Chapter 5 - The Clerk's Betrayal
I stared at the screen, listening to my father confess to a felony.
Richard leaned over my shoulder, his eyes widening as he heard the audio.
"Save that recording right now and back it up to a secure cloud," Richard ordered urgently.
I quickly tapped the screen, securing the video file that proved my father had orchestrated this entire nightmare for years.
Richard pulled out his laptop and immediately started drafting a subpoena for the county clerk.
We knew exactly who was working the records department five years ago, and we were going to make him talk.
Meanwhile, my phone buzzed with an incoming text message from Bethany.
It was a picture of my niece, Madison, sleeping in my bed, surrounded by my personal belongings.
Bethany had captioned it, "She finally feels safe here."
The sheer audacity of using a child as a human shield made my blood boil.
I refused to reply, knowing they were desperately trying to provoke an emotional reaction from me.
An hour later, Richard and I walked into the county records office.
We approached the senior clerk, a nervous-looking man named Gregory.
Richard slammed his briefcase onto the counter and leaned in close.
"We know about the bribe, Gregory, and we have Thomas Donovan on tape confessing to the entire arrangement," Richard bluffed slightly.
Gregory turned pale, his hands shaking as he looked around the busy office.
He whispered that my father had threatened to expose a dark secret of his if he did not destroy the quitclaim deed.
"I kept a digitized copy on a hidden flash drive to protect myself," Gregory stammered, pulling a small device from his pocket.
We had the proof we needed to destroy their claim to my house.
I felt a massive wave of relief wash over me.
We were going to win.
As we walked back to our cars, my phone began ringing violently.
The caller ID showed a local government number I did not recognize.
I answered it, expecting a court clerk to confirm our upcoming hearing date.
Instead, a stern woman identified herself as an agent with Child Protective Services.
May you like
"Ms. Donovan, we have received a credible report that you are a dangerous narcotic addict," the agent said coldly.
"Your sister Bethany has filed for emergency permanent custody of your home, claiming it is the only way to protect her children from your violent drug binges."
