Chapter 3: The Money Was Already Missing
Dad didn't raise his voice.
That was what frightened me most.
He simply placed the blue folder on the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
"Everyone stays here.""
Melissa shook her head.
"Daniel, this is a private matter between us.""
"No. It involves my daughter's inheritance. It involves a document with my forged signature. And apparently, it involves money that may already be gone.""
He looked at Chloe.
"Tell me exactly what you know.""
Chloe wiped her cheeks.
"I don't know anything.""
Dad stared at her.
"You just said the account was being transferred.""
"Mom told me.""
"What did she tell you?""
Melissa stepped forward.
"Daniel, she's a child. Stop pressuring her.""
Dad pointed toward the staircase.
"She can go upstairs after she answers.""
Chloe looked at her mother.
Melissa gave her a warning glance.
I noticed it.
Dad noticed it too.
"Melissa, stop looking at her like that.""
Melissa's mouth tightened.
"You're treating me like a criminal.""
"Then help me understand why there's a document I never signed.""
He opened the folder again.
I moved closer.
There were several documents inside.
One was a copy of the original trust agreement, dated six years earlier.
Another was a request to change the trustee.
A third was a statement from a financial institution showing a recent transfer request.
Dad studied it.
"Who is Martin Hale?""
Melissa went pale.
"He's an adviser.""
"Your adviser?""
"He helped organize some paperwork.""
"Why is his name listed as the proposed recipient of administrative authority?""
"Because he handles financial matters.""
Dad looked at the document again.
"This is not a normal administrative update.""
Melissa crossed her arms.
"You're making accusations without understanding the process.""
"Then explain the process.""
She said nothing.
Dad picked up his phone.
"I'm calling the bank.""
Melissa immediately reached for his arm.
"Don't.""
He pulled away.
"Why?""
"Because if you start making calls, this will become a huge mess.""
Dad looked at her.
"It's already a huge mess.""
He walked into the study and shut the door.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Chloe turned toward me.
"This is your fault.""
I stared at her.
"What?""
"If you hadn't won that stupid competition, none of this would have happened.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"You threw away my trophies.""
"Because you act like you're better than everyone!""
"You broke something Mom gave me.""
Chloe threw her hands up.
"Oh my God! It's a stupid little star!""
I stepped toward her.
"That was the last gift my mother gave me.""
"Well, she's not coming back!""
Melissa snapped her fingers.
"Chloe, enough.""
But she didn't tell her daughter to apologize.
Instead, she looked at me.
"Naomi, I understand that you're upset. But you need to realize that your father and I have responsibilities. This family has expenses.""
"My mother left that money for me.""
"Your mother left money that has been sitting untouched for years.""
"Because it was supposed to pay for college.""
Melissa laughed bitterly.
"College. Always college. Everything revolves around you.""
I looked at her.
"That's what the money is for.""
"Your father has a mortgage. Chloe has needs. I have sacrificed plenty to keep this family together.""
I felt something inside me finally harden.
"Then use your own money.""
Melissa's eyes narrowed.
"Excuse me?""
"You heard me.""
Chloe gasped.
Melissa took one step toward me.
"Don't speak to me that way.""
Before I could respond, Dad returned.
He held his phone in one hand.
His face was white.
"What happened?"" I asked.
He looked at me.
"The bank confirmed they received a request to change the trustee.""
Melissa exhaled.
"See? It was just a request.""
Dad continued.
"They also confirmed that someone attempted to transfer a portion of the trust assets.""
Melissa's face changed.
"Attempted?""
"Yes.""
"Then nothing happened.""
Dad stared at her.
"Not exactly.""
He placed his phone on the table.
"The bank froze the account after identifying inconsistencies in the authorization documents.""
I felt dizzy.
"How much money?""
Dad looked at the statement.
"One hundred and twenty thousand dollars was scheduled for transfer.""
I covered my mouth.
One hundred and twenty thousand dollars.
Almost half of everything my mother had left me.
Dad continued.
"The destination account belongs to a company called MH Financial Services.""
Melissa closed her eyes.
Chloe started crying again.
Dad looked at his wife.
"Who owns that company?""
Melissa didn't answer.
He repeated the question.
"Who owns it?""
Finally, she whispered, "Martin.""
"Martin Hale?""
She nodded.
Dad pulled out a chair and sat down.
For the first time since I had known him, he looked genuinely defeated.
"How long have you known him?""
Melissa's silence answered more than words could.
Chloe suddenly blurted out, "Mom said he was going to help us!""
Dad turned toward her.
"Help you do what?""
Chloe's face crumpled.
"She said once the money came through, we could pay off the house and buy the car. She said there would be enough left for me to go to college without loans.""
Dad looked at Melissa.
"You were going to use Naomi's inheritance to pay our mortgage?""
Melissa raised her voice.
"Our mortgage! Our house! The house I live in!""
"That money isn't yours.""
"I have been married to you for six years!""
"And Naomi has been my daughter for seventeen!""
Melissa's eyes filled with tears.
"Do you know what it's like living with a child who constantly reminds you that you're not her real mother?""
I stared at her.
I had never said that.
Not once.
Dad's expression hardened.
"Don't turn this around.""
Melissa wiped her cheeks.
"I gave up so much for this family.""
Dad pointed toward the documents.
"Then why did you submit paperwork with a signature you say is mine?""
She looked away.
He continued.
"And why was my daughter's money being transferred to a company owned by a man I have never met?""
Melissa's voice dropped.
"Martin was going to invest it.""
"Without Naomi's permission?""
"She doesn't understand investments!""
I stepped forward.
"I understand that I never agreed to give him my money.""
Melissa glared at me.
"You're making a terrible mistake.""
Dad stood.
"No. You made the mistake.""
He took the folder and began arranging the papers.
"I'm contacting the bank's fraud department, and tomorrow morning I'm taking these documents to an attorney.""
Melissa's expression changed.
"Daniel, don't you dare.""
"I will do whatever is necessary to protect my daughter.""
Chloe grabbed her mother's sleeve.
"Mom, you said everything was handled.""
Melissa pulled her arm away.
"Not now, Chloe.""
"But you said Dad wouldn't find out until after the transfer!""
Dad stopped moving.
Slowly, he turned toward his wife.
"After the transfer?""
Chloe clapped both hands over her mouth.
Melissa looked at her daughter with pure fury.
Dad approached the table.
"What do you mean, after the transfer?""
Chloe started sobbing.
"I didn't know it was wrong!""
"Tell me what your mother told you.""
Melissa stepped between them.
"Daniel, she's confused.""
But Chloe was already speaking.
"Mom said Martin had the paperwork ready. She said the bank would release the money on Monday. She said you had already approved everything.""
Dad looked at the date on the document.
Then he checked his phone calendar.
It was Friday.
The transfer was scheduled for three days later.
He stared at Melissa.
"You told me last week you were visiting your sister.""
Melissa didn't answer.
"You weren't visiting your sister, were you?""
Her lips trembled.
Dad took another paper from the folder.
It was a hotel reservation.
Two nights.
A flight itinerary.
And a second bank account listed under Melissa's name.
I looked at the documents.
"Where were you going?""
Melissa's silence stretched across the room.
Then Dad saw something else.
A handwritten note attached to the reservation.
He read it once.
Then again.
His face changed completely.
"Melissa...""
She took a step backward.
"What?""
Dad held up the note.
"Why does this say you're leaving the country with Martin on Monday?""
Chloe began screaming.
"Mom, you told me we were all going!""
Dad lowered the paper.
And I finally understood.
They hadn't simply planned to take my inheritance.
They had planned to disappear with it.
But Dad wasn't finished.
He looked at the final page in the folder, where another name appeared beside Melissa's.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Naomi... I think we need to find out who else knew about this.""
Because the name beside Melissa's signature was not Martin Hale.
May you like
It was someone from my mother's family.
Someone I had trusted my entire life.
