Chapter 7: Eleven Years Ago
Maya stared at the message until the letters blurred.
*ASK YOUR FATHER WHAT HAPPENED ELEVEN YEARS AGO.*
Jordan read it over her shoulder.
“Eleven years ago?””
Arthur looked like someone had pulled the floor out from beneath him.
Rose noticed.
“Arthur.””
He said nothing.
Rose's voice hardened.
“What happened eleven years ago?””
Arthur stood.
“I need to make a phone call.””
Maya stepped in front of him.
“No.””
“Maya, move.””
“No.””
He looked at her.
“You don't understand what you're getting into.””
“Then explain it.””
“I can't.””
“You keep saying that.””
Maya held up her phone.
“First the eighteen thousand. Then Grandma's sixty-two thousand. Then twelve thousand five hundred. Now forty thousand that supposedly came from somewhere else.””
Arthur's face tightened.
“You're confusing things.””
“Then unconfuse me.””
Jordan moved beside her.
“Dad, what happened eleven years ago?””
Arthur looked at his son.
“You were eight.””
“I remember.””
Arthur's eyes flickered.
“You remember what?””
Jordan frowned.
“Grandpa's funeral.””
Rose's expression changed.
Maya looked at her.
“Grandpa died eleven years ago.””
Arthur nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
“What happened after?””
Rose sat down.
Her hands began trembling.
“Your grandfather left money.””
Maya stared at her.
“How much?””
Rose looked at Arthur.
“Arthur?””
He closed his eyes.
“Two hundred thousand.””
Maya's breath caught.
“Two hundred thousand dollars?””
“It wasn't cash,” Rose said.
“It was life insurance and investments.””
Jordan looked confused.
“What happened to it?””
Rose's eyes filled with tears.
“Your grandfather wanted it divided between the family.””
Maya turned toward Arthur.
“Did you take it?””
“No.””
Rose whispered, “Not exactly.””
Maya looked back at her.
“What does that mean?””
Rose's fingers twisted together.
“Your father was supposed to manage the account temporarily.””
Arthur spoke quickly.
“Because Mom couldn't handle the paperwork.””
“And then?””
Arthur said nothing.
Rose continued.
“Six months later, the account was empty.””
Maya's mouth went dry.
“Two hundred thousand dollars?””
Arthur finally looked at her.
“Most of it.””
“Where did it go?””
“I invested it.””
“In what?””
“A business.””
“What business?””
Arthur looked away.
Jordan's voice sharpened.
“You lost Grandpa's money.””
Arthur slammed his hand against the chair.
“I didn't lose it!””
The room fell silent.
Arthur's breathing was heavy.
“I was trying to build something.””
“With Grandpa's money?””
“Yes.””
“And you failed.””
Arthur's eyes filled with shame.
“Yes.””
Maya slowly sat down.
“Why didn't Grandma know?””
Arthur stared at the floor.
“Because I replaced some of it.””
“How?””
“Loans.””
Maya understood.
“The private lender.””
Arthur nodded.
“The debt started eleven years ago.””
Rose covered her mouth.
“You told me the investments were safe.””
“I thought I could recover.””
“You lied to me for eleven years.””
Arthur's shoulders shook.
“I was going to fix it.””
Maya laughed bitterly.
“You've been saying that all day.””
Jordan looked at the phone.
“The forty thousand.””
Arthur went still.
“What about it?””
“Where did that come from?””
Arthur hesitated.
Maya stood.
“Dad.””
Arthur's eyes closed.
“It was part of Grandpa's money.””
Maya's face went pale.
“How?””
“I recovered it.””
“From where?””
Arthur didn't answer.
“From where?””
He finally whispered:
“An account I kept hidden.””
Rose stared at him.
“You had money hidden from me?””
“Yes.””
“How much?””
“Forty thousand.””
Maya's heart pounded.
“Then why did you say it was gone?””
“Because I couldn't access it.””
“Why?””
Arthur looked toward the window.
“Because the account wasn't in my name.””
Jordan's eyes narrowed.
“Whose name?””
Arthur didn't respond.
Maya suddenly understood.
“Mine?””
Arthur looked at her.
“Yes.””
The room went silent.
Maya's knees weakened.
“My name?””
“You were a child.””
“What did you do?””
“I opened a custodial account.””
“Without telling me?””
“You were eleven.””
“You put Grandpa's money in an account under my name?””
“I needed somewhere safe.””
Maya stared at him.
“And then you used it?””
“Not all of it.””
“How much?””
Arthur's voice broke.
“Forty thousand.””
Maya backed away.
“You took money that belonged to me.””
“It belonged to the family.””
“No.””
Her voice was quiet.
“It was in my name.””
Arthur wiped his face.
“I was going to restore it.””
“You used my identity.””
“I was desperate.””
“You used Grandma's identity too.””
“I was trying to save everything.””
Jordan suddenly looked toward the hallway.
“Wait.””
He grabbed his phone.
“I remember something.””
Maya looked at him.
“What?””
“When I was eight, Dad took us to a bank.””
Arthur froze.
Jordan continued.
“You told us Grandma was opening a college account for Maya.””
Maya frowned.
“I don't remember that.””
“You weren't paying attention. You were eating candy.””
Jordan searched his old photos.
Then he stopped.
“There.””
He turned the phone around.
A photograph showed Arthur standing outside a bank with a folder in his hand.
Beside him was a much younger Maya.
On the folder was a bank logo.
And beneath it, a handwritten account number.
Jordan zoomed in.
The last four digits were visible.
*4418.*
Maya stared at the screen.
“The same account.””
Arthur's face drained of color.
Jordan's phone buzzed.
Another message.
*NOW ASK HIM WHO ELENA REALLY IS.*
Maya looked at Arthur.
“Who is Elena?””
Arthur didn't move.
Rose whispered, “Arthur?””
Maya stepped toward him.
“You said you didn't know her.””
Arthur swallowed.
“I never said that.””
“You knew her voice.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Arthur looked at Maya.
And before he could answer, Elena's name appeared again on his phone.
This time, beneath it was a photograph.
Maya saw the image.
Her face went completely still.
The woman in the photograph was standing beside Arthur.
May you like
And between them was a little girl Maya recognized immediately.
Herself.
