Chapter 5 - What Camille BelievedCamille arrived at Allison’s townhouse shortly after nine that evening.
Allison almost didn’t let her inside.
They stood facing each other through the glass entry door for several seconds.
Camille looked smaller than she had at the hospital.
No makeup.
Hair pulled back.
Eyes swollen.
Allison unlocked the door.
“You have twenty minutes.”
Camille stepped inside.
The family photographs in the hallway seemed cruel now.
Two sisters at the beach.
Two sisters beside their father at Allison’s wedding.
Camille holding Allison’s train.
Derek smiling behind them.
Camille stopped beneath that photograph.
“I’m sorry.”
Allison walked past her.
“Sit.”
They took opposite chairs in the living room.
Camille clasped her hands.
“Derek told me Dad cheated me.”
Allison stared at her.
“He showed me spreadsheets after Dad died.”
“Spreadsheets Derek controlled.”
“I know that now.”
“You knew the fake invoices were fake.”
Camille lowered her eyes.
“Yes.”
“So don’t make yourself the victim.”
“I’m not.”
“You slept with my husband.”
“I know.”
“You helped move company money.”
“I know.”
“You almost notarized a forged document.”
Camille began crying again.
“I know.”
Allison hated the tears because they reminded her of the child Camille had been.
She hardened herself.
“Tell me everything.”
Camille inhaled.
“About eighteen months ago, my company was collapsing.”
Allison knew that part.
Camille’s commercial interior-design firm had lost two major clients.
“I owed vendors. Payroll. Taxes.”
“How much?”
“Almost two hundred forty thousand.”
Allison stared at her.
“You told me it was seventy.”
“I was ashamed.”
“So you lied to me.”
“Yes.”
“Then Derek appeared?”
“He called me.”
“Why?”
“He said he’d reviewed Dad’s old accounts and found proof you received extra distributions before Dad died.”
“That never happened.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Camille looked up.
“Owen showed me some of the statements tonight. Derek changed the descriptions.”
Allison’s jaw tightened.
Camille continued.
“He told me Dad gave you more because you were the responsible daughter. He said the sixty-forty split was only the part everyone could see.”
“And you believed him because you wanted to.”
Camille flinched.
“Yes.”
The admission surprised Allison.
“He said he could move money to my company as consulting payments. That it was basically correcting what Dad had done.”
“You knew our company hadn’t hired yours.”
“Yes.”
“Then you knew it was theft.”
Camille stared at the floor.
“I knew it wasn’t clean.”
“That’s a coward’s sentence.”
“I knew it was wrong.”
Silence.
Allison asked, “When did you start sleeping with him?”
Camille’s face tightened.
“Seven months after the first payment.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have a good answer.”
“Try.”
“He made me feel like someone was finally choosing me.”
Allison almost stood up.
Camille rushed on.
“I know how disgusting that sounds.”
“It sounds accurate.”
“He kept saying you didn’t respect him. That you treated him like an employee.”
“Did he tell you I paid off your student loans?”
Camille looked away.
“Did he tell you I begged Dad to give you forty percent instead of thirty?”
Camille’s head snapped up.
“What?”
Allison laughed bitterly.
“Of course he didn’t.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Dad originally planned seventy-thirty.”
Camille went white.
“No.”
“I argued with him for six months.”
“You never told me.”
“Because I didn’t want gratitude.”
Camille stared at her.
“I thought…”
“I know what you thought.”
Camille pressed both hands against her face.
Allison waited.
Finally Camille said, “Derek told me the sale of Wellington would fix everything.”
“How?”
“There’s a buyer offering twelve point four million.”
Allison frowned.
“Wellington was appraised at sixteen last year.”
“I know that now.”
The room went quiet.
“He wanted to sell my father’s best property four million below value?”
“He said the buyer could close quickly.”
“What buyer?”
“Stoneharbor Development.”
Allison knew the name.
A regional developer known for converting medical buildings into mixed-use luxury projects.
“Why would Derek want an undervalued sale?”
Camille hesitated.
“That part I didn’t understand.”
“You didn’t ask?”
“I did. He said speed mattered.”
Allison leaned forward.
“What else?”
Camille’s lips trembled.
“He said after the sale, Alder Row would receive a consulting fee.”
“How much?”
“I don’t know.”
“Guess.”
“Maybe two hundred fifty thousand.”
Allison stood.
Camille looked up.
“There’s something else.”
Allison closed her eyes.
“Of course there is.”
“Derek didn’t start talking about Wellington after my business failed.”
Allison waited.
May you like
Camille’s next words were barely audible.
“He was asking questions about selling it before Dad died.”
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