Chapter 3: The Account With My Stepsister's Name
The following morning, Dad didn't go to work.
He sat at the kitchen table with a cup of untouched coffee and a laptop displaying the bank's transaction history.
I came downstairs at seven.
Maya was already sitting beside him, eating cereal.
“Did you sleep?”” I asked.
Dad shook his head.
“Not much.””
He turned the laptop toward me.
There were several transactions listed.
The first transfer had happened shortly after Denise married Dad.
The second had occurred six months later.
The third was dated only four months ago.
Each transfer had gone into a savings account registered under Brielle's name.
I stared at the numbers.
“That's Maya's money?””
Dad nodded.
“All of it.””
Maya put down her spoon.
“Why would Brielle have my money?””
Dad closed his eyes briefly.
“That's what I'm trying to understand.””
At that moment, Brielle walked into the kitchen wearing a pink sweatshirt and carrying her phone.
She stopped when she saw us.
“Why is everyone sitting here like somebody died?””
Nobody answered.
She opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of orange juice.
Then Dad spoke.
“Brielle, sit down.””
She rolled her eyes.
“I'm getting ready for school.””
“Sit.””
His voice was different this time.
Brielle reluctantly pulled out a chair.
Dad turned the laptop toward her.
“Do you recognize this account?””
She glanced at the screen.
Her expression changed.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
“Yeah,” she said.
“It's my savings account.””
“Where did the money come from?””
She shrugged.
“Mom.””
“Did you know some of it originally belonged to Maya?””
Brielle looked at Denise's empty chair.
Then back at Dad.
“No.””
Dad studied her face.
“Never?””
“Dad, I was a kid. I don't remember every deposit.””
I leaned forward.
“You're still receiving money from it.””
Brielle's eyes narrowed.
“Why are you talking?””
“Because Maya's money paid for your things.””
She laughed.
“That's ridiculous.””
Dad pointed to the transaction history.
“Three thousand dollars went toward a laptop. Four thousand went toward a car deposit. Another amount paid for your private dance classes.””
Brielle's face turned red.
“So?””
Maya looked up.
“So?””
Brielle turned toward her.
“It's not like you were using the money.””
Maya stared at her.
“It was mine.””
“Mom said she was putting money aside for me.””
Dad's head lifted.
“What exactly did Denise tell you?””
Brielle shifted in her chair.
“She said Grandma had left money for me.””
Dad went completely still.
“Grandma?””
“Yeah.””
“Our mother died before Brielle was born,” I said.
Brielle glared at me.
“I don't know. Maybe it was from Mom's family.””
Dad pushed his chair back.
“Brielle, did your mother tell you that the money in your account came from Maya's savings?””
“I already said no!””
“Then why did you just tell me it came from your grandmother?””
Brielle looked toward the stairs.
“I have to get dressed.””
“Sit down.””
“I'm not a prisoner!””
She stood.
Dad didn't stop her.
Instead, he picked up his phone.
“I'm calling the bank. They'll send the full records directly to me.””
Brielle froze.
“What?””
“I want every transfer, every withdrawal, and every account connected to these funds.””
Her voice became sharp.
“You can't just take my savings!””
Dad looked at her.
“Your savings?””
“It's my account!””
“The money came from Maya.””
“Mom put it there!””
“And now we're going to find out exactly why.””
Brielle stormed upstairs.
A bedroom door slammed.
Maya stared at her cereal bowl.
“Did I do something bad?””
Dad immediately turned toward her.
“No, sweetheart.””
“Brielle hates me now.””
Dad pulled her into his arms.
“She doesn't get to make you feel guilty for asking for what belongs to you.””
After breakfast, he drove Maya to school.
I stayed home because my first class wasn't until ten.
Denise came downstairs around eight-thirty.
She was dressed for work, wearing a beige coat and carrying her handbag.
She walked straight to the kitchen.
“Where's your father?””
“He took Maya to school.””
“Did he say anything about last night?””
I looked at her.
“He found the account.””
Denise's fingers tightened around her handbag strap.
“What account?””
“The one with Maya's money.””
She stared at me.
Then she walked to the counter and poured herself coffee.
“You children have no idea how complicated adult finances are.””
“Then explain them.””
She slowly turned.
“Excuse me?””
“Explain where the money went.””
Denise set the coffee cup down.
“I used it to help this family.””
“Brielle said you told her it came from Grandma.””
Denise's expression changed.
“She misunderstood.””
“She said it was her inheritance.””
“Children misunderstand things.””
“She's sixteen, not six.””
Denise stepped closer.
“You need to learn when to stay out of things that don't concern you.””
I didn't move.
“It's Maya's money. It concerns me.””
Denise gave a short, humorless laugh.
“Your father has been struggling for years. I took responsibility when nobody else would. I made sure there was food in this house. I made sure Brielle had opportunities.””
“What about Maya?””
“She had everything she needed.””
“A broken bicycle?””
“That was an unfortunate accident.””
“It wasn't an accident. There's a video.””
Denise's eyes hardened.
“Delete it.””
“No.””
For several seconds, she stared at me.
Then she lowered her voice.
“You think your father will believe you over me?””
“He already saw the video.””
She looked away.
I watched her take out her phone.
She typed something quickly.
Then she slipped it into her handbag.
“Don't make this family fall apart over money,” she said.
I laughed bitterly.
“You're blaming us?””
Denise walked toward the door.
“I'm warning you. You don't know everything.””
Then she left.
I stood alone in the kitchen, thinking about those words.
You don't know everything.
At first, I thought she was simply trying to frighten me.
But ten minutes later, my phone vibrated.
It was a message from an unknown number.
There was no greeting.
No explanation.
Just one sentence.
*If you want to know why Denise really transferred Maya's money, check the locked drawer in your father's bedroom.*
A second message arrived immediately afterward.
*And don't let Brielle find out you're looking.*
I stared at the screen.
Then I looked toward the staircase.
Brielle's bedroom door was still closed.
I walked upstairs quietly.
Dad's bedroom was at the end of the hallway.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, everything looked exactly as it had the previous night.
Except for one thing.
The small wooden drawer beside Dad's bed was open.
And lying inside it was an old photograph of Denise standing outside a bank.
Beside her was a man I'd never seen before.
On the back of the photograph, someone had written a date.
The same date as the first transfer from Maya's account.
May you like
But beneath it were four words that made my blood run cold.
*The agreement was never paid.*
