Chapter 5: The Signature That Wasn't Mine
The following morning, Dad left before I woke up.
There was a note on the kitchen counter.
Pancakes in the refrigerator. Heat them for thirty seconds. Love you, princess. Daddy.
I smiled.
Then I noticed Vanessa sitting at the dining table.
She was staring at her phone.
When I entered, she locked the screen.
"Your father has been busy lately.""
I opened the refrigerator.
"Okay.""
"Do you know where he went?""
"To work.""
She gave a short laugh.
"Of course you don't.""
I put my pancakes in the microwave.
Vanessa stood and walked toward me.
"Your father has been making some terrible decisions.""
I didn't answer.
"He thinks he's protecting you.""
I pressed the microwave button.
"That's what dads do.""
Her face tightened.
"Don't get clever with me.""
I stepped away.
She lowered her voice.
"Do you know what happens when people lose their marriages?""
I shook my head.
"They lose everything.""
She looked toward the hallway.
"Everything they worked for.""
I didn't understand why she was telling me this.
Then she said, "Your father is about to destroy our family because he can't let go of the past.""
I took my pancakes and went upstairs.
That afternoon, I returned from school to find the front door unlocked.
Dad's car was in the driveway.
I walked inside.
Voices came from his office.
"You're telling me she submitted these?""
That was Dad.
Another man's voice answered.
"Yes. The bank flagged the request because the signature didn't match your original records.""
I recognized Daniel.
Dad's attorney.
I quietly approached the office.
The door was open.
Daniel sat in the chair opposite Dad, holding a thick folder.
On the desk were several documents.
Dad looked exhausted.
"Show me.""
Daniel placed one paper in front of him.
"This is the authorization request.""
Dad studied it.
"That's not my signature.""
"I know.""
"Who submitted it?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Vanessa.""
My stomach dropped.
Dad leaned back.
"What's she trying to do?""
Daniel opened another folder.
"She requested information about the Carter Family Trust. Specifically, she asked whether the funds could be transferred into an account controlled by the household.""
Dad's expression hardened.
"She knows the trust is for Maya.""
"Yes.""
"Did she tell the bank I approved this?""
Daniel nodded.
"She submitted a document claiming you had given her financial authority.""
Dad stood.
"That is fraud.""
Daniel raised one hand.
"We need to be careful. The bank rejected the request, but we need to establish whether she submitted anything else.""
I stepped backward.
My backpack slipped from my shoulder.
It hit the floor.
Both men turned.
"Maya?""
Dad hurried toward me.
"Sweetheart, what are you doing here?""
I looked at the papers.
"Is Vanessa stealing my money?""
Dad crouched.
"Come here.""
I walked into his arms.
He held me tightly.
Daniel closed the folder.
"Perhaps I should come back later.""
Dad nodded.
"Please.""
After Daniel left, Dad sat beside me on the couch.
"There's something I need you to understand.""
I looked at him.
"Did Mom leave me money?""
"Yes.""
"How much?""
He paused.
"Enough to help you have a secure future.""
"Is Vanessa angry because of it?""
Dad rubbed his forehead.
"I think she has become very interested in things that were never hers.""
I thought about the wooden box.
The letter.
The photographs.
Everything suddenly seemed connected.
"Does she want me gone so she can take it?""
Dad's eyes filled with sadness.
"I don't know exactly what she wants. But I know I won't let her hurt you.""
He stood and walked toward the window.
For several minutes, he stared at the backyard.
Then he turned around.
"Maya, I need to ask you something.""
I nodded.
"Has Vanessa ever asked you to sign anything?""
I thought carefully.
Then I remembered something.
"She gave me papers last week.""
Dad froze.
"What papers?""
"She said they were for school.""
"What did they look like?""
"White papers. There were lots of words.""
"Did you sign them?""
I shook my head.
"No. I told her I didn't understand.""
Dad slowly sat down.
"Where are those papers now?""
"She took them.""
He closed his eyes.
I had never seen him look so worried.
That evening, Vanessa came home carrying shopping bags.
She was humming.
She placed the bags on the kitchen counter.
"Marcus? I'm home.""
Dad stood in the living room.
"Office. Now.""
Vanessa stopped humming.
"What?""
"We need to talk.""
She glanced at me.
"Can it wait?""
"No.""
She placed her handbag down.
Then she followed him into the office.
I remained in the hallway.
I wasn't trying to listen.
But their voices carried through the open door.
Dad placed the document on his desk.
"Did you submit this to the bank?""
Vanessa went silent.
Then she laughed.
"What is that?""
"Don't play games.""
She picked up the paper.
Her face changed.
"Where did you get this?""
"That's not an answer.""
"I was trying to organize our finances.""
"You forged my signature.""
Her voice rose.
"I did not!""
"Then why did the bank reject the authorization?""
She placed the paper down.
"Because your financial arrangements are ridiculous. I'm your wife. I have a right to know what goes on in this household.""
"You have no right to access Maya's trust.""
Vanessa crossed her arms.
"She's ten. What does she need that money for?""
Dad stared at her.
"Her future.""
"And what about ours?""
"That's separate.""
She laughed bitterly.
"Of course it is. Everything is separate when it comes to your daughter.""
Dad pointed toward the document.
"You submitted a false authorization.""
Vanessa's eyes filled.
"You're making me sound like a criminal.""
"Then explain what you did.""
She turned away.
For a moment, I thought she might tell him the truth.
Instead, she said, "I only wanted to make sure we had enough money to build a life together.""
Dad's voice dropped.
"By taking money that belongs to a child?""
Vanessa slapped the desk.
"That child already has everything!""
Silence.
Then Dad said, "No. She doesn't.""
Vanessa looked confused.
Dad continued.
"She doesn't have her mother. She doesn't have the childhood she deserves. And until recently, she didn't even have the comfort of knowing that her own home was safe.""
I heard Vanessa inhale sharply.
"You're choosing her again.""
"I'm protecting her.""
"Then maybe you should choose.""
Dad looked directly at her.
"I already have.""
Vanessa's face twisted.
"What does that mean?""
"It means Daniel is preparing the divorce papers.""
For several seconds, there was no sound.
Then I heard her whisper:
"You wouldn't.""
"I would.""
"You'd throw away our marriage over one mistake?""
Dad picked up the document.
"One mistake?""
He opened another folder.
"Daniel found three separate attempts to access the trust. He also found two applications for credit using information from our joint household records.""
Vanessa's face went pale.
"That's not what it looks like.""
"Then tell me what it looks like.""
She didn't answer.
Dad placed the documents on the desk.
"There's something else.""
Vanessa stared at him.
"What?""
"The bank contacted me this morning. They found an additional beneficiary inquiry.""
She looked confused.
Dad slowly pulled out another page.
"Someone has been trying to change the beneficiary information.""
Vanessa's lips parted.
"Marcus—"
He held up his hand.
"Don't.""
I stood frozen in the hallway.
Dad looked toward the office door.
He saw me.
His expression softened.
"Sweetheart, go upstairs.""
I nodded.
But before I turned away, Vanessa spoke.
"Fine. You want the truth?""
Dad looked at her.
She wiped her cheeks.
"I didn't want Maya to have all that money because I knew what would happen.""
Dad frowned.
"What would happen?""
Vanessa looked directly at him.
"Your daughter isn't the only person who was supposed to benefit from that inheritance.""
Dad went completely still.
"What are you talking about?""
Vanessa opened her handbag.
She pulled out a folded document.
Then she placed it on his desk.
"Your first wife made a promise before she died.""
Dad stared at the paper.
"Don't you dare bring my wife's name into this.""
Vanessa's voice trembled.
"Read it, Marcus.""
He unfolded the document.
His eyes moved across the first paragraph.
Then the second.
Suddenly, he looked up.
"Where did you get this?""
Vanessa swallowed.
"From the attorney who handled your first wife's estate.""
Dad's face lost its color.
I couldn't see the document from where I stood.
But I heard his next words.
"That's impossible.""
Vanessa shook her head.
"It's not.""
Dad read the page again.
Then he looked at her with an expression I had never seen before.
Not anger.
Not disappointment.
Something closer to fear.
"Vanessa," he whispered, "what have you done?""
She stepped backward.
"I was trying to protect my future.""
Dad held up the document.
"Do you understand what this says?""
She didn't answer.
He turned toward the hallway.
His eyes found me.
Then he said something that made my entire body go cold.
"Maya, sweetheart, I need you to sit down.""
He looked back at Vanessa.
May you like
"Because I think your mother left us a secret that changes everything.""
And for the first time, I wondered whether the woman who had died when I was six had known something about Vanessa long before I ever met her.
