Chapter 7: The Man in the Driveway
Dad moved before either Mia or I could stop him.
He crossed the living room and opened the front door.
Vanessa and Daniel were halfway up the walkway.
"Richard.""
Daniel stopped.
Dad stepped onto the porch.
"What are you doing here?""
Vanessa folded her arms.
"I live here.""
"I wasn't asking you.""
Daniel's expression remained calm.
"I drove Vanessa back.""
"Why?""
"Because she called me.""
Dad laughed once.
There was nothing amused about it.
"After twelve years?""
My eyes snapped toward him.
Twelve years?
Daniel slipped his hands into his pockets.
"Maybe this conversation shouldn't happen in front of the girls.""
"They're eighteen," Dad said.
"And considering Vanessa apparently tried accessing Ava's trust, I think we're done hiding things.""
Vanessa's face changed.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
So did Mia.
"Mom?"" Mia whispered.
Vanessa looked at her.
"I don't know what he's talking about.""
Dad's voice sharpened.
"Forty-eight thousand dollars.""
Daniel turned toward Vanessa.
"What?""
That reaction looked real.
Vanessa stared at Dad.
"You've been going through my things?""
"You used my signature.""
"I did no such thing.""
"We found the form.""
Vanessa went pale.
Daniel stepped away from her.
"You told me Richard agreed.""
Nobody moved.
Dad's voice dropped.
"Agreed to what?""
Daniel realized his mistake.
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
"Don't.""
He pulled free.
"Vanessa, you said he knew.""
"Daniel.""
"What did I know?"" Dad demanded.
Daniel looked between them.
Then at Mia and me.
"She told me Richard had agreed to cover the debt.""
"What debt?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Forty-eight thousand dollars.""
My stomach twisted.
The exact amount.
Dad stepped closer.
"Why does my wife owe you forty-eight thousand dollars?""
"She doesn't owe me.""
"Then who?""
Daniel exhaled.
"Weston Capital.""
Dad froze.
I had no idea what that meant.
Apparently Mia didn't either.
But Vanessa did.
Her face lost all color.
Dad stared at her.
"You invested with them?""
Vanessa said nothing.
"Answer me.""
"I was trying to fix things.""
"Fix what?""
"Our future!""
Vanessa suddenly exploded.
"You think your salary and this house are enough forever? College. Retirement.
Mia's future. Everything costs money.""
Dad looked stunned.
"So you invested money without telling me?""
"It was supposed to double.""
Daniel muttered, "That's not what they promised.""
Vanessa glared at him.
Dad turned.
"You knew?""
Daniel shook his head.
"Not until later.""
"Start talking.""
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
She whispered, "Don't you dare.""
He ignored her.
"Vanessa contacted me six months ago.""
"Why you?""
"Because she knew I worked in financial consulting.""
Dad laughed bitterly.
"You got fired from our company for hiding losses.""
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"That was twelve years ago.""
"And apparently you're still hiding things.""
Daniel took a breath.
"She'd already put money into Weston when she called me. I told her to stop.""
"How much?""
Vanessa looked away.
Dad repeated it.
"How much, Vanessa?""
"Twenty thousand.""
Mia gasped.
Dad stared at his wife.
"From where?""
Silence.
My skin went cold.
"Vanessa.""
She finally whispered, "Our savings.""
Dad closed his eyes.
When he opened them, he looked older.
"You took twenty thousand dollars from our savings without telling me?""
"I thought I could replace it.""
"And when you couldn't?""
Vanessa looked toward me.
That was enough.
I stepped backward.
"No.""
"Ava—"
"You were going to replace it with my mother's money?""
"It wasn't like that.""
"Then explain what it was like.""
She came toward me.
Dad blocked her.
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
"The money would have been returned before anyone noticed.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"You tried to steal forty-eight thousand dollars and planned to return it?""
"I was desperate!""
Mia stared at her mother.
"Why forty-eight?""
Vanessa wiped her face.
"Because penalties kept accumulating.""
Daniel spoke quietly.
"She borrowed more money trying to recover the first loss.""
Dad looked at him.
"How much?""
"Twenty-eight thousand.""
Vanessa screamed, "Shut up!""
Daniel didn't.
"The total debt is around forty-eight.""
Dad went silent.
Mia sank onto the porch chair.
"You told me we couldn't afford the college I wanted because Dad was saving everything for Ava.""
Vanessa turned.
"Mia—"
"You said he wouldn't help me.""
"I was trying to prepare you.""
"For what?""
Mia stood.
"For the money you lost?""
Vanessa reached for her.
Mia stepped away.
That seemed to hurt Vanessa more than anything Dad had said.
"Sweetheart.""
"Don't.""
Mia's voice broke.
"You made me hate Ava because you needed someone else to blame.""
Vanessa began crying.
"I did everything for you.""
"No.""
Mia shook her head.
"You did this for yourself.""
Daniel moved toward his car.
Dad noticed.
"Where are you going?""
"I've said what I know.""
"No, you haven't.""
Daniel stopped.
Dad stared at him.
"Why did Vanessa call you tonight?""
Daniel looked at her.
Then slowly reached inside his jacket.
He removed a white envelope.
Vanessa rushed toward him.
"Daniel!""
Dad took the envelope first.
Inside were several printed pages.
He read the first one.
His expression changed.
"What is it?"" I asked.
Dad looked at Vanessa.
Then at Daniel.
"This isn't an investment statement.""
Daniel said nothing.
Dad turned the page toward us.
At the top were two words I recognized immediately.
DIVORCE PETITION.
May you like
And beneath my father's name was a date.
Three months earlier.
