Chapter 4: The House
“Ask about the house.””
I read the words again.
Then a third time.
The handwriting was unmistakably my mother's.
Small.
Slanted.
Pressed hard enough into the paper that the ink had left a faint impression on the page beneath it.
I looked up.
“What house?””
Nobody answered.
The ballroom suddenly felt too warm.
The chandeliers still glowed. The flowers still stood perfectly arranged. Somewhere near the kitchen, a champagne glass tipped over and shattered.
Nobody moved to clean it.
I looked at Simone.
She had gone pale.
“Simone,” I said, “what house is she talking about?””
She shook her head.
“Don't do this here.””
“Do what?””
“Make this worse.””
I looked at my mother.
“You signed this agreement.””
Her eyes dropped.
“Mom?””
“I know.””
“You signed it.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
She pressed her lips together.
Simone stepped closer.
“Darius, please.””
I held up a hand.
“No. I'm done with please.””
My voice wasn't loud.
That made it worse.
“I've spent my whole life being told to help this family. I've worked for free. I've covered bills.
I've brought food when nobody else did. I've taken calls at two in the morning because Simone needed something.””
I looked at my mother.
“And every time I asked for the truth, you told me I was being difficult.””
Evelyn's eyes filled.
“That isn't fair.””
“Then tell me what is.””
Silence.
I turned the contract around and pointed to the note.
“You wrote this.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
My mother looked toward the ballroom doors.
The ones Marcus had disappeared through.
Then she whispered:
“Because I couldn't tell you in front of Simone.””
Simone's head snapped toward her.
“Mom.””
Evelyn flinched.
I noticed.
That frightened me more than anything else.
“What happened?”” I asked.
Simone stepped between us.
“Nothing happened.””
I stared at her.
“Move.””
“Darius—”
“Move.””
She didn't.
I looked at the guests.
One hundred and fifty people had just watched a wedding collapse.
Some were staring openly now.
Others had their phones in their hands.
A few older relatives whispered among themselves.
I lowered my voice.
“Not here.””
I pointed toward a side corridor.
“Come with me.””
Simone shook her head.
“No.””
“Then I'll ask here.””
She grabbed my wrist.
“Fine.””
We walked into a small service hallway beside the ballroom.
My mother followed.
The heavy doors closed behind us, muting the voices outside.
For the first time all night, it was quiet.
I looked at them.
“Now tell me.””
Evelyn leaned against the wall.
Her shoulders sagged.
“The house belonged to your father.””
I froze.
My father had been dead for eight years.
His old house had been sold shortly after his funeral.
At least, that was what I'd been told.
“What does Dad's house have to do with this?””
My mother looked at Simone.
“Tell him.””
Simone shook her head.
“No.””
Evelyn's voice hardened.
“Tell him.””
Simone stared at her.
“You promised.””
“I promised to protect you,” Evelyn said.
“I didn't promise to lie forever.””
I looked between them.
“What did you promise?””
Simone's eyes filled with tears.
“Darius, I didn't mean for any of this to happen.””
“That's not an answer.””
She wiped her cheek.
“After Dad died, there was a trust.””
I frowned.
“What trust?””
My mother closed her eyes.
“Your father left the house to both of you.””
I stared at her.
“Both of us?””
“Yes.””
“Then why was I told it was sold?””
My mother said nothing.
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Mom.””
She whispered:
“It wasn't sold.””
The hallway seemed to shrink around me.
“What?””
“The house was transferred.””
“To whom?””
She looked at Simone.
I followed her gaze.
My sister was crying now.
“Simone?””
She shook her head.
“I didn't steal it.””
I laughed once.
“No one said steal.””
“You're thinking it.””
“Then tell me what happened.””
She covered her face.
My mother answered for her.
“Simone had debts.””
“What kind?””
“Business debts.””
I stared at my sister.
“What business?””
She didn't answer.
I remembered the expensive wedding.
The diamond ring.
The flowers.
The ballroom.
The champagne.
All the little things that had suddenly seemed less glamorous and more suspicious.
“You used Dad's house?””
Simone finally looked at me.
“I borrowed against it.””
My chest tightened.
“Without telling me?””
“You weren't supposed to know.””
“Because?””
“Because the trust required both signatures.””
I looked at my mother.
She nodded.
“She forged yours.””
I couldn't hear anything for several seconds.
The hallway blurred.
“You forged my signature?””
Simone stepped forward.
“I had to.””
I backed away.
“No.””
“Darius—”
“No.””
“I was going to fix it.””
“When?””
“Before you found out.””
“You mean before I needed the house?””
Her face crumpled.
“I didn't know you would ever care about it.””
I stared at her.
“Dad left it to me.””
“I know.””
“He left it to both of us.””
“I know!””
Her voice cracked.
“I know, Darius!””
She pressed both hands against her face.
“I was drowning.””
“And you dragged me underwater.””
She looked at me.
“I thought the business would recover.””
“What business?””
She hesitated.
“An online boutique.””
I almost smiled.
“Your boutique?””
“Yes.””
“The one you told everyone was profitable?””
She looked away.
“It wasn't.””
“How much did you owe?””
She didn't answer.
My mother did.
“Almost eighty thousand.””
I stared at her.
“Eighty thousand dollars?””
Simone nodded.
“And the house?””
“We borrowed sixty-five.””
“Where did the rest go?””
She looked at the floor.
“The wedding.””
My hands went cold.
“The wedding?””
“I wanted one day where nobody knew.””
“Nobody knew what?””
“That I was broke.””
I stared at her.
She was crying silently now.
“I couldn't tell Marcus,” she whispered.
“If he knew, he would leave.””
I shook my head.
“So you lied about money, lied about the house, lied about me catering your wedding, and then blamed me when there was no food.””
“I panicked.””
“You planned.””
She looked at me.
“What?””
“You didn't panic.””
I held up the contract.
“You planned.””
I pointed to the note.
“Mom knew.””
Evelyn started crying.
“I tried to stop her.””
“When?””
“Three months ago.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because Simone threatened to—”
She stopped.
I stared.
“Threatened to what?””
Simone suddenly grabbed my mother's arm.
“Don't.””
I pulled her hand away.
“What did she threaten?””
My mother looked terrified.
Simone whispered:
“Mom, please.””
“No,” I said.
“Tell me.””
Evelyn took a shaky breath.
“She said if I told you about the house, she'd tell Marcus about the money I gave her.””
I frowned.
“What money?””
My mother looked at Simone.
Simone closed her eyes.
Evelyn whispered:
“Your mother's retirement account.””
I felt something inside me break.
“How much?””
She didn't answer.
“How much, Mom?””
“Thirty-two thousand.””
I stared at her.
Simone had taken thirty-two thousand dollars from my mother's retirement savings.
Then sixty-five thousand against our father's house.
Then the catering money.
And somehow, I had still been the villain for bringing twelve appetizers instead of feeding one hundred and fifty people.
I stepped away from both of them.
“I need air.””
“Darius,” my mother said.
I opened the service door.
The ballroom noise rushed back in.
Then I heard someone behind me.
“Darius.””
I turned.
It was Marcus.
He stood at the end of the corridor.
His tie was loose.
His eyes were red.
He had heard enough.
“How much of that did you hear?”” I asked.
He looked at Simone.
“All of it.””
Simone covered her mouth.
Marcus walked toward us slowly.
Then he stopped in front of me.
“Did she really forge your signature?””
I nodded.
He looked at Simone.
“Why?””
She started crying.
“I was scared.””
Marcus's voice was quiet.
“So you stole from her brother.””
“I was going to fix it.””
“You stole from your mother.””
“I know.””
“You lied to me.””
“I know.””
He looked toward the ballroom.
Then back at her.
“And you made me believe your brother ruined our wedding.””
Simone whispered:
“I'm sorry.””
Marcus shook his head.
“I don't know if sorry is big enough.””
He turned toward me.
“Darius, I need to show you something.””
“What?””
He pulled out his phone.
“There was another payment.””
I looked at the screen.
A bank notification.
The recipient name made my blood run cold.
*Reed Family Trust.*
Marcus looked at me.
“Your sister transferred money from an account in your name.””
I stared at the screen.
“What account?””
May you like
Marcus's face tightened.
“The account holding the house.””
