Chapter 2 - The Policy with My Name on It
I opened the attachment while Owen watched me.
His face drained of color.
The policy was in my name.
Claire Bennett, insured for two million dollars.
Primary beneficiary: Owen Bennett.
Secondary beneficiary: Marissa Cole.
My hands went numb.
I read it once.
Then twice.
Then I looked at my husband.
“Why is Marissa listed as a beneficiary?”
Owen stood abruptly. “That is not what it looks like.”
“That line should be engraved on your grave.”
“Claire—”
“No.” My voice rose for the first time. “Do not say my name like you still have the right.”
Marissa collapsed into the chair beside the bed.
“I didn’t know about that,” she whispered.
I turned to her.
“You transferred money from my account.”
“I thought it was to cover his debt.”
“You thought it was acceptable to steal from me?”
She began sobbing harder.
“I was scared.”
“So was I,” I said. “But I never betrayed you.”
Owen reached for the phone.
I stepped back.
“Don’t touch me.”
His hands fell to his sides.
For the first time in our marriage, I saw him without the polished surface. There was no confidence left. No charm. No carefully controlled smile.
Only a man who had spent years building lies and had finally run out of places to hide them.
“The insurance policy is old,” he said.
“It was updated last month.”
“I didn’t update it.”
“Then who did?”
He looked at Marissa.
She looked at him.
And suddenly I understood.
They both knew more than they were saying.
Before I could demand the truth, a hard knock echoed from downstairs.
Owen froze.
The knock came again.
Three slow strikes against the front door.
Marissa whispered, “Is that him?”
I stared at her.
“Him who?”
Owen crossed the room and locked the bedroom door.
That was when I stopped feeling betrayed.
I started feeling hunted.
The knocking continued.
Then a man’s voice came through the front door.
“Owen.”
It was calm.
Too calm.
“You have five minutes.”
Owen pressed both hands against his face.
Marissa began shaking.
I grabbed the phone and called 911.
Owen lunged toward me.
“No!”
I backed away.
“You are not stopping me from calling the police.”
“If you call them, we’re all dead.”
“That is not my problem.”
“It will be when they find out what he made me do.”
The words stopped me.
“What did he make you do?”
Owen stared at me.
His eyes filled with tears.
“I signed documents.”
“What documents?”
“I put the house up as collateral. I used your identity on loan applications. I moved money through accounts that weren’t supposed to exist.”
My stomach turned.
“You committed fraud.”
“I thought I could fix it.”
“With my money?”
“With the insurance policy.”
The room fell silent.
I felt ice spread through my veins.
“You planned to kill me?”
“No!” Owen shouted. “No, I never planned that.”
“But Raymond Voss did?”
Owen did not answer.
The front door downstairs cracked open.
A heavy voice carried through the hall.
“Owen, I’m done waiting.”
Marissa covered her mouth.
I looked at the two people who had betrayed me.
Then I looked at the window.
We were on the second floor.
The roof of the garage sat just beneath it.
May you like
I did not wait for either of them to stop me.
I climbed out.
