Chapter 3
I didn't sleep.
At six the next morning, I was sitting at Jasmine's kitchen table with bank statements spread around me.
My cheek still hurt.
But the physical pain was nothing compared to what I felt when I looked at Lily's education account.
Ninety thousand dollars from my father.
Years of my own savings.
Nearly all of it gone.
I remembered the day Dad told me he'd opened the account.
Lily was still a baby.
He held her in his arms and smiled.
"This little girl is going places."
I laughed.
"Dad, she's six months old."
He kissed her forehead.
"Then I'll start saving early."
He worked overtime for years to make those deposits.
Even after his knees began hurting, he refused to retire.
He wanted his granddaughter to have opportunities he never had.
Now his gift had disappeared.
And my husband's sister appeared to be connected to the transfers.
Jasmine placed a cup of coffee beside me.
"Have you called the bank?"
I nodded.
"They're opening an investigation."
"Good."
I stared at the statements.
"I can't believe this."
She sat beside me.
"Nia, you need an attorney."
I nodded.
"I know."
By nine o'clock, I was sitting in the office of Renee Jackson.
Renee was a family and financial litigation attorney recommended by Jasmine.
She was in her forties, calm, and direct.
I showed her everything.
The property notice.
The education account statements.
The messages.
Photographs of my swollen cheek.
Then I explained what happened at Evelyn's dinner.
Renee listened without interrupting.
When I finished, she asked, "Do you feel physically safe returning home?"
I hesitated.
"I don't know."
She nodded.
"Then don't rush back."
I swallowed.
"What about Lily?"
"We'll discuss arrangements that prioritize her safety and stability."
I looked down.
"She watched Vanessa slap me."
Renee's expression softened.
"That matters."
Then she turned toward the financial documents.
"Was the house purchased before your marriage?"
"Yes."
"Whose name is on the deed?"
"Mine."
She nodded.
"And Lily's education account?"
"It was established by my father."
"Who had authorized access?"
I hesitated.
"Marcus and me."
Renee made a note.
"Did Vanessa have permission to withdraw money?"
"No."
"Did you approve any of these transfers?"
I shook my head.
"Never."
She looked at me.
"Then we need to establish who initiated them, what authority they claimed, and where the money went."
I nodded.
I wanted to believe everything could be fixed.
But Renee didn't make promises.
She explained that unauthorized transactions could sometimes be challenged and recovered.
She also warned me that the process could be complicated.
I appreciated her honesty.
For years, Marcus's family had told me what I wanted to hear while hiding the truth.
I was finished accepting comforting words without evidence.
After the meeting, I called Marcus.
He answered immediately.
"Nia."
His voice sounded exhausted.
"Where are you?"
"Somewhere safe."
He sighed.
"Please come home."
I took a breath.
"Marcus, what happened to Lily's education account?"
Silence.
Then he whispered, "What?"
"You heard me."
He was quiet.
I continued.
"More than a hundred thousand dollars is missing."
"Nia—"
"Don't."
My voice shook.
"Don't tell me you don't know."
He exhaled.
"I can explain."
My stomach tightened.
"Then explain."
He hesitated.
"Vanessa needed temporary financing."
I closed my eyes.
There it was.
The truth.
"Temporary financing?"
"She was supposed to repay everything."
I stared at the wall.
"You let her take our daughter's savings?"
He became defensive.
"It wasn't supposed to be permanent."
I felt sick.
"Marcus, Lily is six."
"I know."
"That money was for her future."
"I know."
My voice broke.
"My father worked his entire life to give her that money."
Marcus became quiet.
Then he whispered, "I'm sorry."
I started crying.
"Did you authorize the transfers?"
He hesitated.
"Some of them."
I stopped breathing.
"Some?"
"Nia, please."
I wiped my face.
"Did you also use our house?"
He said nothing.
My heart pounded.
"Marcus."
He whispered, "Vanessa needed collateral."
I closed my eyes.
"And you gave her my home."
"We thought the loan would be paid off before you noticed."
My entire body went cold.
Before I noticed.
Not before I agreed.
Before I noticed.
I stared at the wall.
"Who is we?"
Silence.
Then he said, "Nia, don't make this bigger than it needs to be."
I felt something inside me harden.
"Who is we?"
He swallowed.
"Mom knew."
I couldn't breathe.
Evelyn.
The woman who invited me into her home.
The grandmother who kissed Lily and called her precious.
The matriarch who watched Vanessa slap me.
She had known.
I ended the call.
For several minutes, I sat silently.
Then I began crying so hard I could barely breathe.
Renee handed me a tissue.
She had remained nearby for the call at my request.
I looked at her.
"He admitted it."
She nodded.
"We'll document what was said."
I swallowed.
"Can I protect Lily's remaining money?"
"Yes. We'll review immediate protective steps with the financial institution."
I nodded.
Then I asked the question that frightened me most.
"Can they take my house?"
Renee answered carefully.
"If the documents were unauthorized or fraudulent, there may be grounds to challenge them. We need to examine the deed and loan records."
I looked down.
I wanted to believe Dad's house would remain ours.
But the uncertainty terrified me.
That afternoon, I returned to Jasmine's home.
Lily ran toward me.
"Mommy!"
I knelt.
She wrapped her arms around my neck.
"Where were you?"
"Taking care of some important things."
She looked at my cheek.
"Does it still hurt?"
I smiled gently.
"A little."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry Auntie Vanessa did that."
My heart broke.
I hugged her tightly.
"Baby, you don't have to apologize for anyone else's behavior."
She nodded.
Then she whispered, "Daddy called."
My stomach tightened.
"What did he say?"
"He asked if I wanted to come home."
I swallowed.
"And what did you say?"
Lily looked down.
"I told him I wanted to stay with you."
I kissed her forehead.
"You can tell me how you feel, sweetheart."
She nodded.
Then she asked something that made tears fill my eyes.
"Mommy, are we poor now?"
I froze.
"Why would you ask that?"
She looked embarrassed.
"Grandma Evelyn said the house belongs to Auntie Vanessa now."
I stopped breathing.
"What?"
Lily nodded.
"She said we might have to move."
My heart began pounding.
Evelyn had told my six-year-old daughter something she hadn't even told me.
I pulled Lily close.
"Sweetheart, adults are sorting out some paperwork. You don't need to worry about that."
She clung to me.
"Are we going to lose our home?"
I held her tighter.
"I'm doing everything I can to protect it."
That evening, Renee called.
She had obtained copies of the recorded property documents.
Her voice was serious.
"Nia, there's another problem."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
"The paperwork includes a signature attributed to you."
I closed my eyes.
"I never signed a loan."
"I understand."
Then she continued.
"But the signature was notarized."
My heart stopped.
"By whom?"
Renee hesitated.
"Someone named Calvin Price."
I stared at the wall.
Calvin.
Vanessa's business partner.
The man who attended Lily's birthday party.
The man who brought Marcus expensive whiskey every Christmas.
And suddenly I remembered something.
Calvin had visited Lily's hospital room eight months earlier.
He brought a folder.
Marcus told me it contained insurance forms.
May you like
My hands began trembling.
Because I realized that the papers I'd signed while my daughter was sick might have been used to take everything my father left us.
