Rebecca whispered:
“Maybe.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t know.”
“You sat at the table.”
“I know.”
“You saw Amelia on the floor.”
“I know.”
“Five times.”
“I know!”
Rebecca’s voice broke.
Daniel waited.
She continued:
“I kept telling myself Mom had some discipline system I didn’t understand.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.”
Rebecca became quiet.
Then:
“Because it was easier.”
Daniel said nothing.
Rebecca continued:
“If I admitted it was cruel, I had to do something.”
“And doing something meant fighting Mom.”
“I’ve spent my whole life avoiding that.”
There it was.
Family systems rarely began with the newest victim.
Margaret had controlled Rebecca too.
Not in the same way.
But enough.
Rebecca said:
“When we were kids, Mom would stop speaking to me for days if I embarrassed her.”
“You remember.”
Daniel did.
He had always been the favored one.
Older.
More successful in school.
Their father’s apprentice.
Margaret directed most of her criticism toward Rebecca.
Her weight.
Clothes.
Grades.
Boyfriends.
Daniel sometimes defended her.
Often he did not.
Because he was sixteen.
Because he was scared too.
Because being the favored child still required obedience.
Rebecca whispered:
“I became very good at not seeing things.”
Daniel looked down.
“That doesn’t excuse what happened.”
“I know.”
“Amelia is six.”
“I know.”
“You laughed.”
Rebecca started crying.
“One time.”
“Mason told me.”
“I know.”
“Mom said she was a stray and I…”
Rebecca could barely speak.
“I laughed because I was uncomfortable.”
Daniel’s voice hardened.
“She didn’t know the difference.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry.”
Daniel remained silent.
Rebecca asked:
“Can I apologize to her?”
“Not now.”
“Daniel.”
“No.”
He softened slightly.
“You want to apologize because you feel guilty.”
“Yes.”
“She does not owe you a chance to reduce that guilt.”
Rebecca cried quietly.
“What do I do?”
“Change.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“Start by not helping Mom attack me.”
“I won’t.”
“Send me every message she sends about the children.”
“Okay.”
“And Rebecca?”
“Yes?”
“If she asks you to sign anything involving custody, property, the company, or my trust…”
“I call you.”
“No.”
“You call my lawyer.”
Rebecca paused.
“Why?”
“Because Noah recorded another conversation.”
He told her.
Rebecca went silent.
“I didn’t know she had accessed your legal files.”
“You discussed the trust.”
“I knew what she told me.”
“She said you were planning to leave the company only to Noah because Amelia had Laura’s insurance money.”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
Rebecca realized.
“Oh, God.”
“What insurance money?”