Chapter 6 - Unmasking the Lie
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The silence in the entryway was suffocating.
Julian’s face went pale, the arrogant swagger he had displayed four hours earlier vanishing entirely. His jaw worked silently as he tried to process the reality of the scene before him.
“Thomas?” Eleanor breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.
My eyes snapped toward her. Thomas?
Eleanor had always referred to my father with cold, distant formality as "your father" whenever his name came up during family dinners. Yet the way she pronounced his name just now carried an undeniable ring of personal familiarity.
Dad offered Eleanor a polite, unreadable nod. “Eleanor.”
Julian recovered his footing first, stepping past his mother and hardening his tone. “What is going on here? Audrey, what is your father doing in our home?”
I stood up from the sofa, keeping my posture straight despite the aching pain in my ribs.
“I am leaving, Julian,” I said, ensuring every word was crystal clear. “My belongings are already in my father’s car. I am staying elsewhere while my attorney reviews our financial records.”
Eleanor put the pastry box down on the console table with a sharp click. “Attorney? Audrey, what on earth are you talking about? Julian said you were excited about moving into the colonial house!”
I looked directly at Eleanor. “Is that what he told you?”
“Yes!” Eleanor exclaimed, glancing nervously at her son. “He said you found the maintenance on this townhouse overwhelming and that you wanted a fresh start together as a family!”
“That is a lie,” I said quietly. “I told Julian repeatedly that I would never sell my home or sign over my deed. And last night, when I gave him my final answer, he did this to my face.”
Eleanor gasped, her hand flying to her chest as she stared at the purple bruises along my cheek and jaw.
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Julian’s face flushed bright red. “Don't listen to her, Mom! She’s being dramatic! She tripped in the bathroom last night after drinking too much wine!”
“I don't drink wine, Julian,” I replied coldly. “And the audio file saved on our cloud server captures every single hit.”
