Chapter 7: The Man Outside the House
The photo on my father’s phone made my entire body go cold.
It was taken from across the street.
Our house was clearly visible.
The front porch.
The driveway.
The living room window.
And standing near the mailbox was a man wearing a dark jacket.
Mark Reynolds.
I had never met him before.
But my father’s reaction told me everything.
“Dad?””
He didn’t answer.
He just stared at the picture.
His face looked like he had seen a ghost.
“Who is he?””
My father locked his phone.
“Someone from my past.””
“That doesn’t explain why he’s outside our house.””
He stood up quickly.
“Emily, go upstairs.””
I froze.
“No.””
His eyes softened.
“Please.””
“No, Dad.””
My voice shook.
“I’m sixteen, not six. Someone is watching our house because of money that was stolen from me.””
He looked away.
That silence told me I was right.
“What aren’t you telling me?””
My father sat back down.
“When I started my company, Mark was my partner.””
“What happened?””
He rubbed his hands together.
“We built everything together. Then I found out he had been moving company funds without permission.””
My eyes widened.
“So you caught him stealing?””
“Yes.””
“And you just cut him off?””
“I reported him.””
The room became quiet.
“What happened to him?””
“He disappeared.””
I looked at the photo again.
“He didn’t disappear.””
“No.””
My father’s voice became low.
“He waited.””
The next morning, Dad changed every password.
The bank froze the accounts.
He called the police and reported the unauthorized access.
But something still bothered me.
Vanessa knew.
She knew about Mark.
She knew how the accounts worked.
And she knew more than she admitted.
That afternoon, Mia came into my room.
I looked up, surprised.
She rarely came in without wanting something.
She stood awkwardly near the door.
“Emily?””
“Yeah?””
She looked down.
“I’m sorry.””
The words surprised me.
“For what?””
“The laptop.””
I closed my notebook.
“Mia, you didn’t steal my money.””
“But I loved it.””
She swallowed.
“I was so excited. I didn’t ask questions.””
I looked at her.
“That’s not your fault.””
She shook her head.
“It kind of is.””
For the first time, I saw my stepsister differently.
Not as the spoiled girl who always got everything.
But as someone who had been lied to too.
“I should have noticed,” she whispered.
“Noticed what?””
“That Mom always bought things when Dad wasn’t home.””
I sat up.
“What?””
Mia walked in and closed the door.
“She did this before.””
My heart started beating faster.
“What do you mean?””
“She would buy expensive things and say she got discounts.””
“Like what?””
Mia counted on her fingers.
“Designer bags. Jewelry. Clothes.””
I stared at her.
“Did Dad know?””
“No.””
“Why didn’t you tell him?””
Her eyes filled with guilt.
“Because I thought she was just spending her own money.””
A terrible thought entered my mind.
“How long?””
Mia looked at me.
“Since last year.””
That explained the transfers.
The hidden accounts.
The missing money.
The lies.
That evening, Dad called us both downstairs.
He had printed documents spread across the dining table.
“I found something.””
Mia and I sat down.
Dad pointed to the papers.
“Mark wasn’t just accessing the bank.””
“What else did he do?”” I asked.
“He created a fake authorization.””
Mia frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“He made it look like Vanessa had permission to move money.””
My stomach dropped.
“So Vanessa was tricked?””
Dad hesitated.
“She still made the transfers.””
“But Mark helped her.””
“Yes.””
The front door suddenly opened.
All three of us turned.
Vanessa walked inside.
Dad immediately stood.
“What are you doing here?””
She looked exhausted.
“I need to talk.””
“No.””
His answer was immediate.
“You need to explain.””
She looked at me.
Then at Mia.
“I didn’t know everything.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You expect us to believe that?””
Vanessa looked hurt.
“I know how it sounds.””
“Because it’s true.””
She looked at Daniel.
“Mark told me he was helping you.””
Dad’s expression changed.
“Helping me?””
“He said you were hiding money from me.””
I stared.
“That makes no sense.””
Vanessa looked down.
“He told me you had another account. That you were planning to leave me with nothing.””
Dad shook his head.
“I never did that.””
“I know that now.””
Her voice cracked.
“I was wrong.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Dad asked:
“When did Mark contact you?””
Vanessa looked terrified.
“Two months ago.””
My heart sank.
“Two months?””
That was when the withdrawals started.
Dad stepped closer.
“What else did he tell you?””
Vanessa opened her mouth.
Then stopped.
Her face changed.
Like she remembered something.
“What?””
She looked at all of us.
“He told me there was another person helping him.””
Dad frowned.
“Who?””
Vanessa looked toward the window.
And whispered:
May you like
“I don’t know.””
A second later, the lights in the house went out.
