Chapter 7: The Children Who Finally Spoke
When I returned home, Denise's suitcase was already beside the front door.
Two large black bags stood against the wall.
Brianna was sitting on the sofa, scrolling through her phone.
Jordan stood near the staircase holding a brown folder.
Denise emerged from the kitchen.
"You're back.""
I looked at the bags.
"What's going on?""
"I'm leaving.""
"Where?""
"That's none of your business anymore.""
I placed my keys on the table.
"Actually, it is. We still have a mortgage, shared accounts, and legal matters to resolve.""
She laughed.
"Now you want to talk about responsibilities?""
I looked at Jordan.
He handed me the folder.
"I found this in Mom's closet.""
Denise immediately stepped forward.
"Give that back!""
Jordan moved away.
"No.""
She stared at him.
"Jordan, don't do this.""
He looked exhausted.
"Mom, I spent two years defending you whenever Maya complained. I believed you when you said she was difficult. I believed you when you said Marcus didn't understand how hard things were for you.""
He opened the folder.
"But this?""
He held up a company registration certificate.
"Why is my sister listed as a director of a company that was supposed to receive Maya's inheritance?""
Brianna looked up from her phone.
"What?""
Denise turned toward her.
"Don't get involved.""
Brianna stood.
"Mom, what is he talking about?""
I took the certificate.
The company had been incorporated six weeks earlier.
Its registered purpose involved property management and investment.
The directors were Denise, Patricia, and Brianna.
I looked at Brianna.
"Did you know about this?""
She shook her head.
"I signed some papers.""
"What papers?""
"Mom said she needed help registering a business.""
Denise folded her arms.
"That's exactly what it was.""
I looked at the document.
"Did she explain that the company was connected to Maya's inheritance?""
Brianna's expression changed.
"No.""
Denise sighed.
"Because it wasn't necessary.""
Brianna stared at her mother.
"Why would you say that?""
Denise walked toward the dining room.
"Can everybody stop acting like I've committed some terrible crime?""
Jordan stepped in front of her.
"Then tell us what the company was for.""
She looked at him.
"I wanted to build something for this family.""
"Using Maya's money?""
"Nobody was taking her money!""
I held up the company certificate.
"Then why did you create an organization designed to receive a transfer from her trust?""
Denise looked at me.
"Because I wanted the property to benefit everybody.""
Maya had arrived behind me.
She stood quietly near the door.
I hadn't noticed her come inside.
Now she stepped forward.
"Everybody except me?""
Denise looked at her.
"Don't start.""
Maya's voice was steady.
"I worked for that money. I didn't create the trust, but it was left for me. Why did you think you had the right to decide what happened to it?""
Denise shook her head.
"You're twenty-two. You don't understand how expensive life is.""
Maya laughed sadly.
"I understand perfectly. I've been paying my own bills since I started working.""
"That's not the same.""
"Why?""
Denise pointed at Jordan and Brianna.
"Because they need help!""
Maya looked at them.
"Then help them. I never asked you to stop helping your children.""
Jordan lowered his head.
Brianna looked embarrassed.
For a few seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Brianna approached Maya.
"I need to ask you something.""
Maya nodded.
"Did you really pay my tuition balance?""
"Yes.""
Brianna looked down.
"Mom told me she covered it.""
Maya didn't answer.
Brianna's eyes filled.
"And the $3,200?""
"That was supposed to be for your apartment.""
Brianna shook her head.
"I never got it.""
Maya looked at her.
"I know.""
Brianna covered her mouth.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
Maya's expression softened.
"Because I thought you knew.""
Brianna sat down.
"I didn't.""
She looked toward Denise.
"Mom, you told me Marcus was refusing to help me because he thought I was irresponsible.""
I turned toward her.
"What?""
Brianna nodded.
"She said you didn't want to pay for my tuition anymore. She said Maya was the only one you cared about.""
I stared at Denise.
"Is that why Brianna believed she had to rely on you?""
Denise looked away.
Jordan stepped forward.
"She told me something similar.""
He opened his phone.
"Last year, when I needed money for my car, she said Marcus had stopped contributing to the household and that I should help her.""
I felt something break inside me.
I had never told either of them that.
In fact, I had paid Jordan's insurance twice without telling him because Denise said he was embarrassed about his finances.
I had paid Brianna's tuition directly to her college.
And I had repeatedly transferred money into our joint account.
Yet Denise had been telling all three children different versions of the same story.
She had positioned herself as the only person holding the family together.
And she had made sure everybody believed somebody else was getting more.
I turned toward her.
"Why?""
She stared at the floor.
"Because you never listened.""
"To what?""
"To me!""
She raised her voice.
"You always had another problem to solve. Maya needed something. Jordan needed something.
Brianna needed something. You were always the hero.""
I shook my head.
"Denise, I never asked you to compete with my children.""
"You didn't have to!""
She pointed at Maya.
"She was always there. Every birthday. Every holiday.
Every family decision. Even when you and I wanted to spend time alone, she somehow became part of the conversation.""
Maya's eyes filled.
"I never wanted to take your place.""
Denise laughed bitterly.
"Of course you didn't. You already had it.""
Jordan stepped between them.
"Mom, stop.""
She turned toward him.
"You too?""
He shook his head.
"I've been defending you for years. I don't know what else you want from us.""
Denise's face crumpled.
For a moment, she looked like a woman who had finally realized she was losing everybody.
Then she picked up her handbag.
"I'm leaving.""
I nodded.
"That's your decision.""
She looked at me.
"You're not going to stop me?""
"No.""
She stared at Maya.
"This is what you wanted, isn't it?""
Maya shook her head.
"No. I wanted you to treat me like family.""
Denise looked away.
She picked up her suitcase and walked toward the door.
But before she left, she turned back.
"Marcus, you should ask your daughter why she never told you about the inheritance.""
I frowned.
"What?""
Denise gave Maya a cold look.
"Ask her what she planned to do with that money.""
Maya went still.
I turned toward my daughter.
"Sweetheart?""
She looked at me.
Then she lowered her eyes.
"I wanted to use some of it to help you.""
My chest tightened.
"Help me with what?""
She hesitated.
Then spoke quietly.
"The house.""
I stared at her.
"What about the house?""
Maya swallowed.
"Denise told me you were struggling to keep up with the mortgage.""
I felt my stomach drop.
"She told you that?""
Maya nodded.
"She said if I didn't help, you might lose everything.""
I looked toward Denise.
She was already at the door.
"Wait.""
She stopped.
I stepped closer.
"Did you tell Maya I was about to lose the house?""
Denise didn't answer.
I understood then.
She had used my daughter's love for me as another weapon.
Maya had been prepared to give away her inheritance to protect the home where she had grown up.
And Denise had tried to make that sacrifice look like a debt.
Denise walked out.
The front door closed.
Nobody moved.
Then Brianna began crying.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Maya looked at her.
Brianna wiped her cheeks.
"I should have asked questions. I should have known something wasn't right.""
Maya approached her.
"You didn't know.""
Brianna shook her head.
"I still benefited from it.""
Jordan sat down heavily.
"I think we all did.""
I looked around the living room.
For the first time in years, the house was quiet.
But it wasn't peaceful yet.
There were still questions.
And one of them was sitting inside the brown folder Jordan had found.
A second company registration certificate.
This one had a different date.
And a different name.
I picked it up.
The company had been registered nearly a year before the first one.
Its sole director was Denise.
Its registered address was not our house.
It was the townhouse she had been planning to purchase.
At the bottom was a note from the solicitor.
*Proposed purchase to be completed using funds from the Angela Bennett Family Trust.*
I stared at it.
Then I realized something.
The townhouse wasn't Denise's first attempt.
May you like
It was the second.
And the first attempt had apparently failed for a reason nobody had told me.
