Chapter 4 - She Had Asked How Much My Death Would Pay
Melissa and Rachel hadn’t spoken properly in three months.
That was why Melissa had been so quiet at the party.
She was there because their mother had insisted.
Not because she approved of Brad.
Melissa looked at me.
“About six months ago, Rachel asked me whether military families get paid if someone dies overseas.”
Rachel exploded.
“That is not what happened.”
Melissa ignored her.
“She asked about life insurance. Survivor benefits. Housing. Everything.”
I felt my skin go cold.
I had a Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance policy.
Rachel knew that.
She was the primary beneficiary.
But asking questions about benefits did not prove she expected me to die.
Military spouses discussed these things.
Especially during deployments.
Still, combined with everything else, it mattered.
“What exactly did you ask?” I said.
Rachel rubbed her forehead.
“I was planning financially.”
“For my death?”
“For every possibility.”
Melissa shook her head.
“No. She wanted numbers.”
“Because I needed to know what Lily would have.”
“Then why tell Lily he was already dead?”
Rachel had no answer.
Brad backed away from the kitchen island.
He looked increasingly uncomfortable.
Good.
Then I noticed an envelope beside Rachel’s purse.
My bank’s logo.
I opened it.
She tried to stop me.
“Daniel.”
My name was on the account too.
The statement showed multiple transfers from our joint savings.
$8,000.
$12,500.
$19,000.
Total over six months: $86,000.
Destination:
Carter Residential Holdings LLC.
Never heard of it.
“What's this?”
Rachel’s eyes shifted toward Brad.
He immediately shook his head.
“Don’t look at me. I don’t know anything about that.”
But he did recognize the company name.
I could see it.
“What is Carter Residential Holdings?”
Brad answered before Rachel could stop him.
“The townhouse.”
“What townhouse?”
Silence.
Then Melissa whispered:
“Oh, Rachel.”
I looked at my wife.
She had used our savings to purchase another property.
A house for the life she expected to have after me.
But the ownership structure contained a surprise.
The LLC wasn’t registered solely to Rachel.
A second member appeared in the filing.
May you like
Lily Carter.
My five-year-old daughter.
