The story ran on a Thursday. It was not as bad as we had feared and not as good as we had hoped.
Clara Reyes had gotten more than we thought. She had copies of the transfer records—my father had been sloppy, and the money trail was easy to follow. She had quotes from two of Bethany's friends and one former employee of my father's firm. She had the story of the engagement being called off, and she had reached out to the Halloways for comment. They had declined.
She did not have anyone in the family on the record. Not me. Not Wren. Not my mother. When the story appeared, we were named as "the Vaughn family, who declined to comment."
My father called me that night. He was angry. He was not angry at the reporter.
"You should have talked to her," he said. "You should have told our side."
"
