In the days that followed, I became obsessed, like someone possessed, digging into the relationship between Clarice, Tim, and Esther. I hired countless private investigators, working day and night without rest, until I finally uncovered a secret that had been buried for years- Clarice was actually Esther’s biological mother!
One of the private detectives handed me a stack of documents, saying, “Clarice and Tim were married when they were young. Tim is her ex–husband.”
I was stunned. “But my dad made her sign a prenuptial agreement before they got married. He confirmed she was single and childless. How could this happen?”
The detective paused for a moment and said, “Clarice used to go by the name Clara. After she met your dad, she used illegal methods to change her identity.
“To ensure everything was legitimate, we also got a DNA test between Clarice and Esther. The results are in the report.”
After learning the truth, a wave of nausea hit me, and I felt like I was going to throw up.
I took the investigation results straight to my dad. He read through the documents, his face turning ashen, and he didn’t say a word.
After a long silence, he sank into the couch, looking utterly defeated. “No wonder Tim and Esther felt so bold pretending to be the CEO and heiress of the Jones family. It was all because of Clarice.”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 6
That very day, my dad called in the lawyers and filed for divorce, initiating the legal process to recover the assets that had been stolen.
At first, Clarice refused to admit anything. She kept screaming about how she was being framed, and at one point, she was hysterically cursing me for setting her up. However, the moment I threw the DNA report in her face, she went completely silent, like a chicken whose neck had just been wrung.
The divorce proceedings didn’t take long. The evidence was overwhelming, and the prenuptial agreement was crystal clear. In the end, Clarice left our family with nothing, kicked out in disgrace.
As for the charges against Tim and Esther for illegally staying in the family mansion, they were dropped since Clarice had given her consent for them to live there.
Later, the police called me. “Joel insists that you loaned him the ring. The evidence for theft isn’t strong enough. Also, given the nature of your relationship, it doesn’t constitute a criminal offense.
“However, you can estimate any transactions or expenses during the relationship and also get the ring appraised for damages. You could recover the amount that way.”
After I hung up the phone, my dad and I sat in the empty living room, sharing a bitter smile. Both father and daughter had been played for fools, which was almost comical.
Even though those people managed to avoid prison time, the things they lost would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
