER WHO CHOSE HER FATHER
Paige arrived at the rehabilitation center wearing hospital scrubs and carrying Ruth’s blue knitted blanket.
She was completing respiratory-therapy clinicals and looked exhausted before Claire said a word.
“You changed the locks,” Paige said.
“Your father assaulted Evelyn.”
“He said she fell and panicked.”
“He held her under cold water beside a will.”
Paige’s eyes moved toward Evelyn’s bruised shoulder, then away.
“My dad has spent two years handling everything for both of them. You work late and show up after the crisis is already managed.”
Claire felt the accusation because part of it was true.
Evelyn asked Paige to sit.
“Did Mark tell you I was paying your grandmother’s bill?”
“He said you offered.”
“Did he tell you how much?”
Paige shook her head.
Claire showed her the transfer history.
Paige read the first page, then pushed it back.
“This doesn’t prove he stole it. There were supplies, transportation, private aides.”
“The facility says there were no private aides.”
Paige looked at Claire.
“I saw you approve payments on his laptop. More than once.”
Claire explained the shared login and the alerts she had approved without reading.
“That’s convenient,” Paige said.
Evelyn flinched.
“Paige.”
“No. Everyone wants Dad to be the monster because he’s the one who had to fix things. His business was dying. Grandma Ruth was getting worse. Claire wouldn’t even visit her.”
“I should have paid more attention,” Claire said. “That doesn’t make theft or abuse acceptable.”
Paige stood.
“I’m not helping you destroy him.”
She left the blue blanket on the chair and walked out.
That afternoon, Ruth’s facility sent Claire an itemized statement. The legitimate monthly charge had never exceeded $4,780.
Harbor Care had withdrawn as much as $8,100.
Claire emailed the statement to Paige without commentary.
The message remained unread until after midnight.
At 12:37 a.m., Paige called.
Her voice had lost its certainty.
“I found a receipt in Dad’s desk,” she said. “It’s for the storage unit.”
“What’s inside?”
“I don’t know. But the rent was paid from Grandma Evelyn’s account, and Dad told me that unit belonged to a customer.”
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Claire heard Paige take a shaky breath.
“He lied to me too.”
