Chapter 3: The Name on the Transfer
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Dad stood at the top of the stairs with the bank statement in his hand.
I stared at him.
Then at Marcus.
Marcus looked as confused as I felt.
“Dad,” he said slowly, “why is my name on that?””
Dad didn't answer.
He came downstairs.
The paper trembled slightly between his fingers.
“Where were you going to school after graduation?””
Marcus frowned.
“I told you. State university.””
“With a scholarship?””
“Yes.””
“How much?””
Marcus hesitated.
“Most of my tuition.””
Dad looked at the statement again.
“Then why did $22,000 get transferred into an account under your name?””
Marcus's mouth fell open.
“What?””
Vanessa stepped in.
“Daniel, please.””
Dad turned sharply.
“Don't.””
She stopped.
“I am done hearing 'please.''”
Marcus looked at his mother.
“Mom, did you put money in an account under my name?””
Vanessa started crying.
“I was trying to help you.””
“I didn't ask you to.””
“I knew you needed a better start.””
“I had a scholarship!””
“You deserved more.””
Dad stared at her.
“More?””
He held up the statement.
“You stole from Sophie because Marcus deserved more?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I didn't steal.””
I stepped forward.
“What would you call it?””
She looked at me.
“You're my daughter too.””
“No.””
The word came out before I could stop it.
Vanessa blinked.
I swallowed.
“You don't get to call me your daughter after taking my future.””
Dad looked at me.
I could see the pain in his face.
“I'm sorry, Sophie.””
I shook my head.
“You didn't take it.””
“I should have protected it.””
“You trusted her.””
“I shouldn't have.””
Vanessa wiped her cheeks.
“Daniel, I was going to pay everything back.””
“With what?””
She didn't answer.
Dad pointed toward the statement.
“What is this account?””
Marcus looked at his mother.
“Mom?””
She stared at the floor.
“I opened it when Marcus was eighteen.””
“Without telling me?””
“I wanted to surprise him.””
Dad's voice was cold.
“How much was in it?””
“Twenty-two thousand.””
“From where?””
Silence.
Dad answered for her.
“From Sophie.””
Marcus backed away.
“I don't want it.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“Marcus—”
“I don't want any of it!””
His voice cracked.
He grabbed his hair.
“Mom, I didn't know!””
“I know!””
“Then why did you do it?””
“Because you were always treated like second place!””
I stared at her.
“What?””
She looked at me.
“You had everything.””
I almost laughed.
“Everything?””
“Yes.””
“You mean the money I earned?””
“You had your father's attention.””
I stared at her.
“You're serious?””
She pointed at me.
“Daniel always worried about your grades, your college applications, your future. Marcus had to fight for everything.””
Marcus looked horrified.
“Mom, stop.””
But she continued.
“I wanted to give you something.””
Dad's face hardened.
“So you gave him something with money that wasn't yours.””
“I was going to replace it.””
“You keep saying that.””
“Because it's true!””
Dad stepped closer.
“Then where's the money?””
Vanessa's face went blank.
“What?””
“The $50,000 you sent your mother. The $35,000 for the car. The $22,000 in Marcus's account.””
He pointed at the papers.
“And the other transfers.””
Vanessa's lips trembled.
“There were expenses.””
“What expenses?””
“Bills.””
“Whose?””
She said nothing.
Dad grabbed another statement.
“Your mother's mortgage?””
Vanessa looked down.
“Her medical bills?””
Silence.
“Her credit cards?””
She closed her eyes.
Dad looked at me.
“She wasn't just sending money to her mother.””
My chest tightened.
“What else?””
Dad held up another page.
“She was paying off debt.””
Vanessa whispered, “Daniel…”
“Whose debt?””
She didn't answer.
Dad looked at Marcus.
Then at me.
Then back at Vanessa.
“Whose debt?””
Finally, she said it.
“Mine.””
Dad's eyes narrowed.
“How much?””
Vanessa started crying.
“I don't know.””
“You don't know?””
“It kept growing.””
“How much?””
She covered her face.
“About thirty thousand.””
Marcus stared at her.
“Thirty thousand dollars?””
She nodded.
Dad looked stunned.
“So you emptied Sophie's account to pay your credit cards?””
“I was drowning!””
“And you never told me?””
“I was ashamed.””
“You should have told me!””
“I knew you'd leave me!””
The room went silent.
Dad stared at her.
“What?””
Vanessa lowered her hands.
“I knew if you found out how bad it was, you'd leave.””
“So instead you stole from my daughter.””
“I panicked.””
“You didn't panic once.””
Dad dropped the statements onto the table.
“You made transfer after transfer.””
Vanessa began sobbing.
I looked at the papers.
There were so many.
Five hundred dollars here.
Two thousand there.
Six thousand to a credit card.
Four thousand to a lender.
Fifty thousand to her mother.
Thirty-five thousand for the car.
And another $22,000 placed under Marcus's name.
It wasn't one mistake.
It was a system.
A decision made over and over again.
I turned to Marcus.
“Did you know about any of this?””
He shook his head.
“No.””
“Not even the car?””
“No.””
He looked toward the window.
“I thought Mom said she got a bonus.””
Dad's expression changed.
“A bonus?””
Marcus nodded.
“She told me she had saved for it.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“I didn't want you to know.””
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“You bought me a car with my stepsister's college money.””
“I wanted you to be happy.””
“I can't be happy knowing that.””
He walked outside.
The sports car sat beneath the balloons.
He stared at it for a long time.
Then he pulled the keys from his pocket.
He walked back inside and placed them on the table.
“I don't want it.””
Vanessa looked up.
“Marcus…”
“Sell it.””
She shook her head.
“We can't just sell it.””
“Why not?””
“Because—”
“Because you already spent the money?””
She had no answer.
Dad picked up the keys.
“I'll deal with the car.””
I looked at him.
“Dad, I don't want anything from him.””
“This isn't about what you want to give up.””
“It is my money.””
“I know.””
“No, Dad.””
My voice broke.
“You don't know.””
He looked at me.
I took a breath.
“I spent four years believing I was safe.””
He didn't speak.
“I kept thinking that if I worked hard enough, I wouldn't have to ask anyone for help.””
My eyes filled.
“I thought when I got into college, I'd have a chance.””
Dad came closer.
“I'll make this right.””
“How?””
“I don't know yet.””
“Because you can't undo it.””
He nodded.
“I know.””
Then his phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen.
It was an email from the bank.
He opened it.
His expression changed.
“What?”” I asked.
He didn't answer.
He read it again.
Then once more.
“Dad?””
He looked at me.
“The $85,000 wasn't the only money transferred from your college account.””
My heart sank.
“What do you mean?””
He turned the phone toward me.
There was a transaction I hadn't seen.
A wire transfer.
$40,000.
Recipient name partially hidden.
Dad zoomed in.
His face went pale.
“I know this name.””
Vanessa whispered, “Daniel, don't.””
Dad looked at her.
“You told me your mother received $50,000.””
“She did.””
“Then who received this $40,000?””
Vanessa said nothing.
Dad looked at the account number.
Then at the recipient name.
His voice dropped.
“Why did you send forty thousand dollars to a lawyer?””
Vanessa's face went completely white.
I stared at her.
“A lawyer?””
Dad stepped closer.
“What were you paying a lawyer for?””
She backed away.
“I can explain.””
“No.””
Dad shook his head.
“Not another explanation.””
He pointed at the phone.
“What were you trying to hide from me?””
Vanessa's lips began to tremble.
Then she whispered four words that made my father sit down.
“It was about your past.””
Dad froze.
“What did you just say?””
Vanessa looked at me.
Then at Marcus.
And finally at Dad.
“The lawyer wasn't for me.””
She swallowed.
“He was looking for someone.””
Dad's face drained of color.
“Who?””
Vanessa reached for the table.
And before she could say the name, the front door opened.
A stranger stepped inside holding a folder.
He looked directly at my father.
“Daniel Carter?””
Dad stood slowly.
“Yes.””
The man held out the folder.
“My name is Andrew Miller.””
He glanced at Vanessa.
“I'm the attorney your wife hired.””
Vanessa whispered, “No…”
Andrew looked back at Dad.
“And I think you deserve to know who she paid me to find.””
He opened the folder.
The first photograph slid onto the table.
May you like
Dad stared at it.
Then his hand began to shake.
