Chapter 4
Sabrina's suitcase stood beside the front door.
My aunt kept crying.
And my mother was hiding upstairs.
I looked at my cousin.
"What exactly did I agree to?"
Sabrina's eyes widened.
"You really don't know?"
"No, Sabrina. I really don't."
Aunt Denise reached toward me.
"Maya, sweetheart, please understand—"
I stepped back.
"Don't call me sweetheart."
She dropped her hand.
Dad closed the door behind them.
"Everyone into the living room."
We sat facing each other.
For the first time, Sabrina didn't look smug.
She looked terrified.
She was nineteen.
Beautiful.
Always perfectly dressed.
Always reminding me that her mother had promised her the best life.
Now her mascara was running.
"My mom said you offered to share your grandmother's money," she whispered.
I laughed.
It came out broken.
"I didn't even know Grandma left me money."
Sabrina stared at Aunt Denise.
"Mom?"
Aunt Denise covered her mouth.
Dad leaned forward.
"Denise, start explaining."
My aunt began twisting her wedding ring.
"Claire told me the trust was meant to support the family."
Dad shook his head.
"No. It was meant to support Maya."
"She said Maya didn't need it because of the scholarship!"
"That scholarship wasn't even confirmed when the withdrawals started."
Aunt Denise looked away.
I spoke quietly.
"Where did the money go?"
Sabrina wiped her cheeks.
"Some of it paid for my college apartment."
My stomach tightened.
"What else?"
"My car. Tuition deposits. Some debts."
Dad looked at Denise.
"Your debts?"
She nodded weakly.
"And what else?" he demanded.
Aunt Denise began sobbing again.
"My boutique was failing."
There it was.
The boutique she'd opened two years earlier.
The one she'd claimed was financed by a private investor.
The one Mom constantly encouraged me to shop at.
I felt sick.
"You used Grandma's money to save your business?"
Denise whispered, "I thought Claire had permission."
I looked at Sabrina.
"And you?"
Her face crumpled.
"I thought you knew."
I wanted to believe her.
But then I remembered something.
Last Christmas.
Sabrina had looked at my secondhand laptop and laughed.
"Some people are born lucky. Others have to work for everything."
At the time, I'd felt embarrassed.
Now I wondered whose money had purchased her new car.
Dad pulled out the forged authorization.
"Did either of you sign Maya's name?"
Sabrina shook her head immediately.
"No!"
Aunt Denise hesitated.
Dad noticed.
"Denise."
"I didn't sign it."
"Then who did?"
She stared toward the staircase.
We all followed her gaze.
My mother stood at the top.
She was wearing a silk robe.
Her expression was cold.
"So everybody decided to have a meeting without me?"
Dad stood.
"Come downstairs."
She descended slowly.
Then looked at her sister.
"Why are you here?"
Denise began crying harder.
"Claire, it's over."
Mom's eyes flashed.
"Be quiet."
"No. I won't."
Sabrina stood.
"You told me Maya agreed!"
Mom looked irritated.
"I told you what you needed to know."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"You lied to everyone."
Mom turned toward me.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Enjoying what?"
"Watching your family fall apart."
My voice shook.
"You did this."
She stepped closer.
"I sacrificed eighteen years raising you."
Dad moved beside me.
"Claire, stop."
But she continued.
"I gave up opportunities. Friends. My career. And all you ever cared about was leaving."
I stared at her.
"So you stole my money to punish me?"
She flinched.
Then pointed at Dad.
"Your father has plenty of money. He could replace it!"
The room went silent.
Dad looked almost physically wounded.
"My mother's life savings weren't yours to distribute."
Mom crossed her arms.
"Family helps family."
I finally understood something.
To her, family meant everyone except me.
My needs were selfish.
My boundaries were disrespectful.
My dreams were abandonment.
But everyone else's mistakes deserved my sacrifice.
I turned to Sabrina.
"Did you apply to Westbridge?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
"Did you know Mom tried to transfer my scholarship?"
Sabrina looked confused.
"What?"
My mother moved suddenly.
"Don't answer her!"
Dad stepped between them.
Sabrina began shaking.
"Mom told me if Maya declined, somebody might reconsider my application. I didn't know they were pretending to be her."
Aunt Denise closed her eyes.
I looked at my mother.
"You tried to take both things Grandma wanted me to have."
She stared silently.
"My education. My independence."
For a moment, something flickered across her face.
Regret, maybe.
But then she said, "You wouldn't understand what I've done for this family."
Dad picked up the documents.
"This conversation is over."
Mom laughed.
"What are you going to do, Marcus? Call the police on your wife?"
He looked at her.
"I'm going to protect our daughter."
Her laughter stopped.
"You're serious?"
"Completely."
She glanced around the room.
Then suddenly smiled.
It was a strange smile.
Almost relieved.
"You think some old documents prove anything?"
My father frowned.
"What does that mean?"
She pointed toward the envelope.
"Those are copies."
I felt cold.
"So?"
"The originals were handled months ago."
Dad stared at her.
"Handled how?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she picked up her phone.
Aunt Denise gasped.
"Claire, don't call him."
I looked at my aunt.
"Call who?"
Mom ignored us.
She dialed a number.
When someone answered, she turned away.
"We have a problem," she said.
Then she listened.
Her expression changed.
For the first time that evening, she looked genuinely frightened.
"What do you mean he knows?"
Dad stepped forward.
"Claire, who are you talking to?"
She ended the call.
Her hands were trembling.
Aunt Denise whispered, "Oh, God."
I turned toward her.
"Who was that?"
Denise looked at Dad.
Then at me.
And finally told us the secret none of us had expected.
"Claire didn't do this alone."
Dad's face hardened.
"Who helped her?"
My aunt swallowed.
"The man who manages Maya's trust."
I felt the floor disappear beneath me.
Because if the person responsible for protecting my grandmother's money had helped steal it, we weren't facing one betrayal.
May you like
We were facing a conspiracy.
And the people involved already knew we were asking questions.
