I could barely listen.
“Then why didn’t she?”
“Howard grabbed her phone.”
Denise’s voice shook.
“I tried to stop him.”
I stared at her.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
That surprised me.
“I don’t expect you to believe anything I say.”
She looked directly at me.
“I lied about you. I lied to child services. I pressured Vicky. I wanted control of the trust.”
My jaw tightened.
“Why?”
“Because Howard told me it was the only way to save our house.”
“So you were willing to steal from a seven-year-old.”
She nodded.
Tears filled her eyes.
“Yes.”
No excuse.
No dramatic justification.
Just yes.
“I was selfish. I was cruel. I told myself Vicky would be taken care of no matter what, so using some of her money wasn’t really hurting her.”
My stomach turned.
“Then I saw how scared she was of me.”
Her lips trembled.
“And instead of stopping, I blamed you.”
