Chapter 3
The Money That Wasn't His
Mom didn't scream.
That frightened me more than anything.
She stood in the middle of our living room, holding the grocery receipt.
Marcus watched her.
I watched him.
Lily had gone quiet beside the kitchen table.
Then Mom asked, "How much money have you taken from this house?"
Marcus looked offended.
"Taken?"
"Don't play games with me."
He folded his arms.
"I'm your husband."
Mom nodded.
"That wasn't my question."
He looked away.
I knew that look.
I'd seen it whenever Marcus lied about job interviews.
Whenever Mom asked why the electric bill was late.
Whenever money disappeared from the kitchen drawer.
I stepped forward.
"Mom, there's something else."
Marcus turned sharply.
"Malik."
I ignored him.
"For the last six months, he's been asking me for money."
Mom stared.
"How much?"
I swallowed.
"Sometimes fifty dollars."
Marcus scoffed.
"That's nothing."
"Sometimes a hundred."
Mom's eyes widened.
"And last month, he took four hundred from my savings envelope."
Marcus stepped toward me.
"You gave it to me!"
I shook my head.
"You said Lily needed school supplies."
Mom looked toward the kitchen.
"Lily's supplies?"
I nodded.
"That's what he told me."
Mom turned toward Marcus.
"I bought Lily's school supplies myself."
The silence was unbearable.
I felt sick.
I'd spent months believing my little sister needed things our family couldn't afford.
So I'd given Marcus money.
Money I'd earned unloading trucks.
Money I'd saved by skipping lunches.
Money I'd planned to use for tools and transportation.
And he'd lied.
I opened my backpack.
Inside was a small notebook.
I carried it everywhere.
Every shift.
Every paycheck.
Every expense.
I placed it beside my apprenticeship folder.
Mom looked confused.
"What's that?"
"My budget."
I opened it.
The pages were filled with dates and amounts.
Groceries.
Gas.
School expenses.
Money Marcus borrowed.
Money he never returned.
Mom began reading.
Her face grew paler.
"Malik..."
I swallowed.
"I didn't want to tell you."
"Why?"
I looked toward Marcus.
"Because he said you'd be disappointed if I didn't help."
Mom covered her mouth.
Marcus laughed bitterly.
"He's exaggerating."
I turned the page.
"March twelfth. Seventy dollars."
Marcus looked away.
"March twenty-ninth. One hundred twenty."
I continued.
"April seventh. Two hundred."
Mom began crying.
"Stop."
I froze.
She looked at me.
"Baby, please stop."
I closed the notebook.
I thought she was angry.
At me.
For keeping secrets.
For causing another argument.
Then she reached for my hand.
"I'm so sorry."
My throat tightened.
"Mom?"
She pulled me into a hug.
"I had no idea."
I felt tears rising.
"I didn't want to make things harder."
Her arms tightened.
"You were supposed to be building your future."
I couldn't speak.
She whispered, "Not carrying this entire household."
For the first time in months, I allowed myself to cry.
Marcus cleared his throat.
"This is ridiculous."
Mom turned.
Her face hardened.
"Don't."
He raised both hands.
"You're acting like I robbed him."
She stared.
"Didn't you?"
Marcus's mouth opened.
Then closed.
Mom picked up her phone.
"I want to see our bank accounts."
He stiffened.
"Nia."
She walked toward the kitchen.
He followed.
I stayed beside the couch.
I heard cabinet doors opening.
Then Mom returned with her laptop.
She sat at the dining table.
Logged into her bank account.
And began reviewing transactions.
At first, she looked confused.
Then frightened.
Then furious.
"Marcus."
He stood behind her.
"What?"
She pointed at the screen.
"Why are there cash withdrawals every Friday?"
He shrugged.
"House expenses."
"Six hundred dollars?"
Silence.
"Eight hundred dollars?"
Marcus rubbed his forehead.
"Baby, listen."
Mom scrolled farther.
Then stopped.
Her face went completely white.
"Eleven thousand dollars."
I stared.
"What?"
She looked at Marcus.
"You withdrew eleven thousand dollars from our emergency savings."
He stepped backward.
"That money wasn't just yours."
Mom stood.
"I saved that money for Lily's medical expenses and emergencies."
My stomach tightened.
Lily had asthma.
Last winter, she'd spent two nights in the hospital after a severe attack.
Mom had been terrified.
She'd started an emergency fund so we would never struggle to afford her care.
Marcus knew that.
He knew exactly why the money mattered.
Mom stared at him.
"Where is it?"
Marcus looked down.
"Some of it went to bills."
She shook her head.
"I paid the bills."
He said nothing.
Mom's voice broke.
"Where is my daughter's emergency money?"
Marcus slammed his hand on the table.
"Stop interrogating me!"
Lily screamed from the kitchen.
I rushed toward her.
She was trembling.
I crouched beside her.
"It's okay."
She shook her head.
"He's mad."
I held her hand.
"I know."
Mom stepped between Marcus and the kitchen.
"Don't raise your voice around my children."
He laughed.
"Your children?"
Her face changed.
"You heard me."
Marcus pointed toward me.
"He's been turning you against me."
I stood.
"No."
Mom shook her head.
"You did that yourself."
Marcus looked from one of us to the other.
Then he grabbed his phone.
"I'm leaving."
Mom didn't stop him.
He walked toward the door.
Then turned.
"You're going to regret treating me like this."
I felt my stomach tighten.
Mom stood straight.
"Get out."
Marcus stared.
For a moment, I thought he'd refuse.
Then he slammed the door.
Lily began crying.
Mom rushed to her.
I stood in the living room.
Surrounded by groceries.
The controller.
The notebook.
The apprenticeship folder.
Everything that had been hidden was suddenly visible.
Mom held Lily tightly.
Then looked at me.
"Malik, I need to ask you something."
I nodded.
"Anything."
Her eyes filled.
"Have you already signed a lease?"
I hesitated.
"Not yet."
She took a breath.
"Good."
I felt my stomach drop.
I thought she was going to ask me to stay.
To keep helping.
To postpone my future.
Then she said something I never expected.
"Don't use another dollar of your savings to rescue this family."
I stared.
"Mom?"
She wiped her tears.
"You're going to that apprenticeship."
My throat tightened.
"And I'm going to make sure nobody steals your future again."
For the first time, I believed her.
Then her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
A woman's voice spoke urgently.
"Is this Nia Johnson?"
Mom frowned.
"Yes."
"My name is Vanessa."
My blood ran cold.
The woman from Marcus's phone.
She took a shaky breath.
"I think your husband has been lying to both of us."
Mom looked directly at me.
May you like
Then Vanessa whispered something that changed everything.
"And I think he's planning to take your house."
