Chapter 4
I woke before dawn at Rachel’s house and found Daniel standing in the kitchen.
He was staring at his hands.
“They deposited Rachel’s check into Owen’s business account,” he said.
“We’ll give Priya the copy.”
“I keep seeing Mom at our table, asking if we needed anything.”
“You told her we did.”
“I told her about the pharmacy bill.”
I moved toward him.
“She knew you were working nights?”
“She knew.”
He closed his eyes.
Lily padded into the kitchen carrying her blanket. She looked at both of us.
“Are you fighting?”
“No,” I said. “We’re upset about something grown-ups need to fix.”
She took Daniel’s hand.
“You can have my blanket.”
He lifted her into his arms.
“I think that might help.”
I made breakfast while he sat with her. When she asked where her grandmother was, neither of us gave her a story we might later have to undo.
“Grandma Diane is dealing with something,” I said. “We’ll talk when we know more.”
At nine, Priya called.
The fundraising platform had supplied the payout dates. More than sixty-six thousand dollars had been transferred to the account Owen registered for his company. Several thousand remained in the platform account.
“He listed his company as the organizer,” Priya said.
“Was that allowed?” I asked.
“The question is what he told donors and what he did with their money.”
She had already contacted the platform’s review team. It had paused future payouts and asked Owen for an accounting.
I felt a rush of relief.
“At least he can’t take what’s left.”
“Correct.”
Priya wanted us at her office that afternoon. Before then, Daniel had a meeting at the hospital about our bills.
“I’m coming,” I told him.
He looked uncertain.
“It may be a long morning.”
“I know.”
At the billing office, a woman named Ms. Alvarez pulled up my account. She explained which charges had been paid, which insurance claims were under review, and which balances were still ours.
I asked her to repeat things when I didn’t understand them. Daniel took notes.
No one made us feel ashamed.
“I wish you had both come sooner,” Ms. Alvarez said kindly.
I looked at Daniel. He squeezed my hand.
She helped us apply for the hospital’s assistance program and arranged a temporary pause on collection while the insurance appeal was reviewed.
It did not erase the bills.
It gave us room to breathe.
Outside, Daniel leaned against the wall.
“I thought if I told them I couldn’t pay, they’d stop your treatment.”
“You should never have had to wonder that alone.”
He looked at me.
“I’m starting to understand that.”
At Priya’s office, Rachel joined us with her check copy. Priya had invited a financial investigator from the fundraising platform to speak by video.
The investigator explained that donations had been labeled for my medical care. Owen’s account was supposed to serve only as a temporary place to receive the payouts. He had not supplied receipts for the claimed expenses.
Then Priya placed a bank document in front of us.
It showed a payment from Owen’s account toward a lake property he and his wife had purchased in May.
Daniel stared at the date.
“That was the week I sold my car.”
I touched his wrist.
Priya said, “One transaction isn’t the whole accounting. But it’s serious enough that I’m recommending we make a formal report.”
“Yes,” I said.
Daniel looked at me, then nodded.
Priya explained the report would take time. We would need to preserve messages and avoid arguing with Owen about the evidence.
As we stood to leave, my phone rang.
Diane.
I let it go to voicemail.
She called again.
Then a message arrived.
Emma, please don’t let strangers decide what happens to our family. Come speak to me before Daniel ruins his brother’s life.
I showed Priya.
“Save it,” she said.
On the drive back, I read the message twice.
Diane had not asked how I felt. She had not asked whether I had medicine. She was worried about Owen.
At a red light, Daniel said, “You can be angry with her.”
“I am.”
“You can still miss her.”
I looked out the window.
“I do.”
May you like
We had almost reached Rachel’s street when she called.
“Lily’s safe,” she said immediately. “But Diane came to the house. She’s sitting in her car outside and says she won’t leave until she talks to Emma.”
