The air in the room felt thick, smelling of old paper, floor wax, and the metallic tang of fear.

“Is this your signature on the transfer requests for the regional supply depot, Colonel Carter?” General Vance asked, his voice deceptively calm.

Andrew swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“Sir, those transfers were fully authorized by the division office,” Andrew said, his voice shaking slightly.

“They went through the standard channels.”

“That is not what these logs indicate,” General Vance said, tapping a finger on the page.

Claire stepped closer to the table, her fingernails digging into the back of her chair.

“General, she made those logs up,” Claire insisted, her voice trembling but fierce.

“She’s jealous.”

“She has always been jealous of my marriage, of my husband’s success, of everything.”

“She wants to drag Andrew down because she has nothing of her own.”

“She fabricated that entire paternity story to create a scandal.”

My mother finally spoke up, her voice quiet but sharp.

“Emily, stop this nonsense,” she said, looking at me with deep disappointment.

“Apologize to your sister and your brother-in-law, and let us go home.”