“I thought if I stayed awake, he couldn’t do it again.”
For days, I had believed Tyler was having an irrational fear.
In reality, he had been trying to protect the adults in his life.
And every time he tried to show me, I had told him there was nothing to worry about.
The guilt was almost unbearable.
But there was no time to sit inside it.
Not yet.
I opened Mom’s bedroom door and turned on the lamp.
She startled awake.
“What happened?”
“Mom, I need to ask you something.”
She pushed herself slowly upright.
“At four in the morning?”
“Has Jason been bringing you documents?”
Her forehead creased.
“What documents?”
“Papers to sign.”
Something changed in her face.
Not recognition exactly.
Unease.
“I don’t know.”
“Please think.”
She closed her eyes.
“Maybe… some forms.”
“What forms?”
“I think something from the bank.”
My stomach dropped.
“Why would Jason bring you bank forms?”
Mom looked genuinely confused.
“He said he was helping me.”
That was the moment fear became certainty.
Something was wrong.
Part 5 — The Phone Call That Changed Everything
As soon as morning came, I called Denise.
She was our longtime family attorney and had handled my father’s estate years earlier.
I barely finished explaining before she interrupted me.
“Do not confront Jason.”
“But—”
“Not yet.”
