Chapter 7 - Denise Lawson
Denise Lawson was Gary’s legal wife.
Brooke’s mother stared at the marriage certificate.
“That’s impossible.”
It wasn’t.
Gary had married Denise fourteen years earlier.
No divorce had ever been finalized.
That meant his marriage to Brooke’s mother was legally invalid.
Gary immediately said:
“We were separated.”
Nathan replied:
“Separated isn’t divorced.”
Brooke’s mother looked like someone had physically struck her.
“You told me she died.”
Gary said nothing.
Brooke stared.
Another lie.
Denise lived in Cincinnati.
She had two teenage children.
Both Gary’s.
Trust money had been sent toward rent on her house.
Car payments.
Private-school tuition.
Credit-card bills.
Brooke’s mother looked at the numbers.
“You used Brooke and Ethan’s money for her?”
Gary snapped:
“They’re my kids too.”
“No.”
The word came from Ethan.
Everyone looked at him.
The nine-year-old stood behind Brooke.
“You always say I’m not yours when you’re mad.”
Gary’s face hardened.
Brooke put a hand on Ethan’s shoulder.
Gary had demanded parental authority when convenient.
But rejected responsibility whenever Ethan needed care.
Now the hypocrisy stood naked.
Ms. Harper continued.
“At least $61,000 appears connected to Denise’s household.”
Brooke’s mother started laughing.
It sounded almost like crying.
“All this time…”
Gary stepped toward her.
“Don’t.”
She looked up.
“You made me steal from my children to pay for yours.”
Gary grabbed her wrist.
Nathan moved instantly.
“Let go.”
Gary released her.
Brooke noticed something.
Her mother looked at the red mark on her wrist.
Then at Ethan.
Perhaps for the first time, she felt a piece of what her children had lived with.
Gary’s control no longer benefited her.
Now she was inside it.
But Brooke refused to let that erase history.
“You still signed.”
Her mother nodded.
“I know.”
“You still lied.”
“I know.”
“You still watched.”
Her voice broke.
“I know.”
That was the beginning of accountability.
Not forgiveness.
Accountability.
Then Denise herself called.
Ms. Harper had contacted her attorney earlier regarding the payments.
Denise sounded furious.
“I didn’t know where the money came from.”
Gary laughed.
“Sure.”
Denise ignored him.
She told Brooke’s mother something worse.
Gary had promised Denise that after Brooke turned eighteen, “the trust situation” would make everyone comfortable.
Denise thought Gary was receiving a legitimate management fee.
Then she said:
“He told me Brooke was mentally unstable.”
Brooke closed her eyes.
Gary had been building the story everywhere.
Family.
Doctors.
Business associates.
Even his other wife.
If enough people repeated it, a judge might believe it.
Then Denise added:
“He also said your son Ethan was violent.”
Brooke snapped her head up.
“What?”
“He said Ethan breaks things and attacks adults.”
The green paint.
The broken glass.
The chair Gary smashed.
Brooke suddenly understood.
Gary wasn’t only frightening Ethan.
He was creating incidents.
Mess.
Damage.
Then blaming Ethan.
If Brooke was unstable and Ethan was violent, Gary could portray himself as the responsible adult holding a chaotic family together.
Ms. Harper looked at Brooke.
“Do you have cameras in the house?”
Brooke shook her head.
Ethan whispered:
“Gary does.”
Everyone turned.
“Where?”
Ethan pointed toward a smoke detector above the kitchen doorway.
Gary lunged.
Nathan blocked him.
Brooke looked up.
May you like
A tiny lens glinted behind the plastic.
Gary had been recording them.
