Then something much worse.
Jason had taken out an insurance policy on her.
A policy worth nearly two million dollars.
Lily had never agreed to it.
Her signature had been forged.
She had confronted him.
He denied everything.
But after that confrontation, his behavior changed.
He became more careful.
More charming.
More dangerous.
Lily wrote that she had begun secretly documenting everything.
Emails.
Bank statements.
Recordings.
Messages.
She sent copies to Mr.
Hayes.
She even created an encrypted digital file that would automatically be released if she stopped checking in.
I stared at the page.
Then I reached the final paragraph.
“Em, I don’t know whether I’ll survive this.”
My tears fell onto the paper.
“But if I don’t, please remember something.”
“You were always my safe place.”
I pressed the letter against my chest.
“I didn’t tell you because I was afraid that if Jason knew you were helping me, he would hurt you too.”
