Chapter 5: My Father Came Home With a Lawyer
Victoria stared at the phone.
I stared back.
Neither of us moved.
Then my father's voice came through the speaker.
"Emily? Are you still there?""
Victoria lunged.
I pulled the phone against my chest.
"Give it to me!""
"No!""
She grabbed my wrist.
The phone slipped from my fingers and landed on the carpet.
Victoria picked it up.
"Daniel, this is ridiculous.""
My father spoke immediately.
"Victoria, put my daughter on the phone.""
"She's hysterical.""
"Put. My. Daughter.
On. The. Phone.""
Victoria's jaw tightened.
She looked down at me.
"Your father is tired, Emily. Stop bothering him.""
Then she ended the call.
I stared at her.
"You hung up on Dad.""
She placed the phone in her pocket.
"You're not allowed to use this anymore.""
"Give it back.""
She laughed.
"You're in no position to make demands.""
She walked to the bedroom door.
Then stopped.
"Tomorrow morning, we're going to discuss your future.""
I sat on the bed.
"What does that mean?""
She turned.
"It means your father and I are going to make some decisions.""
"Without me?""
Victoria smiled.
"You're twelve, Emily. You don't get to decide everything.""
Then she left.
I heard her footsteps disappear down the hallway.
A moment later, I heard her talking to Brandon.
"She's becoming a serious problem.""
Brandon asked something.
Victoria answered:
"Your father is coming home tomorrow. I need you to behave.""
I closed my eyes.
Tomorrow.
My father was finally coming home.
But Victoria seemed to have something planned.
The next morning, I woke to the sound of a suitcase rolling across the floor downstairs.
When I entered the kitchen, Victoria was dressed in a cream-colored suit.
Her hair was perfectly styled.
Brandon sat at the table eating pancakes.
There were two suitcases beside the front door.
I looked at them.
"Are we going somewhere?""
Victoria smiled.
"Not you.""
Brandon laughed.
She placed a folder on the table.
"Sit down.""
I hesitated.
"Why?""
"Because we need to have a serious conversation.""
I sat.
She opened the folder.
Inside were several printed documents.
One had my name at the top.
Another contained a photograph of me crying.
I recognized it immediately.
The bathroom video.
Victoria had printed a still image.
"Your father is worried about you," she said.
I stared at the papers.
"He shouldn't be.""
"He's concerned that you're having emotional difficulties.""
"Because you told him lies.""
Victoria ignored me.
"These documents are designed to help your father make the right decision.""
I looked at the first page.
It mentioned a residential treatment facility.
My stomach turned.
"I don't want to go there.""
Victoria sighed.
"Nobody is asking what you want.""
Brandon leaned back.
"Maybe you'll finally learn to behave.""
I looked at him.
"Why are you helping her?""
He shrugged.
"Because she's my mom.""
Victoria slid another paper across the table.
"Your father will be here soon. I expect you to behave like a normal child.""
I looked at the paper.
It was a statement saying I had voluntarily requested temporary placement outside the home.
At the bottom was a space for my signature.
I pushed it away.
"I'm not signing that.""
Victoria's smile disappeared.
"Emily.""
"No.""
She leaned forward.
"Do you want your father to think you're impossible to manage?""
"I want him to know what you did.""
She stood up so quickly that her chair scraped against the floor.
"Enough!""
Brandon stopped eating.
Victoria pointed toward the hallway.
"Go upstairs.""
I didn't move.
"Why are you so afraid of Dad coming home?""
Her face changed.
For a second, I saw the woman behind the expensive clothes and perfect smile.
A woman who knew something was about to collapse.
Then she grabbed the folder.
"Get upstairs!""
I walked away.
But before I reached the stairs, the doorbell rang.
Victoria froze.
Brandon looked up.
I turned around.
The doorbell rang again.
Victoria straightened her jacket, adjusted her necklace, and forced a smile.
"Stay upstairs," she whispered.
Then she opened the door.
My father stood outside.
He was wearing his gray work jacket.
His hair was messy, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes.
But I barely noticed any of that.
Because beside him stood a woman in a navy suit holding a leather briefcase.
And behind them was a man carrying a large document box.
"Dad!""
I ran toward him.
He dropped his bag and caught me in his arms.
For the first time in months, I felt safe.
He held me tightly.
"I'm here, sweetheart.""
I buried my face in his jacket.
"I'm sorry.""
He pulled back.
"Sorry for what?""
"For telling you.""
His eyes filled.
"Emily, you never have to apologize for telling me the truth.""
Victoria stepped forward.
"Daniel, thank goodness you're home. We've had a difficult few days.""
My father looked at her.
"Yes. I imagine we have.""
She glanced at the woman beside him.
"And who is this?""
"This is Rachel Morgan. She's my attorney.""
Victoria's smile faltered.
"Your attorney?""
Rachel extended her hand.
"Good morning, Mrs. Carter.""
Victoria didn't take it.
"Daniel, why would you bring a lawyer into a family matter?""
My father looked at the papers on the kitchen table.
"Because it stopped being a family matter when my daughter's money disappeared.""
Victoria crossed her arms.
"That's an outrageous accusation.""
Rachel placed her briefcase on the table.
"Then I assume you'll have no objection to reviewing the financial records.""
Victoria laughed nervously.
"Of course not. I've done nothing wrong.""
My father looked at me.
"Emily, sweetheart, can you go sit in the living room for a moment?""
I nodded.
But Rachel gently touched my shoulder.
"Actually, Emily, I'd like you to stay if you're comfortable. You deserve to hear what concerns you.""
Victoria immediately objected.
"She's a child!""
Rachel opened her briefcase.
"And that is precisely why we're being careful.""
She removed several documents and arranged them on the table.
My father sat down.
Victoria remained standing.
Rachel began.
"Mr. Carter contacted me after discovering irregularities in the household account. We reviewed the transfers made over the last eighteen months.""
Victoria interrupted.
"I already explained those.""
Rachel didn't look up.
"Then this should be straightforward.""
She placed a printed statement in front of Victoria.
"According to these records, approximately $96,000 was transferred into accounts controlled by you.""
Victoria's face went pale.
"Those were household expenses.""
Rachel placed another document on the table.
"These transactions include luxury retail purchases, hotel stays, spa services, and transfers to an account not disclosed to your husband.""
My father looked at Victoria.
"Where did the money go?""
She shook her head.
"Daniel, you're misunderstanding everything.""
Rachel opened another folder.
"And there's another issue.""
She placed a document in front of my father.
It had my name printed across the top.
*CARTER FAMILY EDUCATION TRUST.*
My father looked at it.
Then he looked at Victoria.
"Where did you get this?""
Victoria swallowed.
Rachel answered.
"The trust was established by Emily's late mother, Sarah Carter. It was designed to provide for Emily's education and future living expenses.""
I stared at the document.
My mother?
I had never known she left me money.
Rachel continued.
"According to the trust records, the original balance was approximately $210,000.""
My father closed his eyes.
I looked at Victoria.
"How much is left?""
Rachel paused.
"That's what we're trying to establish.""
Victoria suddenly grabbed her handbag.
"I won't sit here and be interrogated!""
My father stood.
"Victoria, sit down.""
She looked at him.
"How dare you speak to me like that?""
He pointed toward the chair.
"Sit down.""
For the first time, she obeyed.
Rachel placed one final document on the table.
"This is the transfer authorization used to move a substantial portion of the education trust's funds.""
My father stared at the signature.
Then his expression changed.
"That's not my signature.""
Victoria shook her head.
"Daniel—"
He picked up the paper.
"That's not my signature.""
Rachel spoke calmly.
"We've already requested a handwriting examination.""
I looked at the document.
There was a signature at the bottom.
It looked almost exactly like my father's.
But I knew something about his handwriting.
He always crossed the letter D with a small line underneath.
This signature didn't have it.
Then I noticed another name on the document.
*Witness: Brandon Hayes.*
I looked at Brandon.
He had gone completely still.
"Brandon?""
He didn't answer.
My father looked up.
"Why is my stepson's name on a financial authorization?""
Victoria immediately stood.
"That document is irrelevant!""
Rachel turned another page.
"There's also a recording.""
Victoria's face drained of color.
"What recording?""
Rachel reached into her briefcase and removed a small flash drive.
"An audio recording submitted anonymously to Mr. Carter's attorney yesterday evening.""
My father looked confused.
"Yesterday evening?""
Rachel nodded.
"Yes. It contains a conversation about transferring the remaining funds before your return.""
Victoria's hands began to shake.
"That's illegal. You can't use something like that.""
Rachel placed the flash drive beside the papers.
"We haven't even played it yet.""
Then my father looked at me.
"Emily, sweetheart, do you recognize this handwriting?""
I leaned forward.
The document was dated six months earlier.
And beneath Brandon's name, there was a handwritten note.
I recognized it immediately.
It was the same handwriting I had seen on the back of my mother's old photographs.
My mother's handwriting.
I stared at the page.
"That's impossible.""
My father frowned.
"What is it?""
I pointed to the note.
"That's Mom's handwriting.""
Everyone went silent.
Victoria suddenly stood so quickly that her chair fell backward.
"Daniel, we need to talk. Alone.""
My father didn't move.
Rachel picked up the document.
"Mrs. Carter, I think you should explain why your signature appears on a trust document created after Sarah's death.""
Victoria's lips parted.
But no words came out.
Then Brandon whispered something from the doorway.
"Mom, you told me nobody would ever find that.""
My father slowly turned toward him.
"Find what?""
Brandon looked terrified.
Victoria grabbed his arm.
"Go upstairs!""
But Brandon pulled away.
He looked at my father, then at me.
And with tears filling his eyes, he said:
"There's something else you need to know about Emily's mother.""
My father's face went pale.
"What are you talking about?""
Brandon pointed at the document.
"Mom didn't just steal the money.""
He swallowed hard.
"She knows what happened to the original will.""
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And suddenly, my father wasn't looking at the bank statements anymore.
He was looking at Victoria as if he had never truly known the woman he married.
