Chapter 5 - The Power of Attorney
Chloe examined the limited power of attorney.
It gave Kyle authority to sell her home, borrow against it, access her business accounts, and make medical decisions on her behalf.
The document claimed Chloe had signed it two weeks earlier.
The witness signature belonged to Susan.
The notarization belonged to Heather.
Chloe looked up.
“You’re a notary?”
Heather folded her arms.
“I completed the certification.”
“You certified that I signed this in front of you.”
“Kyle brought it to me.”
“That is not what a notary does.”
“He said you were busy.”
Chloe almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because Heather had just confessed on camera to notarizing a signature she never witnessed.
Susan attempted to take control.
“Kyle was trying to protect you from yourself.”
Norman stared at her.
“From herself?”
Susan ignored him.
“Chloe, you make impulsive decisions. You travel constantly. You leave my son carrying the emotional burden of your marriage.”
“So he forged legal documents?”
“You forced him to.”
The accusation landed with practiced certainty.
Chloe realized Susan had probably used that logic for Kyle’s entire life.
Every consequence was someone else’s fault.
Every theft was compensation.
Every betrayal was survival.
“What did you expect to happen when I came home?” Chloe asked.
Susan’s expression remained cold.
“You weren’t supposed to come home today.”
Norman looked at Chloe.
The sentence confirmed everything.
Chloe had told Kyle her return flight was scheduled for the following evening.
She changed it after the Denver negotiations ended early.
No one knew.
Not even her assistant.
Susan continued speaking before she realized what she had admitted.
“Kyle needed time to finish the transaction.”
“And after that?”
“He planned to explain.”
“Explain that he sold my house?”
“He planned to tell you that the marriage was over.”
Heather looked sharply at Susan.
“Susan.”
But it was too late.
Chloe felt the betrayal differently now.
Not like a sudden wound.
Like a door quietly closing inside her.
Kyle was not making a reckless financial decision.
He was stealing everything he could before leaving.
Her house.
Her business money.
Her father’s savings.
Perhaps more.
Chloe turned to Norman.
“Did Kyle ask you to sign anything?”
Norman’s face changed.
He reached into his back pocket and removed another folded paper.
“He said it was for the lawyer.”
Chloe opened it.
It was not a legal-fee authorization.
It was a statement claiming Norman had personally witnessed Chloe abusing prescription medication and behaving irrationally.
May you like
His signature appeared at the bottom.
👉 Kyle had tricked Norman into signing a statement that could be used to declare Chloe mentally incompetent.
