Chapter 6: The Account I Never Knew Existed
I called Dad immediately.
He answered on the first ring.
“Did you see my message?””
My voice was shaking.
“The college fund?””
There was a pause.
“Yes.””
I sat down on the edge of my bed.
“I thought that account was empty.””
“It was supposed to be.””
The way he said it made my stomach twist.
“Dad…”
“I opened it when you were born.””
I looked around my room.
The walls suddenly felt unfamiliar.
“All these years?””
“I added money whenever I could.””
My eyes burned.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because I wanted it to be a surprise when you got accepted into college.””
I covered my mouth.
A college fund.
Something I never knew existed.
Something Vanessa had somehow found.
“How much?””
Dad didn’t answer.
“Dad. How much was there?””
His voice became quiet.
“Twenty-two thousand dollars.””
I couldn’t breathe.
Twenty-two thousand.
More than I could ever imagine.
More than all my summer shifts combined.
And Vanessa knew.
“How did she access it?””
“That’s what I’m trying to find out.””
I heard papers moving on his end.
“The bank said there were withdrawal attempts.””
“Attempts?””
“Yes.””
My heart raced.
“But she only succeeded with one.””
I stood up.
“What does that mean?””
“It means someone stopped the transaction before she could take everything.””
“Who?””
Silence.
Then Dad said:
“The bank manager.””
I frowned.
“Why would the bank manager stop it?””
“Because he recognized something.””
“What?””
Dad took a breath.
“He said the signature looked familiar.””
I gripped my phone.
“Whose?””
“Your mother’s.””
I froze.
My mother had been gone for years.
She couldn’t have signed anything.
“That’s impossible.””
“I know.””
“Dad, Mom is…”
“I know.””
His voice cracked slightly.
“But the signature on the form was copied from an old document she signed.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
Vanessa didn’t just steal.
She studied.
She planned.
She found old records.
She used memories of my mother against us.
“I’m coming home,” I said.
“No. Stay there.””
“Dad—”
“I need you safe.””
Safe.
The word bothered me.
Because this wasn’t just a family argument anymore.
This was someone who had crossed lines.
Someone who believed she could take whatever she wanted.
That evening, I sat alone in my room.
The house was unusually quiet.
Then I heard footsteps outside my door.
I expected Dad.
Instead, Vanessa walked in.
She looked exhausted.
For once, she didn’t look like the woman who always had control.
She looked scared.
“Can we talk?””
I didn’t answer.
She stepped inside anyway.
“I know you hate me right now.””
I looked at her.
“You stole from me.””
She swallowed.
“I know.””
“No. You don’t.””
My voice became louder.
“You don’t know what it feels like to work all summer for something and then find out someone decided it belonged to them.””
She looked down.
“I was desperate.””
“That’s not an excuse.””
“I know.””
Again, that word.
But this time, something was different.
She sat on the chair across from me.
“There’s something else you need to know.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
She took a shaky breath.
“Daniel wasn’t the only reason I took the money.””
My body went still.
“What does that mean?””
She looked toward the hallway.
Then whispered:
“Your father doesn’t know the truth about why your mother’s signature was on those papers.””
My heart started pounding.
“What truth?””
Vanessa looked at me.
And the fear in her eyes wasn’t about getting caught anymore.
It was about something much bigger.
“Because your mother didn’t sign those documents before she died.””
I felt the room spin.
“What are you saying?””
Vanessa leaned closer.
“I’m saying someone used your mother’s identity after she was gone.””
A knock suddenly came from downstairs.
Three sharp knocks.
Vanessa’s face turned white.
She whispered:
“He found us.””
“Who?””
She didn’t answer.
The front door opened.
And a man’s voice called from the hallway.
“Vanessa?””
I recognized the name.
Daniel.
But he wasn’t supposed to be here.
May you like
And when he stepped into the room, he wasn’t carrying a laptop.
He was carrying a folder with my name on it.
