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Chapter 2

Author: Perfect Timing
She hit the brakes and pulled over.

"What?"

"He's alive."

I watched the rain run down the windshield.

"He staged the crash. Bribed a man named Victor Lang at the funeral home to switch the identification samples.

"He wants the insurance payout. One point two million.

"And he changed the beneficiary to Vanessa. His first love."

Grace's mouth fell open.

"How do you know?"

"Don't ask me that." I turned toward her. "Just tell me if you believe me."

She held my gaze for a long moment.

Then she started the car again.

"I do."

At the insurance company, I went straight to the claims manager, Warren Cole.

I showed him my marriage certificate and ID and asked him to check the beneficiary details on Nathan's policies.

After searching the records, he looked up with an uncomfortable expression.

"Ms. West, Mr. Mercer has two accident policies. The combined benefit is $1.2 million.

"The named beneficiary is Vanessa Shaw. Her relationship to him is listed as fiancée."

Fiancée.

I'd been married to him for three years. Apparently, I hadn't even earned the title of wife.

Grace went pale with anger.

I pressed a hand over hers and kept my voice level.

"When was the beneficiary changed?"

"About four months ago."

Right when he'd started planning his death.

I drew a breath and took a stack of documents from my bag.

Copies of my marriage certificate and civil records. A formal challenge to the beneficiary change, prepared overnight by my lawyer, Daniel Reyes.

"I'm contesting the change. I want the original designation restored.

"The change is invalid. He never got valid consent, and he lied about being married."

Cole frowned.

"That would have to go through the courts—"

"I've already filed."

I placed the court's filing acknowledgment on his desk.

"I've also requested a hold on the payout. Until the court rules, none of that money goes to Vanessa."

Outside, Grace caught my arm. Her voice shook.

"When did you find a lawyer? When did you file all this?"

"Last night. I didn't sleep."

She opened her mouth, her eyes filling.

"Why would you carry all this alone? Why didn't you call me?"

"Because I won't let you get hurt again."

I held her gaze.

She didn't understand what I meant by again.

She didn't ask.

She just squeezed my hand.

"Where next?"

"The county records office. Time to make his death official."

The clerk, Dana Whitmore, studied Nathan's death certificate, then hesitated.

"Ms. West, are you sure you don't want to wait? The DNA identification matches, but there have been cases where new information came to light..."

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  • Presumed Dead & Legally Broke   Chapter 9

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  • Presumed Dead & Legally Broke   Chapter 8

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  • Presumed Dead & Legally Broke   Chapter 7

    The fake-death scheme had been Vanessa's idea.Making her the beneficiary had been their joint decision. She'd thought the moment Nathan died, the $1.2 million would be hers.She'd even picked out a house in Fairhaven before the payout arrived.She hadn't counted on me getting to it first.Nathan spent ten hours on a slow train, then dragged his suitcase to her beauty salon.Her first words weren't "Are you okay?"They were, "Where's the money?""My wife got it. She challenged the insurer. The court ruled for her..."Vanessa's face darkened."What? One point two million, and you didn't get a cent?""Listen, we can find another way—""Another way?" She sneered. "You're legally dead. You have no valid ID and no money. What exactly are you bringing to the table? Your looks?"He tried to explain. She didn't let him."I waited a year for you. I sold the salon. I was ready to leave the country the moment that money came through. And now you're telling me it's gone?"She pointed

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  • Presumed Dead & Legally Broke   Chapter 4

    At four the next morning, before the sun was up, Grace and I loaded two suitcases into her used Volkswagen Golf and headed for the highway.Apart from the luggage, we had one canvas bag.Inside were a hundred and fifty thousand dollars in cash, copies of the property documents, the business sale agreement, and proof of the $1.2 million insurance payout.Grace drove. I sat beside her.As we left Riverton, I looked back once.The city lights grew smaller behind the rain.At this point in my first life, I'd been sitting vigil for a man who wasn't dead, crying until I could barely see.Now I was in the passenger seat with the wind tangling my hair.And I couldn't stop smiling.Grace glanced over."What's funny?""How stupid I was in my last life."She didn't answer. She just turned up the music.An old song about the world outside.At dawn, we stopped at a service plaza, bought instant noodles, and sat on the steps to eat them.Grace slurped a mouthful."If Nathan really is

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