Chapter 5: The Person Behind the Money
The bank smelled like cold air conditioning and expensive perfume.
I sat beside Richard in the waiting area, but it felt like we were strangers.
The man who used to hold my hand during thunderstorms wouldn’t even look at me.
Lily sat between us.
Her small fingers wrapped around Richard’s sleeve.
She hadn’t let go since we left the house.
A bank manager named Thomas walked toward us carrying a folder.
“Mr. Anderson?””
Richard stood.
“Yes.””
Thomas glanced at me.
Then at Lily.
“Thank you for coming in.””
We followed him into a private office.
The door closed.
And suddenly, everything became real.
Thomas opened the folder.
“Mr. Anderson, we reviewed the activity on Lily’s trust account.””
Richard nodded.
“What did you find?””
Thomas looked uncomfortable.
“There were unauthorized withdrawals.””
“I know about the twelve thousand.””
Thomas shook his head.
“That was only the beginning.””
He placed printed documents on the table.
Richard picked them up.
His face tightened.
“The account was accessed six months ago.””
My stomach dropped.
Six months.
That was before the shopping trip.
Thomas continued.
“The person who accessed the account created a linked profile.””
Richard looked up.
“Who?””
Thomas took a breath.
“Vanessa.””
The room went silent.
I felt Lily move closer to Richard.
“I can explain.””
Richard didn’t even look at me.
“Not now.””
Thomas continued.
“Mrs. Anderson was added as a secondary manager on the account.””
Richard stared.
“That’s impossible. I never approved that.””
Thomas nodded.
“That’s the issue.””
He pointed to the documents.
“The approval signature appears to match yours.””
Richard frowned.
“My signature was forged?””
Nobody spoke.
The realization hit all of us.
This wasn’t just a bad decision.
This was planned.
Richard looked at me.
“You forged my signature?””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“Then who did?””
I had no answer.
Because suddenly, Angela’s message didn’t feel like the biggest secret anymore.
There was something else.
Something I didn’t understand.
Thomas continued.
“There’s one more thing.””
Richard looked back.
“What?””
“The person who initiated the boarding school payment wasn’t Mrs. Anderson.””
My eyes widened.
“What?””
Thomas turned a page.
“The request came from the authorized account user.””
“Who?””
Thomas looked directly at me.
“The request was submitted using your credentials.””
Richard’s expression hardened.
“So you did it.””
“No.””
My voice cracked.
“I didn’t.””
He stood.
“Then someone used your account.””
“Yes.””
“Who?””
I opened my mouth.
Then stopped.
Because there was only one person who knew enough.
Angela.
But why?
Thomas gathered the documents.
“There’s also a transfer scheduled for tomorrow.””
Richard froze.
“How much?””
Thomas looked down.
“Fifty thousand dollars.””
My heart stopped.
“Where was it going?””
Thomas hesitated.
“A private education foundation.””
Richard looked confused.
“What foundation?””
Thomas handed him another paper.
Richard read it.
Then his face changed.
“What?””
I leaned forward.
“What is it?””
He slowly turned the paper around.
The foundation name was written clearly.
*The Angela Carter Family Foundation.*
My blood ran cold.
Angela.
Richard stood immediately.
“We’re going to her house.””
I grabbed his arm.
“Richard, wait.””
He pulled away.
“No.””
“Please listen.””
He looked at me.
“For months, I thought you were the only person hurting my daughter.””
His voice broke.
“But now I’m starting to wonder if you were being used.””
I stared at him.
Because for the first time that night, I wondered the same thing.
When we arrived at Angela’s house, her car was already parked outside.
The lights were on.
Richard walked to the front door.
He didn’t knock.
He opened it.
And inside, sitting at the kitchen table, was Angela.
With Lily’s trust documents spread in front of her.
She looked up.
May you like
And smiled.
“You finally found out.””
