Chapter 2
CHAPTER 3 — The Ghost in the Hospital Records
The flashing lights of the police cruisers painted the university’s historic brick facades in stark shades of red and blue. Graduates and their families had retreated to the periphery, whispering behind cupped hands as the Vance family empire dissolved in less than thirty minutes. Paige hurried up the steps of the stage, throwing her arms around Audrey. “You did it,” Paige breathed, tears of sheer awe streaming down her face. “You actually exposed them all.” “It’s not over yet,” Audrey replied, looking down at the sealed medical file the dean had handed her just before the chaos peaked. “What else is in there?” Paige asked, peering at the thick manila folder. “The hospital records from my accident four years ago,” Audrey said. “The day my signature was forged three days after I flatlined.” She walked back to the podium, where the university president was quietly conferring with the chief of campus security. “Mr. President,” Audrey said gently. “I need access to the university printer and scanner. This goes deeper than stolen tuition.” “Of course, Audrey,” the president replied, placing a respectful hand on her shoulder. “The administration office is entirely at your disposal. What are you looking for?” “The truth about why my signature wasn't just forged—it was witnessed by someone within this university.” Within ten minutes, Audrey, Paige, and the university legal counsel were gathered inside the private conference room of the dean’s office. Audrey laid out the documents from the hospital file side-by-side with the bank transfer forms used to funnel her grandmother’s eighty thousand dollars into Julian’s failed tech startup. “Look at the notary stamp,” Audrey instructed, pointing to the bottom right corner of the bank authorization form. Paige leaned in closely. “It’s from a notary public named Marcus Vance,” Paige read aloud. “Wait… is that—” “My cousin,” Audrey finished grimly. “Marcus is a corporate lawyer who works closely with my father’s firm. But look at the date of notary certification.” She slid a second document underneath. “The certification stamp was renewed six months after this document was signed,” Audrey said. “Which means this notary seal is entirely fraudulent.” The university’s legal counsel adjusted his glasses, examining the papers with professional intensity. “Not only is the seal fake,” the lawyer remarked, “but the hospital admission records state you were heavily sedated and recovering from emergency surgery during the exact window this financial transfer was authorized.” “They needed the money immediately because Julian’s startup was facing bankruptcy lawsuits,” Audrey explained. “They didn't care if I woke up with crippling debt. To them, I was just a walking ATM.” “And what about the car accident itself?” Paige asked quietly, a chill running down her spine. “Audrey… do you think they caused it?” The room went dead silent. Audrey looked at the hospital intake notes detailing the catastrophic brake failure of her first car—a rusted sedan her parents had insisted she drive despite her concerns. She hadn't considered it before. She had always blamed bad luck. Now, looking at the systematic cruelty of her upbringing, a cold dread settled in her stomach. If they were willing to forge documents, steal her inheritance, and ruin her credit, what else were they capable of?
