Chapter 4: The Forty-Two-Thousand-Dollar Secret
Monica didn't answer immediately.
She stood beside the bedroom door, staring at the bank statement on my laptop as though the numbers might somehow disappear if she refused to acknowledge them.
Dad enlarged the transaction.
"Forty-two thousand dollars," he repeated.
"Transferred from our savings account.""
Monica swallowed.
"Marcus, you're misunderstanding what you're looking at.""
"Then explain it.""
"It was a financial arrangement.""
"With whom?""
She glanced toward Olivia.
Olivia was sitting on the edge of the bed, crying silently.
"Mom?"" Olivia whispered.
"What's going on?""
Monica ignored her.
Dad scrolled down.
The recipient was listed as Daniel Price, with a bank reference identifying a company called Price Property Consulting.
Dad frowned.
"I've never heard of this company.""
"It's an investment.""
"What investment?""
"Something I was handling privately.""
Dad let out a short, humorless laugh.
"Privately? You transferred forty-two thousand dollars from our savings without telling me?""
Monica folded her arms.
"I contributed to this household too.""
"That money was from the account we established for the house and the girls' education.""
"Exactly. The girls' future.""
Dad looked at her.
"Which girls?""
Monica's expression hardened.
"Don't start making this about Jasmine.""
I stood near the doorway, holding my laptop.
"Everything seems to become about me when something goes wrong.""
Monica pointed at me.
"You should stay out of adult financial matters.""
Dad immediately stepped between us.
"She has every right to know why her home was being transferred behind her back.""
Monica shook her head.
"Marcus, you're allowing her to manipulate you.""
I felt my fingers tighten around the laptop.
"I didn't transfer forty-two thousand dollars.""
"Nobody said you did.""
"You took my bedroom. You deleted my scholarship opportunity. You packed my belongings. And now you're saying I'm manipulating Dad?""
"Jasmine!"" Dad warned gently.
I stopped.
Not because Monica deserved my silence.
Because I could see how badly Dad was trying to keep himself from losing control.
He returned to the bank statement.
"Who is Daniel Price?""
Monica sighed.
"He's a consultant.""
"Why does a consultant need forty-two thousand dollars?""
"To facilitate the property transfer.""
Dad went completely still.
I felt my stomach drop.
"Property transfer?"" he repeated.
Monica looked away.
Dad closed the laptop.
"You're going to tell me everything.""
She shook her head.
"Not in front of the children.""
"Then you shouldn't have involved the children in your plans.""
He picked up his phone.
"Marcus, what are you doing?""
"Calling the bank.""
Monica rushed toward him.
"Don't.""
That one word changed the atmosphere.
Dad looked at her.
"Why?""
She stepped back.
"Because there's a simpler explanation.""
"Then give me one.""
Monica pressed her hands together.
"The money was supposed to be returned.""
"When?""
"Soon.""
"How soon?""
She didn't answer.
Dad dialed the bank.
I watched Monica's face as he spoke to the representative.
He asked about the transaction, the authorization method, and whether additional transfers had been scheduled.
Then his expression changed again.
"What do you mean there's another pending payment?""
Monica closed her eyes.
Dad listened.
"How much?""
A pause.
"Thirty thousand?""
My knees felt weak.
Dad ended the call and stared at his wife.
"You arranged another transfer?""
Monica's voice became defensive.
"I had to secure the deal.""
"What deal?""
"The property deal!""
"You were transferring my house!""
"Our house!""
"Purchased three years before I married you. Paid for with my inheritance and my salary.""
Monica's face reddened.
"Everything you've built has been about Jasmine!""
I looked at her.
For a moment, I genuinely couldn't understand how someone could say something so cruel while standing in the home where she had spent five years being treated as family.
Dad put his phone in his pocket.
"Explain Daniel Price.""
Monica looked toward the stairs.
Then she whispered, "He's my brother.""
Dad stared.
"Your brother?""
I remembered the name.
Monica had mentioned a brother only once, years earlier. She said he lived out of state and worked in real estate.
But Dad had never met him.
"Why is your brother involved in transferring my property?"" Dad asked.
Monica rubbed her forehead.
"He has financial difficulties. I was helping him.""
"With forty-two thousand dollars?""
"He needed money to settle some debts.""
"And the house?""
She hesitated.
"He had a buyer.""
Dad took a step backward.
"A buyer?""
Monica nodded reluctantly.
"Someone interested in purchasing it after the transfer.""
I felt cold.
"You're selling our house?""
Monica snapped.
"Don't call it your house!""
Dad's head turned sharply.
"That's enough.""
She immediately lowered her voice.
"I was trying to make sure Olivia had security.""
"By stealing Jasmine's security?""
"She'll be eighteen soon! She can go to college and build her own life. Olivia needs stability.""
I looked at Olivia.
She was staring at the floor.
For the first time, she didn't seem happy about getting my room.
Dad picked up the property folder.
"Nobody is selling anything. Nobody is transferring anything. And nobody is touching my daughter's belongings again.""
Monica's expression became desperate.
"Marcus, think about our marriage.""
"I am.""
"Five years!""
"Five years during which you apparently planned to take my home.""
She stepped toward him.
"I love you.""
Dad looked at her for a long moment.
"Then why did you make a plan that required my daughter to disappear?""
Monica had no answer.
Dad took the documents and placed them inside his briefcase.
Then he turned to me.
"Jasmine, pack nothing else. You're staying here.""
I nodded, but my eyes were on the laptop.
There was one more file I hadn't opened.
A document labeled:
*DANIEL PRICE — PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS.*
I clicked it.
A scanned page appeared.
The first line contained an account number.
The second contained the name of the company receiving the money.
But the third line was what made me stop.
It listed the person who would receive the final proceeds from the house sale.
Not Monica.
Not Olivia.
Not even Daniel Price.
I looked at Dad.
"Dad, I think you need to see this.""
He leaned toward the screen.
May you like
And when he read the beneficiary's name, he whispered:
"That's impossible.""
