Chapter 2: The Money My Mother Left Behind
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The fire crackled behind us.
Kayla was still crying about her handbag, but her mother had stopped paying attention to her.
My father stared at Vanessa as if he were looking at a complete stranger.
"Explain what you just said.""
Vanessa swallowed.
"Richard, not here.""
"Forty-eight thousand dollars is missing from my daughter's account. I think here is exactly where we're going to discuss it.""
She glanced toward me.
"Emily doesn't need to hear this.""
I felt my hands trembling.
"Why not? It's my money.""
Vanessa gave me a sharp look.
"Don't interrupt adults.""
Dad stepped forward.
"Don't speak to her like that.""
It was the first time I had heard him defend me against Vanessa without immediately apologizing afterward.
He unlocked his phone again.
"Where did the money go?""
Vanessa rubbed her forehead.
"There were some family expenses.""
"Family expenses?""
"Yes.""
"Which family?""
She didn't answer.
Dad opened the transaction history.
I stood beside him, reading the numbers.
There were dozens of withdrawals.
Some were small. Others were thousands of dollars.
The dates went back almost eight months.
My chest tightened when I recognized one particular payment.
$9,750.
The description said: LUXURY AUTO PAYMENT.
"What's this?"" I asked.
Vanessa looked away.
Dad turned toward Kayla.
"Did you buy a car?""
Kayla stopped crying.
She wiped her face with the sleeve of her expensive sweater.
"Mom helped me get one.""
"With whose money?""
She looked at Vanessa.
Vanessa answered quickly.
"It was temporary. We were going to replace it.""
Dad laughed once, but there was no humor in it.
"Replace forty-eight thousand dollars?""
"Richard, you don't understand how difficult things have been.""
"Then help me understand.""
Vanessa lowered her voice.
"Your daughter has always been difficult. She's expensive, she's demanding, and she constantly makes Kayla feel like she doesn't belong.""
I stared at her.
"How is that relevant?""
Vanessa ignored me.
"You spend all your time worrying about Emily. You never think about what Kayla needs.""
Dad's jaw tightened.
"Kayla has received more money in three years than Emily has received in her entire life.""
"That's not true!""
"Show me the numbers.""
Vanessa went quiet.
Then Dad did something I hadn't expected.
He called our bank.
He put the phone on speaker and asked for the fraud department.
Vanessa immediately stepped toward him.
"Richard, stop. You're embarrassing everybody.""
He raised one hand.
"Please don't touch me.""
A woman answered.
Dad explained that unauthorized transfers had been made from an account containing funds intended for my college education.
The representative asked a series of questions.
Then she said something that made Vanessa's face turn white.
"Sir, I can see that several transfers were authorized using the account's secondary access credentials.""
Dad looked at Vanessa.
"Whose credentials?""
The woman continued.
"The secondary authorized user is listed as Vanessa Carter.""
My stepmother's mouth opened.
Then closed.
Dad's voice was cold.
"Freeze every outgoing transaction immediately.""
"Certainly, sir. There is one additional concern. Would you like me to read the recipient information for the largest transfer?""
"Yes.""
I moved closer.
The representative read the name.
"Jordan Mitchell.""
Kayla suddenly stood up.
"Mom, tell him!""
Vanessa turned sharply.
"Kayla, shut your mouth!""
But Kayla was panicking.
"You said he would never find out!""
Dad slowly lowered the phone.
"Who is Jordan Mitchell?""
Nobody answered.
I knew the name.
Jordan was Kayla's boyfriend.
He was twenty-one, drove a black sports car, and had been visiting our house almost every weekend.
He always wore expensive watches.
He once joked that my father must be incredibly rich because he owned a construction company.
I had never liked him.
Now I understood why.
Dad looked directly at Kayla.
"Why did my daughter's tuition money go to your boyfriend?""
Kayla began shaking her head.
"It wasn't like that.""
"Then what was it like?""
"Jordan needed help!""
"With what?""
She looked toward her mother.
Vanessa stepped forward.
"Richard, we can fix this. Jordan was investing the money. He promised to return everything before Emily needed to pay for college.""
Dad stared at her.
"You gave my daughter's inheritance to a twenty-one-year-old boy?""
"He has business connections!""
"What business?""
Vanessa hesitated.
Kayla suddenly shouted.
"His online business! Mom said it was a good investment!""
Dad pressed his fingers against his forehead.
"How much did you give him?""
Vanessa whispered, "I don't know.""
"How much?""
"Thirty-six thousand.""
I felt dizzy.
Thirty-six thousand dollars.
My mother's money.
The money she had left behind so I could have a future.
I remembered her sitting on the edge of my childhood bed, brushing my hair.
She had once told me, "Sweetheart, whatever happens, make sure you have something of your own. Nobody should ever be able to take away your future.""
I looked at Vanessa.
"You stole from my mother.""
Her eyes narrowed.
"Don't be dramatic.""
Dad slammed his palm against the patio table.
"Enough!""
Even Kayla jumped.
He looked at Vanessa.
"Go upstairs. Pack a bag.""
She stared at him.
"What?""
"You heard me.""
"You're kicking me out over a misunderstanding?""
"You're leaving this house tonight.""
Vanessa laughed nervously.
"You can't be serious. I'm your wife.""
"And Emily is my daughter.""
For the first time, Vanessa looked genuinely frightened.
She turned toward me.
"Emily, tell him to calm down. You don't want to destroy this family over money.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"You destroyed my dress. You stole my tuition. And now you're asking me to save the family?""
Vanessa's face hardened.
"You have no idea what your mother would have wanted.""
Dad stepped between us.
"Don't you dare bring her mother into this.""
Then his phone rang again.
It was an unknown number.
He answered.
A man's voice came through the speaker.
"Mr. Carter? This is Jordan Mitchell. I heard there was a misunderstanding about the money.""
Dad looked at Kayla.
Then at Vanessa.
"How did you know I was checking the account?""
Jordan chuckled.
"Because your wife called me ten minutes ago.""
Dad's eyes narrowed.
"What did you do with the money?""
There was a pause.
May you like
Then Jordan said something that made my father grip the phone harder.
"Mr. Carter, I think you should ask your wife why she transferred the money to me in the first place.""
