Chapter 3: The Account She Never Mentioned
The next morning, I woke up feeling like I had lived through someone else’s nightmare.
My laptop money was gone.
My trust was gone.
And the person who had taken it was still sleeping in the same house.
I walked downstairs and found my father sitting at the kitchen table.
He looked exhausted.
A folder was open in front of him.
Inside were printed bank records.
He looked up.
“Emily.””
I sat across from him.
“Did you find out where the money went?””
He rubbed his forehead.
“Some of it.””
That answer scared me.
“What does that mean?””
He slid one page toward me.
“I found the laptop purchase.””
I looked at the receipt.
$1,899.
My hands tightened.
“She spent almost all of it on that?””
Daniel nodded.
“But that’s not everything.””
He tapped another page.
“Vanessa made several transfers over the last two months.””
“To where?””
He hesitated.
Then he said:
“A personal account.””
I stared at him.
“Her own account?””
“Yes.””
The anger I felt was different now.
The laptop hurt.
But this was bigger.
She didn’t just take my money.
She lied.
She hid things.
When Vanessa entered the kitchen, she stopped when she saw the papers.
“What are you doing?””
Daniel looked at her.
“Finding answers.””
She sighed.
“I already explained everything.””
“No, you explained why you think you’re allowed to do it.””
Vanessa looked at me.
“You really went this far?””
I couldn’t believe her.
“You stole from me.””
“I borrowed from you.””
“You didn’t ask.””
“You live here.””
I stood up.
“I’m your stepdaughter, not your bank account.””
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Vanessa laughed.
“You’re sixteen. You don’t understand how families work.””
My father looked at her.
“Families don’t work by taking from each other.””
Vanessa grabbed the papers.
“You’re making me look like the villain.””
Daniel pulled them back.
“I’m asking why my wife moved money without telling me.””
She stared at him.
Then her expression changed.
“You’re choosing her over me?””
My father looked shocked.
“This isn’t choosing sides.””
“It is.””
“No.””
He pointed toward the papers.
“This is about honesty.””
Vanessa looked at me with a cold expression.
“You think you won?””
I felt a chill.
“What?””
She smiled slightly.
“You have no idea what’s really going on.””
Daniel narrowed his eyes.
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa looked away.
“I’m not the only person who has been taking from this family.””
The room went silent.
My father stood.
“What did you just say?””
Vanessa picked up her purse.
“Ask Emily where her account information came from.””
I frowned.
“What are you talking about?””
She walked toward the door.
“Ask your father who helped set up that account.””
Daniel’s face changed.
“Vanessa.””
But she was already leaving.
I looked at my father.
“What did she mean?””
He didn’t answer immediately.
And that scared me.
Because my father had always told me the truth.
Except now…
He looked at the folder.
Then at the door Vanessa had just walked through.
Finally, he whispered:
“There’s something I never told you about that account.””
May you like
And before I could ask what it was, his phone started ringing.
The name on the screen made his face go pale.
