Chapter 4
Arthur took one look at the photographs and stood up.
“Where did you get these?”
“Darius sent them.”
“When?”
“Three months ago.”
Arthur stared at the screen.
The transfers appeared to show tuition payments made from an account associated with my late mother, Elena Williams.
I had never paid much attention to that account.
After Mom died, Arthur explained that she had left a small education fund for me.
He used it to help cover school expenses.
When the fund ran low, he paid the remaining tuition from his own savings.
At least, that was what I believed.
Darius had told me a different story.
He claimed he had been contributing money quietly for years.
He said Arthur was too proud to admit he needed help.
I wanted to believe him.
So I never asked questions.
Arthur handed back my phone.
“Maya, those transfers are from your mother's education account. Darius didn't fund them.”
I stared at the images.
“But how did he get them?”
Arthur's face tightened.
“That's what I want to know.”
We went inside.
Arthur retrieved an old folder from the study.
It contained tuition statements, payment confirmations, and documents related to my mother's estate.
He spread them across the dining table.
I sat beside him.
For the first time, I looked carefully at the numbers.
Mom had left approximately thirty thousand dollars for my education.
The money covered part of my first two years.
Arthur paid the rest.
A lot of it.
I stared at the statements.
“Dad, you paid this much?”
He shrugged.
“You needed school.”
“But you never told me.”
“You were already working hard. I didn't want you worrying about bills every day.”
My eyes filled.
Arthur worked as a senior maintenance supervisor for the city's transit system.
He earned a decent living.
But we weren't wealthy.
He drove the same truck for twelve years.
He repaired things instead of replacing them.
He brought lunch from home rather than buying food at work.
I used to tease him about being cheap.
Now I understood why.
He had been saving for me.
“Why didn't you let me take out more loans?” I whispered.
He smiled faintly.
“Because your mother and I wanted you to start your career with as little debt as possible.”
I looked away.
Darius had told me Arthur was controlling.
He said Arthur enjoyed reminding me how much he sacrificed.
But Arthur had barely mentioned any of it.
Meanwhile, Darius had taken credit for payments he never made.
I opened our message history.
There were dozens of conversations.
He sent compliments.
Promised vacations.
Talked about introducing me to important people.
And repeatedly asked about my graduation.
At first, I thought he was finally interested in my life.
Now I noticed how often he mentioned photographs.
He wanted pictures of us together.
He wanted my university name.
He wanted copies of my graduation announcements.
He even asked whether I would wear my nursing uniform in a photograph with him after licensing.
My stomach tightened.
“Dad, why would he care so much about pictures?”
Arthur looked at me.
“What do you mean?”
I showed him the messages.
He read them carefully.
Then his expression darkened.
“This doesn't feel right.”
My phone rang.
Darius.
We looked at each other.
Arthur didn't tell me whether to answer.
That was one thing he had always done.
He let me make decisions.
I accepted the call.
“Hello?”
“Hey, princess!”
Darius sounded cheerful.
“Did you send the pictures yet?”
I swallowed.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I've been busy.”
He sighed.
“Baby, I need them tonight.”
I looked at Arthur.
“Why?”
A pause.
“Because I'm proud of you.”
“Then why did you leave graduation?”
Another pause.
“I told you. Business.”
“What business?”
His voice sharpened.
“Maya, you don't need to interrogate me.”
I took a breath.
“Did you help pay for my education?”
Silence.
Then he laughed.
“Of course I did.”
“How much?”
“What?”
“How much money did you send?”
He hesitated.
“Thousands.”
“From which account?”
His tone changed immediately.
“What is this about?”
I looked at the tuition statements on the table.
“Arthur says the payments came from Mom's education fund.”
Darius went quiet.
Then he spoke slowly.
“Arthur has always been jealous of me.”
I felt sick.
“That's not an answer.”
“Baby, that man has spent years trying to make you forget who your father is.”
I gripped the phone.
“He raised me.”
“And I'm the reason you're alive.”
The words hit me like a slap.
I stared at Arthur.
He was sitting quietly across from me.
Not interrupting.
Not defending himself.
Just watching me.
I took a shaky breath.
“I'll call you later.”
“Maya, send the pictures.”
I ended the call.
My hands trembled.
Arthur waited.
Finally, I whispered, “He lied.”
Arthur nodded slowly.
“It looks that way.”
I stared at the statements.
“Why would he lie about something so easy to prove?”
Arthur considered the question.
“Because he expected you to believe him without checking.”
I looked down.
He was right.
Darius knew how badly I wanted his approval.
He knew I had spent years imagining a relationship with him.
And he had used that longing to make himself important.
That evening, I contacted Aunt Rochelle, my mother's older sister.
She lived in Savannah and had remained close to Arthur after Mom died.
When I explained what happened, she became furious.
“I warned your mother about Darius years ago.”
My stomach tightened.
“What do you mean?”
Rochelle sighed.
“Maya, there are things about your father's past you don't know.”
I closed my eyes.
“What things?”
“He borrowed money from your mother before he left.”
“How much?”
“Enough to cause serious problems.”
My heart began pounding.
“Did he ever repay it?”
“No.”
I stared at Arthur.
He was cleaning the kitchen.
He looked tired.
Older than he had that morning.
Rochelle continued.
“Your mother spent years rebuilding her finances after Darius disappeared. Arthur helped her.”
I swallowed.
“Why didn't anyone tell me?”
“Because Elena didn't want you growing up thinking your father was worthless.”
My eyes filled.
“She protected his reputation?”
“She protected your childhood.”
I covered my mouth.
Then Rochelle said something that made my blood turn cold.
“Maya, Darius contacted me last month.”
I sat straighter.
“What?”
“He asked whether your mother's estate had any money left.”
My stomach dropped.
“Why?”
Rochelle hesitated.
“He said he was preparing an investment opportunity for you.”
I stared at the phone.
“An investment?”
“Yes.”
She took a breath.
“And he wanted to know whether Arthur still controlled the old accounts.”
I looked toward the kitchen.
Arthur was standing beneath the warm light, carefully washing dishes.
The man who had sacrificed so much for me.
And somewhere across the city, Darius was apparently planning something involving money my mother had left behind.
May you like
For the first time, I wondered whether my biological father had returned because he loved me.
Or because he believed I had something he could take.
