Chapter 7
Dad stood so quickly his chair scraped against the floor.
"Tomorrow morning?"
Daniel nodded.
"That's what the records indicate."
Dad stared at him.
"Can we stop it?"
"We're already contacting the bank's security team."
My hands went cold.
One hundred and twenty thousand dollars.
Another massive amount of money that Denise apparently expected to move before anyone stopped her.
I looked at Dad.
"What happens if it goes through?"
He didn't answer.
Daniel spoke carefully.
"It could create serious financial problems for Carter Construction. That's why we're moving quickly."
Peter joined the meeting by phone.
He confirmed that the company needed enough cash to cover payroll, materials, and upcoming obligations.
If another large transfer disappeared, employees could be affected.
That terrified me.
Dad had spent years building his company.
He employed more than twenty people.
Most had families depending on their wages.
This wasn't just about our house anymore.
Other families could suffer.
"Dad," I whispered, "what about your workers?"
He looked at me.
"I won't let them pay for this."
Then he turned toward Daniel.
"Tell me what we need to do."
The next several hours passed in a blur.
Dad contacted the bank.
Peter reviewed the business accounts.
Daniel prepared the necessary documents.
By late afternoon, the bank confirmed the disputed transfer had been stopped pending investigation.
Dad sat back in his chair.
For the first time all day, he exhaled.
"Thank God."
But Daniel wasn't smiling.
"Marcus, we still have a bigger problem."
Dad looked at him.
"What?"
"Someone with significant access to your business records has been using that access for unauthorized purposes. We need to determine exactly how much control Denise still has."
Dad nodded.
"Then remove it."
Daniel explained that account permissions, corporate authority, and digital security needed to be reviewed through the proper channels.
Dad agreed immediately.
I watched him sign the necessary instructions.
Then he looked at me.
"Maya, I want you to know something."
I swallowed.
"What?"
"From now on, nobody gets to make decisions about your future without you understanding what's happening."
My eyes filled.
I nodded.
"Okay."
That evening, we returned to Grandma's house.
I was exhausted.
But I couldn't sleep.
Around midnight, I heard Dad talking quietly on the back porch.
I walked toward the kitchen.
His voice drifted through the screen door.
"I don't care what happens to my marriage anymore, Daniel."
A pause.
"I care about my daughter."
My chest tightened.
Dad continued.
"She spent five years feeling unwanted in her own home. I didn't see it. I didn't protect her."
His voice broke.
"I'm not making that mistake again."
I backed away before he noticed me.
Then I went upstairs and cried.
But this time, the tears felt different.
They weren't just sadness.
They were relief.
For the first time, I believed my father was truly choosing me.
Not because Denise had stolen money.
Not because the marriage was falling apart.
But because he'd finally understood how much I'd suffered.
The next morning, Tasha arrived at Grandma's house.
I was shocked when I opened the door.
She wasn't wearing designer clothes.
She had on old jeans, sneakers, and a plain white T-shirt.
Her eyes were swollen from crying.
"Can we talk?" she asked.
I hesitated.
Grandma appeared behind me.
"Tasha?"
Tasha looked embarrassed.
"Mrs. Carter, I didn't know where else to go."
Grandma stepped aside.
"Come in."
Tasha sat on the couch.
For several minutes, she stared at her hands.
Then she looked at me.
"I'm sorry."
I didn't answer.
She swallowed.
"I know I've treated you horribly."
I sat opposite her.
"Yes, you have."
Her eyes filled.
"I thought if I acted like Mom, she'd be proud of me."
I stared at her.
Tasha continued.
"She always said Marcus loved you more than he loved us. She told me if we didn't look after ourselves, we'd get nothing."
My stomach twisted.
"She made you think Dad didn't care about you?"
Tasha nodded.
"She said we had to take whatever we could before he left us."
I looked down.
That sounded exactly like Denise.
Turning love into a competition.
Making everyone afraid there wasn't enough to go around.
Tasha wiped her cheeks.
"I know that doesn't excuse what I did."
I looked at her.
"No. It doesn't."
She nodded.
"I know."
Then she reached into her bag.
"I brought something."
My heart began pounding.
"What?"
She pulled out a folder.
Inside were copies of emails, property documents, and messages between Denise and Raymond.
"I found these on Mom's old laptop."
Grandma leaned forward.
"Did you make copies?"
Tasha nodded.
"I didn't change anything."
I looked at the first email.
It was dated almost two years earlier.
The subject line read:
"Final property plan."
My stomach twisted.
The message described using Silver Oak Properties to purchase the townhouse.
Then another email discussed moving business funds.
Then another mentioned my college account.
I felt physically sick.
But the worst message was near the bottom.
It was from Raymond.
He wrote:
"Once the accounts are cleared, Marcus won't have the resources to fight. Then you can leave."
I stared at the screen.
Leave.
Denise had been planning to leave my father.
But not before taking as much money as possible.
Tasha started crying.
"I didn't know about this part."
I looked at her.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded.
"I swear."
Grandma immediately called Dad.
When he arrived, Tasha handed him the folder.
He read silently.
His expression grew darker with every page.
Then he looked at Tasha.
"Why are you giving me this?"
She swallowed.
"Because it's wrong."
Dad studied her.
She continued.
"And because Maya didn't deserve any of this."
My throat tightened.
For the first time, I believed she might actually mean it.
Dad nodded slowly.
"Thank you for telling the truth."
Tasha started crying.
But before anyone could say more, Dad's phone rang.
It was Daniel.
He sounded urgent.
"Marcus, I need you to come to my office."
Dad frowned.
"What happened?"
Daniel paused.
"Raymond Ellis has agreed to meet with investigators."
Dad looked stunned.
"Why?"
Daniel took a breath.
"Because he's claiming Denise was the one who organized everything."
I looked at Tasha.
She looked terrified.
Then Daniel added:
"And there's a separate document suggesting Denise may have tried to use Maya's identity to secure another account."
My heart stopped.
"My identity?"
May you like
Dad turned toward me.
And suddenly, the money wasn't the only thing I was afraid of losing.
