Chapter 11: The Secret My Father Had Kept for Years
Dad remained standing beside the kitchen counter long after Richard's SUV disappeared.
Monica sat in a chair with her hands covering her face.
Olivia stood near the staircase.
Nobody spoke.
Finally, I asked the question that had been burning inside me.
"Dad, what happened to the original trust money?""
He closed his eyes.
Then he pulled out a chair.
"Sit down, Jasmine.""
I didn't move.
"Just tell me.""
He looked at Monica.
"Go upstairs.""
She lifted her head.
"Marcus—"
"Now.""
Monica slowly stood.
She took the black suitcase with her and disappeared into the hallway.
Olivia remained.
Dad looked at her.
"You can stay.""
Then he turned toward me.
"Your mother and I had a difficult year before she died.""
I sat down.
He continued.
"She was worried about the company. Not because it was losing money, but because she had discovered irregular transactions.""
"What kind of transactions?""
"Money was being moved between accounts without proper authorization.""
I remembered the bank statement.
Forty-two thousand dollars.
"Was Uncle Richard doing it?""
Dad nodded slowly.
"At first, I thought so.""
"What do you mean?""
"Richard had access to some of the company's financial records. He was supposed to help with administrative work. But your mother noticed that several payments didn't match the invoices.""
Dad rubbed his forehead.
"She asked me to investigate. I found evidence that someone had used my credentials to authorize transactions.""
I stared at him.
"Someone used your signature before?""
"Yes.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I didn't know how much your mother had discovered.""
He looked down at his hands.
"Three months before she died, she asked me to move some money into a separate account. She said it would protect your future if anything happened to her.""
I felt my throat tighten.
"Did you?""
"Yes.""
"How much?""
"Two hundred and ten thousand dollars.""
My eyes widened.
"Where is it?""
Dad looked directly at me.
"Still there.""
I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
"Then why did Richard say the original trust money was missing?""
"Because there was another account.""
He reached into his briefcase and removed an old bank statement.
The account belonged to Bennett Family Holdings.
Its balance had once been more than three hundred thousand dollars.
Now it showed almost nothing.
Dad pointed to the transaction history.
"Your mother discovered that someone had emptied this account over several months.""
I looked at the dates.
The withdrawals began shortly before her death.
They continued afterward.
"Who took it?""
Dad shook his head.
"We never proved who authorized the transactions.""
Olivia spoke quietly.
"Was that why Mom was angry with Jasmine?""
Dad turned toward her.
"What?""
Olivia looked frightened.
"Mom said Jasmine's mother had left too much money behind. She said the company should have been divided between everyone.""
I stared at her.
"Who told you that?""
"Mom.""
Dad looked toward the staircase.
"How long has she been saying that?""
"Since last year.""
I felt sick.
Monica hadn't simply been angry that I was receiving attention.
She had convinced herself that my mother's inheritance was something she deserved.
Dad picked up the original agreement Richard had left.
"There's something else I need to tell you.""
I waited.
"After your mother died, I signed several documents related to the company.""
My stomach tightened.
"What documents?""
"Routine administrative forms. At least, that's what I believed.""
"Did you read them?""
"Some. Not all.""
He looked ashamed.
"I was grieving. Richard told me he would handle the business paperwork. I trusted him.""
"Did you sign anything giving Monica control?""
"No.""
"Then why is her name on that agreement?""
"I don't know.""
He stared at the document.
"But I remember one thing.""
"What?""
"Your mother was terrified that someone would try to change the company ownership after she died. She told me never to sign anything involving the trust without speaking to Margaret.""
I looked at him.
"Did you promise?""
"Yes.""
"Did you keep that promise?""
Dad lowered his eyes.
There was my answer.
He had signed documents without consulting the attorney.
Perhaps that was how Richard had managed to get so close to the company.
I wasn't angry with Dad.
But I needed him to understand something.
"Mom didn't create all those protections because she thought people were going to be nice.""
He looked at me.
"She created them because she was afraid.""
His eyes filled.
"I know.""
For several moments, we sat quietly.
Then Olivia spoke again.
"There's something else.""
Dad turned toward her.
"What?""
She looked at me.
"I found Mom's old email account open on her tablet.""
My heart began beating faster.
"When?""
"Yesterday.""
"What did you see?""
Olivia swallowed.
"There were messages between Mom and Uncle Richard. And one from Daniel.""
Dad stood up.
"Where is the tablet?""
"Upstairs.""
"Get it.""
Olivia hurried away.
A few minutes later, she returned with a silver tablet.
She placed it on the table.
Dad opened the email application.
The account was still logged in.
There were hundreds of messages.
He searched for Daniel.
Several conversations appeared.
One subject line stood out.
*JASMINE'S EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY — FINAL TRANSFER.*
Dad clicked it.
The message was from Daniel Price.
Everything must be completed before the birthday. Once she reaches eighteen, she can request the full financial history. If she discovers the missing funds, the entire arrangement becomes vulnerable.
I read it twice.
Dad opened the reply.
It was from Monica.
I have arranged the room change and the scholarship issue. She will be out before the end of the month. Olivia has signed the necessary forms.
My hands went cold.
The next message contained a line that made me feel physically sick.
Once Jasmine is removed from the household and the ownership change is processed, there will be no reason for Marcus to challenge the arrangement.
Dad slammed the tablet shut.
Olivia started crying.
"I didn't know about that email.""
I looked at her.
"But you knew about the scholarship.""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
"You knew they were trying to make me leave.""
She nodded again.
I stood up.
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
Olivia wiped her face.
"Because I was scared.""
"Of what?""
"Mom said if I told Dad, we'd lose everything.""
I stared at her.
"Do you understand what they were trying to take from me?""
She nodded.
Then she whispered:
"There's another email.""
Dad reopened the tablet.
"Which one?""
Olivia pointed at a message dated two weeks earlier.
The subject line was:
*THE ORIGINAL BENEFICIARY AGREEMENT.*
Dad clicked it.
An attachment appeared.
It was a scanned legal document.
The first page identified the primary beneficiary as Jasmine Bennett.
The second page contained a handwritten amendment.
And the third page listed a condition that none of us had seen before.
Dad read it aloud.
"If the primary beneficiary is unlawfully removed from the family residence, all unauthorized transfers involving the property shall become subject to immediate independent review.""
He looked at me.
I stared at the document.
My mother had anticipated something like this.
The suitcase.
The bedroom.
The attempt to throw me out.
All of it could trigger a review.
But the final paragraph was even more important.
It identified the person who would take temporary control of the company's records during that investigation.
I read the name.
*Eleanor Brooks.*
Dad picked up his phone.
"We're meeting her first thing tomorrow.""
Then another email notification appeared.
It was from an address I didn't recognize.
The subject line read:
*YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOUR MOTHER DISCOVERED BEFORE SHE DIED.*
The sender's name was Samuel Whitmore.
The attorney Margaret had mentioned.
Dad opened the message.
There was only one sentence.
Marcus, I believe your wife was not the first person who tried to steal Jasmine's inheritance.
Beneath it was an attachment.
A photograph.
It showed my mother standing outside a hospital room.
And beside her was Monica.
But the photograph had been taken three days before my mother died.
The message continued.
Please look at the person reflected in the glass behind them.
Dad enlarged the photograph.
His face went white.
Because standing behind my mother and Monica was someone we had not expected to see.
My father.
But the date on the photograph was wrong.
May you like
Three days before my mother died, Dad had supposedly been on a business trip in another state.
So why was he standing outside her hospital room?
