Chapter 5: The Secret Behind the Screen
Nobody moved.
The lawyer’s words hung in the air.
Someone else in our house had accessed the scholarship account.
Someone else had changed my daughter’s future.
I looked around the room.
Marianne.
Zoria.
Kendra.
Three faces.
Three possible answers.
But only one person knew the truth.
Richard Hale closed the folder.
“We’re not making accusations tonight. The university is gathering evidence.””
I nodded slowly.
“But you’re telling me someone inside this house did this.””
“I’m telling you the changes came from a device registered at this address.””
Kendra looked terrified.
“Could it have been hacked?””
Richard shook his head.
“The account required personal verification.””
Zoria’s voice was quiet.
“So someone knew my information.””
That sentence hurt.
Because it meant the person who betrayed her wasn’t a stranger.
It was someone close enough to know her.
After Richard left, I stood in the kitchen staring at the documents.
Marianne approached.
“Daniel.””
I didn’t look at her.
“Don’t.””
“I can explain.””
“You’ve explained enough.””
Her voice cracked.
“I made mistakes.””
“No. Mistakes are forgetting an appointment. Mistakes are saying the wrong thing.””
I turned around.
“You planned this.””
She looked away.
That was almost worse.
“Did you know someone else was involved?””
Her silence answered before her words did.
“I didn’t know everything.””
I froze.
“What does that mean?””
Marianne sat down.
“I thought I was just fixing the scholarship issue.””
“Fixing?””
She swallowed.
“I didn’t know the application was changed.””
Zoria stepped forward.
“Mom.””
Marianne looked at her.
“I swear.””
My daughter laughed quietly.
A broken sound.
“You swear?””
Marianne cried.
“I was trying to help Kendra.””
Kendra suddenly slammed her hand against the table.
“Stop saying my name!””
Everyone turned.
She was shaking.
“You keep using me as an excuse.””
Marianne stared at her.
“I love you.””
“Then why did you make me part of something horrible?””
No answer.
Kendra walked upstairs.
A few minutes later, she came back holding her laptop.
“I need to show you something.””
She placed it on the table.
“What is this?”” I asked.
“My old email account.””
She opened a folder.
“There were messages I ignored.””
Zoria moved closer.
The first email was from an unknown address.
The subject line read:
“Your mother is making a mistake.””
I clicked it.
Inside was a warning.
Someone had written:
“Marianne Carter is trying to withdraw Zoria’s scholarship. If you care about your sister, stop her.””
My heart raced.
“Kendra, when did you get this?””
“Three weeks ago.””
I stared at her.
“Three weeks?””
She nodded.
“I thought it was someone trying to start drama.””
Zoria looked hurt.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
Kendra’s eyes filled.
“Because I was scared you’d think I wanted it.””
The two sisters looked at each other.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Zoria walked over and hugged her.
Kendra broke down.
“I’m sorry.””
“You didn’t do this,” Zoria whispered.
“But my name was used.””
“Not by you.””
I watched them hold each other and felt something break inside me.
My wife had spent months trying to separate them.
But she failed.
Because the bond she tried to destroy was stronger than the lies she created.
Then I noticed something.
The email address.
I leaned closer.
“Wait.””
Everyone looked at me.
“What?””
I pointed at the screen.
“This sender.””
The address was familiar.
Not because I knew the person.
Because I had seen the name before.
Years ago.
On a legal document.
A name connected to Marianne’s past.
I searched through my phone.
My hands moved quickly.
Then I found an old message.
A name appeared.
I looked up.
“Who is Victor Lane?”” I asked.
Marianne’s face changed instantly.
The color drained from her skin.
“Where did you see that name?””
I stood.
“You tell me.””
She didn’t answer.
Kendra looked confused.
“Mom, who is Victor?””
Marianne whispered:
“He’s someone who should have stayed gone.””
The room became silent.
Then Zoria looked at me.
“Dad…”
I knew that tone.
She had noticed something.
“What?””
She pointed at the laptop.
“The email.””
I looked back.
There was one detail I hadn’t seen before.
The sender had included a signature.
A name.
A phone number.
And a message underneath.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you sooner.””
The message wasn’t for Kendra.
May you like
It wasn’t for me.
It was for Zoria.
