Chapter 6: The Fake Promise
My father read the email three times.
Each time, his expression became harder.
“This was fabricated,” he said.
I looked at him.
“How do you know?””
He pointed at the screen.
“The dates.””
I moved closer.
The email Claire had saved claimed my father gave her permanent permission to use the account however she wanted.
But there was one problem.
The date on the document was after my father had already changed the account rules.
It was impossible.
“She created this later,” my father said.
Madison sat quietly on the couch.
Her face was pale.
“I can’t believe she did this.””
I looked at her.
“You didn’t know.””
“But she’s my mom.””
There was pain in her voice.
I understood.
Finding out a parent could hurt someone else was its own kind of heartbreak.
My father stood.
“I need to speak with Claire.””
I followed him.
“No.””
He looked at me.
“No?””
“She’ll twist everything.””
He sighed.
“Emily, she needs to answer.””
When Claire arrived that evening, she walked in confidently.
Until she saw the laptop on the table.
Then she stopped.
“You went through my things?””
Madison looked at her.
“I found it.””
Claire’s eyes narrowed.
“Madison.””
“No.””
Madison stood.
“You lied to me.””
The room went silent.
Claire looked shocked.
“Sweetheart—”
“Don’t.””
Madison wiped her eyes.
“You told me Dad approved everything.””
Claire looked away.
My father placed the printed email in front of her.
“Explain.””
Claire didn’t touch it.
“I don’t have to.””
“Yes, you do.””
She looked at him.
“You’re really doing this?””
“Yes.””
For a moment, I saw something I had never seen before.
Claire looked scared.
“I made mistakes.””
My father stared.
“Mistakes?””
“I was trying to fix things.””
“With Emily’s money.””
“I thought I could replace it.””
I stepped forward.
“You keep saying that.””
She looked at me.
“Because it’s true.””
“No.””
My voice shook.
“It’s because you never thought I mattered enough to ask.””
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
My father sat down slowly.
“Tomorrow, we meet with the bank.””
Claire’s eyes widened.
“What?””
“And a lawyer.””
Her face changed.
“You wouldn’t.””
My father looked at her.
“I already have.””
The next morning, I thought the worst was over.
I thought the truth was finally out.
But when we arrived at the lawyer’s office, he placed a new document on the table.
My father picked it up.
Then his expression changed.
“Emily.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
He turned the paper toward me.
At the bottom was a signature.
Not Claire’s.
Not my father’s.
Someone else’s.
May you like
A person who had known about my college fund from the beginning.
And when I saw the name, I realized Claire had not been working alone.
