Chapter 9 - Susan’s Version of the Truth
That evening, the deputies allowed Susan and Heather to leave after taking their statements.
Chloe revoked their access codes to the property.
Susan stood outside with her suitcase and stared at the house.
“You can’t throw me out.”
“You have a home in Savannah.”
“Kyle said I could stay here whenever I wanted.”
“Kyle could not give you permission to abuse my father.”
Heather dragged her bag toward the car.
“This family will never forgive you.”
Chloe looked at Norman.
“My family is standing beside me.”
Susan’s eyes hardened.
“You think your father is innocent? Ask him why he signed without speaking to you.”
Norman flinched.
Chloe stepped forward.
“Leave.”
Susan entered the car, but before closing the door she said, “Kyle had proof you were in trouble. Your father believed him because the message came from you.”
After they drove away, Norman removed a folded printout from his coat.
It was the email Kyle had shown him.
The sender’s address looked like Chloe’s personal account.
The message referred to a childhood nickname only Chloe and Norman used.
Little Finch.
Dad, I made a terrible mistake. Kyle is trying to save me. Please sign whatever he asks. Don’t call anyone, because the investigators are monitoring my contacts.
Norman’s eyes filled with shame.
“I thought you were afraid.”
Chloe embraced him.
“You tried to protect me.”
“I should have known.”
“Kyle knew exactly what would make you stop questioning him.”
Marissa examined the email.
It had been sent from a nearly identical address.
One letter was different.
But the childhood nickname was more troubling.
Kyle should not have known it.
Chloe had not used it since her mother died.
Then she remembered a box of old letters stored in the upstairs office.
Kyle had asked to use that room for tax records.
Chloe rushed upstairs.
The box was open.
Letters from her college years had been removed and returned in the wrong order.
Kyle had read them.
He had searched through the most private parts of Chloe’s relationship with her father to create a believable cry for help.
Norman sat beside the box.
“I came because I thought I was choosing between the farm and you.”
“You should never have been forced to make that choice.”
His voice became quiet.
“After I signed, their behavior changed. Susan stopped pretending you were in danger. Heather laughed when I asked when you would call.”
“Why didn’t you leave immediately?”
Norman looked toward the stairs.
“Kyle said you would go to prison if I contacted anyone before the wire cleared.”
Chloe understood the trap now.
Kyle had not relied only on forged paper.
May you like
He had used a father’s love as collateral.
👉 The false email explained how Kyle controlled Norman, but it did not explain why Susan and Heather wanted to humiliate him before the wire cleared.
