Part 4 — The Recording Olivia Buried Finally Played
Part 4 — The Recording Olivia Buried Finally Played
The next morning, the Carter family boardroom was completely silent.
Not because everyone believed me.
Because everyone was waiting for someone else to speak first.
Sebastian stood at the far end of the polished conference table, staring at the phone resting in front of him.
His mother, Margaret Carter, folded her hands with practiced confidence.
"This meeting is unnecessary," she said smoothly.
"Hannah disappeared years ago."
"Now she returns with three children and a fabricated story."
Several board members nodded.
Olivia looked relieved.
For a moment...
She believed the worst was over.
Until I connected my phone to the conference room speakers.
"I told you there was one more recording."
Margaret smiled coldly.
"You've embarrassed yourself enough."
"I don't think so."
I pressed Play.
Static filled the room.
Then Olivia's voice appeared.
Soft.
Laughing.
Completely unaware anyone would ever hear it.
"He'll never know."
Another female voice answered.
Margaret.
"Did you delete everything?"
"I deleted the hospital calls."
"The emails."
"The ultrasound photos."
"The letters."
Olivia laughed again.
"I even answered one call pretending to be his assistant."
"I told the nurse he didn't want to speak to Hannah anymore."
Someone at the table inhaled sharply.
Sebastian slowly lifted his head.
His face had gone completely white.
The recording continued.
Margaret spoke again.
"If Hannah believes he abandoned her..."
"She'll leave on her own."
"No custody fight."
"No scandal."
"No heirs complicating Sebastian's future marriage."
Olivia giggled.
"And when he marries me..."
"The Carter fortune stays exactly where it belongs."
Silence.
Then Margaret quietly asked...
"What if the babies survive?"
Olivia answered without hesitation.
"They'll grow up thinking another man abandoned them."
"Eventually they won't matter."
The recording ended.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Sebastian looked from the phone...
To Olivia...
Then slowly toward his mother.
His voice barely existed.
"You..."
Margaret recovered first.
"This proves nothing."
"It could have been edited."
I calmly slid another folder across the table.
"The forensic authentication."
"The audio has already been verified."
"Metadata."
"Original timestamps."
"Chain of custody."
"It hasn't been altered."
One of the independent directors quietly opened the report.
After several pages...
He looked directly at Sebastian.
"It's authentic."
The room exploded.
Board members began speaking over one another.
"You hid his children?"
"You destroyed legal correspondence?"
"This is fraud."
"This exposes the company to enormous liability."
Olivia suddenly grabbed Sebastian's arm.
"Please..."
"I only did it because I loved you."
He slowly removed her hand.
"You stole five years from my children."
She burst into tears.
"Your mother said you'd never forgive Hannah if you knew she was pregnant."
Margaret slammed both hands onto the table.
"Enough!"
"I protected this family!"
"You were becoming weak!"
"You would've thrown everything away for that girl!"
Sebastian stared at her.
"No."
His voice was calm.
"I would've stayed with my wife."
The word wife echoed through the room.
Even after five years...
He had never called anyone else that.
Olivia's face completely collapsed.
She finally understood.
The engagement ring had never replaced what she stole.
It had only been built on lies.
Then the conference room doors opened.
Two detectives walked inside.
"Mrs. Olivia Bennett."
"Mrs. Margaret Carter."
"We'd like to ask you several questions regarding obstruction of communication, destruction of evidence, and possible fraud."
Margaret stood.
"You can't arrest me."
One detective answered quietly.
"Not yet."
"But we'd recommend you stop talking."
For the first time in decades...
Margaret Carter looked afraid.
And for the first time in five years...
May you like
Sebastian finally understood that Hannah had never abandoned him.
She had been erased.
