Mark carried Lily gently toward the soft leather sofa in the adjacent living room area.
His mind raced as he remembered the massive life insurance policy settled three years ago.
The court had granted a legal declaration of death after an extensive police search yielded nothing.
Mark had deposited the settlement funds into a trust fund dedicated solely to Lily's future college education.
Vanessa had managed the family legal documents because she worked as an experienced paralegal downtown.
She had insisted on handling all paperwork related to the old estate and mortgage accounts.
Mark returned to the kitchen where Vanessa stood nervously wiping down the marble counter surface.
Mark: Where did she get the idea that Sarah is still living?
Vanessa: She found an old birthday card from before the accident!
Mark: A card would not cause her to cry with such deep conviction.
Vanessa: You are letting a confused child ruin our quiet afternoon!
Mark walked directly toward the private study located at the far end of the hallway.
Vanessa scrambled behind him while shouting frantic excuses to stop his determined movement.
Vanessa: You have no right to go through my personal files!
Mark: This is my house and that is my daughter!
Mark pushed open the heavy mahogany doors and approached the locked wooden writing desk.
He grabbed a heavy iron paperweight and forced open the central locked drawer with quick strength.
Inside the drawer rested several official thick envelopes tied together with dark blue ribbon.
Mark untied the ribbon and opened the first envelope with trembling cold hands.
The letter contained recent utility bills from a quiet coastal town located three hours away.
The name listed on the monthly electric bill was Sarah Jenkins, his presumed deceased wife.
Below the bills lay monthly bank statements showing regular transfer payments sent from Vanessa's private account.
Mark: You have been sending her money every single month!
Vanessa: That is not what it looks like, Mark!
Mark: You knew she survived that terrible car accident on the bridge!
Vanessa collapsed onto a nearby chair as her face drained of all natural color.
Vanessa: She made a deal with me back then!
Mark: You stole three years of life from my daughter!