Chapter 2 - The Caregiver Who Never Came
By morning, Sabrina had slept less than two hours.
Maria’s examination showed bruising consistent with firm gripping and repeated pressure, but no fracture. Her rheumatoid arthritis had also worsened because she had missed medication doses.
“Why did you miss them?” Sabrina asked.
Maria hesitated.
“Vivian said the pills made me lazy.”
Sabrina’s jaw tightened.
“She took them away?”
“No. She put them in the upstairs cabinet.”
Maria could not easily climb stairs.
Same result without the theatrical wording.
Sabrina documented everything and let the doctor determine what should be reported or followed medically.
Then Elaine arrived with preliminary financial records.
Denise Carter existed.
Forty-eight.
Licensed home-care aide until two years earlier.
Her weekly payments originated from Sabrina and Ryan’s household operating account.
But Denise had not been assigned to Maria.
The invoices listed Vivian Mercer as client.
Sabrina stared.
“Vivian has no condition requiring full-time care.”
Elaine turned another page.
“The payments are not going to a care agency anymore. The first six months did. Then they started going directly to Denise.”
“Why?”
“We don’t know.”
Ryan called.
Thirty-one missed calls overnight.
Sabrina finally answered.
“You took my children.”
“They are with their mother.”
“You shut off the streaming services, car subscription, club account—”
“All paid solely through my business account.”
“You can’t punish me financially because you’re angry.”
“I’m not discussing divorce strategy with you.”
His tone softened immediately.
“Sabrina, come home.”
“No.”
“Mom was stressed.”
“My mother has bruises.”
“She grabbed Maria once.”
There.
Sabrina closed her eyes.
“So you did see it.”
Ryan stopped.
She had given him chance to deny.
He didn't.
“It wasn’t what it looked like.”
“It looked like your mother hurting mine.”
“Maria dropped one of my expensive shirts and Mom overreacted.”
“And you did what?”
“I told her to stop.”
Emma had said Ryan watched.
Maybe he spoke later.
Still not enough.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“You were traveling. I didn't want drama.”
“My mother was being hurt in my house.”
“It happened once.”
Maria had multiple bruises.
Sabrina said:
“Who is Denise?”
Silence.
A different silence.
“What?”
“Denise Carter.”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
“Why would I lie?”
“Because she’s been receiving thousands from our household account.”
Ryan’s breathing changed.
“Sabrina, listen—”
She ended the call.
No more free information.
Elaine contacted Denise through counsel rather than confronting.
Before noon, Denise called back herself.
“I’ve been expecting you.”
Sabrina gripped phone.
“Who are you?”
“I was hired to care for Vivian after her hip surgery.”
“Fourteen months ago?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you still being paid?”
Denise paused.
“Because I stopped being her caregiver.”
“What did you become?”
“I handled errands.”
“What errands?”
Another pause.
“Mrs. Mercer asked me to withdraw cash, purchase prepaid cards, and deliver envelopes.”
“To whom?”
“I don’t know all the names.”
“Who told you to use my household account?”
“Mr. Ryan Mercer.”
Sabrina's blood went cold.
Then Denise added:
“And before you blame me for everything, you should know why I kept copies.”
“Why?”
“Because six months ago Vivian told me that if anything ever happened, she would say you hired me.”
Sabrina stared.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“She said all the money came from your business anyway, so nobody would question it.”
Then:
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“Your mother wasn’t supposed to still be staying there when you came home.”
Sabrina went still.
“Explain that.”
“Vivian said Maria would be gone by Friday.”
“Gone where?”
Denise whispered:
“A care facility.”
Sabrina looked at her mother across the room.
Maria was reading to the twins, completely unaware that someone may have been planning to move her.
“Which facility?”
“I don’t know.”
May you like
“But Ryan did.”
Cliffhanger: Before Sabrina returned early, Ryan and Vivian may already have been arranging to remove Maria from the house without Sabrina’s knowledge.
