“I signed whatever Vale put in front of me,” I said, a tear finally spilling over my eyelashes. “I was terrified. I was about to lose my husband, and I had three small children to feed.”

Richard walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip warm and steady.

“And Margaret?” he asked. “How did she get involved?”

“Vale told me Margaret had graciously agreed to buy out the debts from the creditors,” I said. “He said she was doing it out of the goodness of her heart to save the family name.”

“But it came with a price,” Richard said.

“Yes,” I said. “The price was my complete obedience. She said that since she owned my husband’s debts, she owned me, and she owned the girls.”

Richard’s face remained calm, but I saw the muscles in his neck tighten.

“She used a fake debt to turn you into her servant,” Richard said.

“Is it fake?” I asked, looking up at him. “The paperwork looked so official. It had notary stamps and bank logos.”