Chapter 3 - Uncovering the PlotSandra soon began reviewing Skylar’s bank statements, credit reports, and account history. It did not take long for her to notice several transactions Skylar did not recognize. There were luxury purchases, online orders, and repeated charges connected to stores Suzanne frequently visited.
The most serious discovery was a fraudulent transfer of 9,600 dollars from one of Skylar’s accounts into an account owned by Suzanne.
Skylar had never approved it.
Sandra advised her to freeze her accounts, change every password, and request records from the bank. As more documents arrived, the situation became much worse. Someone had used Skylar’s personal information to authorize purchases and apply for credit. Her signature had been copied, and several verification calls appeared to have been answered by someone pretending to be her.
The evidence pointed directly to Derek and Suzanne.
Messages recovered from Derek’s phone showed that the theft had not been impulsive. For months, Derek and his family had discussed gaining greater control over Skylar’s finances. Suzanne complained that Skylar was becoming more difficult to pressure, while Derek promised that he would eventually force her to cooperate.
They had also discussed the Edgewater apartment.
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Skylar had purchased it before the marriage, but Derek had begun telling his mother, Mrs. Greer, that the property should belong to the entire family. Their plan was to create debts in Skylar’s name, weaken her financial position, and pressure her into adding Derek to the ownership documents. Once that happened, they believed they could claim a share of the apartment or force its sale.
The coffee attack had not been an isolated outburst. It was part of a larger pattern of intimidation designed to make Skylar surrender control.
