Chapter 7 - LINDA TELLS A DIFFERENT STORY
Linda came back alone.
Not to the mansion.
To Claire’s office.
Security stopped her in the lobby.
Claire almost refused the meeting.
Then agreed to ten minutes.
Linda sat across from her wearing clean donated clothes.
No makeup.
No Richard.
She looked older without him beside her.
“I know what you found.”
Claire said nothing.
“Mara Chen contacted me.”
“Then you know I know about the credit cards.”
Linda closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
“You used my identity.”
“Yes.”
Claire waited.
Linda started crying.
“I’m not going to tell you your father made me do everything.”
That surprised Claire.
“Why not?”
“Because that would be another lie.”
Linda wiped her face.
“He scared me. He controlled money. He made most decisions.”
Then she looked directly at Claire.
“But I signed two applications.”
Claire’s throat tightened.
“Why?”
“We needed gas. Motel rooms. Food.”
“So you stole from your thirteen-year-old daughter.”
“You were sixteen by then.”
Claire laughed bitterly.
“Thank you for the correction.”
Linda nodded through tears.
“I deserve that.”
Then she told Claire something Richard had never admitted.
Six months after the abandonment, Linda tried to go back.
She found the foster agency number.
She called.
Richard discovered it.
He destroyed the phone.
Threatened to leave her with nothing.
Linda stayed.
A year later, she tried again.
By then Claire had moved placements.
Linda stopped.
Claire stared.
“You stopped?”
“Yes.”
“Fifteen years.”
Linda bowed her head.
“Yes.”
The answer was not dramatic enough to hate cleanly.
That made it worse.
May you like
Fear explained Linda.
It did not excuse her.
