I Hid In A Bridal Shop And Overheard My Kids Planning To Put Me In A Nursing Home. They Didn’t Realize I Was Recording Every Word. Should I Reveal The Truth At The Altar?
H2: The Attempted Murder
Sharon knelt beside my chair, her eyes filled with sorrow.
“There’s more, Chris. Things they said before you arrived.”
She moved to her computer, plugging in a backup drive. The audio file loaded, and she scrolled backward to a conversation from three days earlier.
Nicholas’s voice emerged from the speakers, cold and matter-of-fact.
“The car accident six months ago should have worked.”
Scarlet’s voice responded, shock evident.
“What car accident?”
Nicholas answered without hesitation.
“I cut the old man’s brake lines. He got lucky.”
Scarlet sounded horrified.
“You tried to kill Dad?”
Nicholas replied with chilling indifference.
“And I’ll do it again if he gets suspicious before the wedding.”
The room spun around me. Six months ago, I had nearly died when my car’s brakes failed on a mountain road. I had careened toward a cliff edge, only avoiding disaster by steering into a guardrail at the last second.
The mechanic had said the brake lines looked worn, possibly corroded. But they hadn’t been worn; they had been cut. Nicholas had tried to murder me.
Sharon paused the recording, watching my face carefully.
“Chris, are you all right?”
I wasn’t all right. I would never be all right again. But I nodded, gesturing for her to continue.
The recording moved forward to another section. Natalie Pierce’s voice asked,
“What about the situation in Boston?”
Nicholas responded dismissively.
“Laura? Don’t worry about her.”
Scarlet interrupted.
“Who’s Laura?”
Nicholas explained casually.
“Just a woman I knew in Boston. She went to the police, but there was no proof.”
Natalie pressed.
“Police about what?”
Nicholas laughed coldly.
“She thought I stole from her. But it was her word against mine.”
Scarlet’s voice carried suspicion.
“Nick, how many people have you done this to?”
Nicholas’s response was ice.
“You’re the first family member, if that makes you feel special.”
My mind reeled. There was another victim in Boston, a woman named Laura who had tried to stop Nicholas and failed. How many others were there? How long had he been perfecting this scheme?
Sharon advanced the recording again. Nicholas’s voice continued.
“I’ve already moved $200,000 from his accounts. He hasn’t noticed.”
Natalie confirmed.
“The Cayman accounts have 1.8 million waiting.”
Nicholas added with satisfaction.
“After the wedding, we take the rest. Total estimated over two million.”
Scarlet sounded surprised.
“That much?”
Nicholas laughed.
“Your father’s richer than you think, sweetheart.”
$200,000 already gone. 1.8 million hidden in offshore accounts. They had been stealing from me for months right under my nose, while I smiled and wrote checks for wedding flowers and catering deposits.
H2: The Decision to Fight
The recording shifted to another conversation. Natalie’s voice was businesslike.
“Dr. Price wants $100,000 for the evaluation.”
Nicholas agreed without hesitation.
“Fine. Worth it to lock the old man away legally.”
Then came the moments that showed how deeply Nicholas had manipulated my daughter. His voice turned gentle, persuasive.
“Your mother would want you to be taken care of.”
Another clip:
“Your father has more money than he could ever spend.”
And another:
“We’re not hurting him, just redistributing.”
Scarlet’s voice, weak and uncertain.
“I just want to be happy.”
Nicholas, smooth and controlling.
“Then trust me. This is how we get there.”
Sharon stopped the recording and looked at me.
“What will you do? Call the police?”
I sat up straighter, something cold and hard settling in my chest.
“No. Not yet.”
Sharon’s eyes widened.
“Why not? You have evidence.”
I met her gaze, my voice steady for the first time since entering her shop.
“Because I want to see their faces when I destroy them.”
A plan was forming in my mind, crystallizing out of the chaos.
“I’ll gather more evidence. I’ll build an airtight case. And I’ll expose them at the wedding.”
Sharon looked uncertain.
“But three weeks of pretending?”
I cut her off.
“Three weeks to make sure Scarlet sees who Nicholas really is. If I arrest him now, she’ll think I’m the villain. If I expose him publicly with proof, she’ll have to face the truth.”
Sharon studied my face, then nodded slowly.
“What do you need?”
I considered for a moment.
“A private investigator. Someone discreet.”
Sharon brightened slightly.
“I know someone. Kenneth Walsh. Former FBI agent. He’s thorough and doesn’t ask unnecessary questions.”
I nodded.
“Good. I’ll contact him today.”
For a moment, emotion threatened to overwhelm me again. I looked at Sharon, my voice breaking.
“Elizabeth would be devastated.”
Tears filled Sharon’s eyes.
“Elizabeth would be proud of you for fighting back.”
I shook my head.
“I failed her. I didn’t protect our daughter.”
Sharon squeezed my hand.
“You’re protecting her now. From Nicholas. From prison.”
I stood carefully, my legs more stable now. Purpose had replaced paralysis. Sharon moved to the back door of her office.
“Leave through here. Your car is out front. Go around through the alley.”
I paused at the threshold.
“Thank you, Sharon. For Elizabeth. For me.”
She touched my arm gently.
“Go. And Chris, be careful. Nicholas tried to kill you once already.”
I met her eyes, my jaw set.
“I know. This time, I’ll be ready.”
As I stepped into the alley, Sharon called after me.
“Chris, wait. There’s one more thing on the recording.”
She played a final clip, Nicholas speaking to Natalie.
“If the old man gets suspicious, we accelerate the timeline. I’ve got contingency plans.”
I turned back.
“What kind of contingencies?”
Sharon’s face was pale with fear.
“He didn’t specify. But Chris, it sounds like he’s done this before. Like he’s planned for every scenario.”
I gripped the USB drive in my pocket.
“Then I’ll have to plan better.”
