Chapter 5: The Secret Account
My father didn't take me shopping that morning.
Instead, he asked Margaret to stay with me while he and James went to his office.
I wasn't upset.
I had my mother's locket.
And for the first time, someone had told me that my mother had never forgotten me.
Margaret ordered pancakes from the hotel restaurant.
She even asked the waiter to bring extra strawberries.
"Your mother used to steal strawberries from my plate," she said, laughing.
"She did?""
"Absolutely. Then she'd pretend she had no idea where they went.""
I giggled.
It felt strange to laugh about my mother without feeling guilty.
Margaret watched me eat.
"Emma, can I ask you something?""
I nodded.
"Did Caroline ever tell you not to talk about your mother?""
I looked down at my plate.
"She said Mommy was gone and I should stop keeping old things.""
Margaret's expression tightened.
"Did she ever take anything that belonged to her?""
I thought about the curtains.
The photographs.
The books.
"She put Mommy's things in boxes.""
"Do you know where?""
I shook my head.
Margaret gently touched my hand.
"All right. We don't have to talk about that now.""
After breakfast, she helped me call my school.
She explained that I wouldn't be attending that day because of a family situation.
My teacher, Mrs. Wilson, asked to speak to me.
"Emma, sweetheart, are you all right?""
I looked at Margaret.
"Yes, Mrs. Wilson.""
"Your father called earlier. He told me there may be some changes at home.""
I nodded.
"Can I still come to school tomorrow?""
"Of course you can. And remember, if you ever need help, you can always talk to me.""
I smiled.
"Thank you.""
When I ended the call, Margaret looked thoughtful.
"That's a good teacher.""
"She likes my drawings.""
"Then perhaps she'll get to see many more.""
Meanwhile, across town, my father and James were examining the financial records.
I didn't know the details until much later.
But I would eventually learn that the account ending in 4812 had been opened several years before my father's marriage to Caroline.
It belonged to a small company called CH Family Consulting.
Caroline had been listed as a director.
The company had received payments from a number of sources, including an account connected to my mother's estate.
My father stared at the documents.
"Why is my daughter's trust paying a consulting company?""
James adjusted his glasses.
"It appears the payments were recorded as administrative expenses.""
"Who authorized them?""
James pointed to a signature.
"Caroline.""
My father leaned back.
"She wasn't even the trustee.""
"That's the problem.""
James opened another document.
"The account records indicate that the company was also receiving money from a second source.""
"Which source?""
"An investment account associated with your business.""
My father went quiet.
"Are you telling me she has been moving money from my business as well?""
"I'm telling you that we need a forensic accountant before drawing conclusions.""
My father stood and walked toward the window.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he turned.
"How much?""
James gave him an estimate.
It was more than he had expected.
Far more.
My father picked up his phone.
"Freeze every payment to that company. Immediately.""
James nodded.
"I'll contact the bank and the accounting department.""
"And Caroline?""
"We need to be careful. If we alert her before the review is complete, records could disappear.""
My father looked at the photographs from my bedroom.
The stained clothes.
The mattress.
The empty wardrobe.
"She has had enough time to explain herself.""
James lowered his voice.
"Richard, there's something else. We found a payment to Olivia's dance academy that was made using the same account.""
My father closed his eyes.
"How much?""
James told him.
"Lucas's school expenses were also paid from it," he added.
My father looked at the paper.
"So she was using Emma's money to provide for her own children.""
"It appears that way.""
My father sat down again.
"James, I want the children protected from this. Olivia and Lucas are not responsible for their mother's decisions.""
James nodded.
"Understood.""
"But Caroline will not have access to Emma's money again.""
"Agreed.""
Back at the hotel, I was sitting on the carpet drawing a picture.
I drew my father.
Margaret.
My mother.
And myself.
This time, I drew everyone inside the house.
When my father returned that afternoon, he found me coloring a blue dress.
He smiled.
"Is that the dress you want?""
I nodded.
"The one with white flowers.""
He sat beside me.
"Then let's go find it.""
Margaret offered to come along.
We visited the little shop near my school.
The blue dress was still in the window.
I recognized it immediately.
I stood in front of the glass, unable to move.
My father looked at the price tag.
Then he smiled.
"Let's go inside.""
The shop assistant greeted us.
"Can I help you?""
My father pointed toward the dress.
"We'd like that one.""
The woman brought it down.
I touched the fabric.
It was soft.
The tiny white flowers were stitched around the collar.
"Would you like to try it on?"" she asked.
I nodded.
When I came out of the changing room, my father was standing near the mirror.
His eyes filled with tears.
"You look beautiful, sweetheart.""
I turned from side to side.
"Really?""
"Really.""
The shop assistant smiled.
"That color suits her perfectly.""
My father paid.
Then he bought me two more dresses, a pair of school shoes, several shirts, and a warm winter coat.
I looked at him nervously.
"Daddy, that's too much.""
He knelt.
"Emma, these are things you need. You don't have to apologize for having them.""
I hugged him.
"Thank you.""
He kissed the top of my head.
"You're welcome.""
That evening, we returned to the house.
Caroline was waiting in the living room.
She looked at the shopping bags.
Then she looked at me.
"So this is what we're doing now?""
My father placed the bags on the sofa.
"What?""
"Buying her expensive clothes to make a point?""
He looked at the blue dress visible inside one of the bags.
"It cost less than the designer dress you bought Olivia last month.""
Caroline's face tightened.
"That's different.""
"How?""
"Olivia needs nice things. She's growing up.""
"And Emma isn't?""
Caroline walked toward him.
"Richard, you're allowing a child to manipulate you.""
My father didn't raise his voice.
"Don't speak about Emma that way.""
"She has always been jealous of my children.""
I stepped behind my father.
Caroline noticed.
"See? She hides whenever I speak to her. That's not normal.""
My father turned.
"She's afraid of you.""
Caroline laughed.
"That's ridiculous.""
He reached into his briefcase and placed several printed documents on the table.
"Then explain these.""
She glanced at them.
Her expression changed.
"What are those?""
"Financial transfers.""
"I don't know what you're talking about.""
"Payments from Emma's trust to CH Family Consulting.""
Caroline's lips parted.
My father placed another document beside it.
"And payments from my business account.""
She stared at the papers.
Then she looked at James, who had entered behind us.
"You had no right to investigate my private finances.""
James spoke calmly.
"We have a legal responsibility to investigate potential misuse of funds belonging to a minor.""
Caroline grabbed one of the pages.
"These are administrative expenses!""
"Then show us the services provided," James replied.
Caroline threw the paper back.
"I don't have to justify every decision I make!""
My father leaned forward.
"You do when the money belongs to my daughter.""
She looked at me.
Then she lowered her voice.
"Emma, go upstairs.""
I didn't move.
My father said firmly:
"Emma stays.""
Caroline laughed bitterly.
"Wonderful. Now she gets to sit in judgment of me.""
My father picked up the final document.
"There's something else.""
He placed a bank transfer statement on the table.
It showed a payment made to an account registered under Olivia's name.
Caroline stared at it.
"That's a savings account.""
"Funded with money from Emma's trust.""
"It was for the children.""
My father looked at her.
"Which children?""
Caroline didn't answer.
James closed his folder.
"Mrs. Hayes, I strongly advise you not to make further withdrawals or transfers. We are arranging an independent financial review.""
Caroline suddenly began crying.
"Richard, please. You're destroying our family over accounting mistakes.""
My father looked at her.
"Accounting mistakes?""
She reached for his hand.
"I was overwhelmed. I was managing the entire household. I made decisions. Maybe I transferred money where I shouldn't have, but it was all for the family.""
He gently moved his hand away.
"Emma is part of this family.""
Caroline wiped her cheeks.
"Of course she is.""
"Then why did she have to beg you for a dress?""
She looked down.
For a moment, I thought she might apologize.
Instead, she turned toward me.
"Are you happy now?""
My stomach tightened.
My father immediately stepped in.
"That's enough.""
Caroline picked up her phone.
"I'm calling my lawyer.""
James nodded.
"That's your right.""
She marched upstairs.
A few minutes later, we heard her bedroom door slam.
My father sat beside me.
"Are you okay?""
I nodded.
Then I looked at the shopping bags.
"Can I wear the blue dress tomorrow?""
He smiled.
"Absolutely.""
But that night, something happened that none of us expected.
At 11:42 p.m., James called my father.
I was asleep when I heard his phone ringing.
My father answered in the hallway.
"James?""
A pause.
Then his voice changed.
"What do you mean the account was closed?""
Another pause.
"Transferred where?""
I sat up.
My bedroom door was open.
I heard James speaking through the phone.
"Richard, we traced the latest movement. A large amount was transferred out yesterday morning.""
My father gripped the banister.
"Who authorized it?""
James answered.
"Caroline.""
My father went completely still.
Then James said the words that made him turn toward the staircase.
"There's something worse. The destination account isn't registered to Caroline.""
"Then whose account is it?""
A long silence followed.
Finally, James answered.
"It's registered to a man named Daniel Hayes.""
My father frowned.
"Who is Daniel Hayes?""
May you like
James lowered his voice.
"Caroline's former husband.""
