You were always mama’s favorite, Diane said. Did you know that? Of course you did. Everyone knew it. Perfect. Margaret, responsible Margaret. Margaret who got straight A’s and never broke the rules and always did exactly what she was supposed to do. That’s not Don’t interrupt me. You wanted the truth. Here it is. Margaret fell silent. Mama loved you, Diane continued. really loved you the way a mother is supposed to love a daughter. But me, I was the problem child, the difficult one, the one who was always getting into trouble, always needing to be bailed out, always disappointing everyone.
Mama loved you, too, Diane. She loved both of us. No, she didn’t. Diane’s voice was flat, certain she tolerated me. She was embarrassed by me. And when she died, she made sure everyone knew exactly where I stood in this family. What are you talking about? The inheritance, Maggie, don’t pretend you don’t remember. Margaret shook her head. You got the life insurance money. I got the house. That’s what mama wanted. That’s what mama wanted. Diane repeated the words like they were poison.
Do you have any idea how much the life insurance was worth? I I don’t know. 40,000? 50? Diane laughed. That dry, bitter laugh again. $23,000, Maggie. That’s what I got. $23,000 and you got a house worth $200,000 plus 3 acres of land plus everything inside it. Mama’s china, grandma’s jewelry, daddy’s tools, everything. Margaret felt something cold settle in her stomach. She’d never thought about it that way. Never done the math. I didn’t know,” she said quietly. “I didn’t realize.” Of course you didn’t, because you never had to.
You were the favorite. You got everything handed to you and I got the scraps. That’s not fair, Diane. I didn’t ask for the house. I didn’t ask for any of it. But you took it, didn’t you? You took it. And you never once thought about whether it was right, whether maybe your sister deserved something more than $23,000 and a pat on the head. Margaret didn’t know what to say. She stood there frozen, watching her sister’s face twist with decades of resentment.
I spent years trying to make something of myself. Diane continued, “I married twice, both disasters. I worked jobs that went nowhere. I watched you living in that beautiful house with your perfect husband while I scraped by in apartments and trailers and whatever else I could afford. I would have helped you if you’d asked. I didn’t want your help. Diane’s voice rose sharply, then fell back to that cold monotone. I didn’t want your charity. I wanted what was mine, what should have been mine from the beginning.
So, you framed me for murder. That was your solution. Diane was quiet for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was softer, almost thoughtful. Gerald was my way out. He was rich, successful, willing to leave his wife for me. We had plans, Maggie. real plans. He was going to divorce his wife, liquidate his assets, and we were going to start over somewhere new together. But something went wrong, Jessica said. It was the first time she’d spoken since they sat down.
Diane glanced at her, then back at Margaret. His wife found out about us. Threatened to take him for everything in the divorce. Gerald panicked, said he couldn’t leave her after all. Said it was too risky, too expensive. Diane’s expression hardened. He was going to abandon me just like everyone else. So, you killed him, Margaret said. I did what I had to do. Diane’s voice was matter of fact, like she was discussing the weather. Gerald had a life insurance policy, $2 million, and I knew about the secondary beneficiary clause.
I’d helped him set it up. Actually, all I had to do was make sure his wife couldn’t collect by framing her for his murder. That was the original plan. Yes, but his wife had an alibi. She was at a charity gala the night Gerald died. Hundreds of witnesses. Diane shrugged. I needed another scapegoat. Someone without an alibi. Someone the police would believe could do something like this. Me? You. Diane met Margaret’s eyes without flinching. I knew you’d come running if I showed up crying.
You always did. And I knew you’d do anything to protect me. So I gave you the flash drive. I gave you the evidence. And then I tipped off the police about where to look. The handwriting on those documents forged. I spent months practicing your handwriting. You used to send me birthday cards, Christmas cards, letters. When I was going through my divorces, I had plenty of samples to work from. The money from my bank account. I had a power of attorney.
You signed it years ago. Remember when Robert had his first heart attack and you wanted someone to be able to access your accounts if something happened to you? Diane smiled. You made it so easy, Maggie. You trusted me and I used every bit of that trust against you. Margaret felt like she was going to be sick. 20 years, she whispered. You let me rot in prison for 20 years. You told everyone I was dead. You sold my house.
