Chapter 5: The Apartment Nobody Knew About
I looked at Brianna.
“What apartment deposit?””
She pressed her lips together.
Denise stepped forward.
“Brianna, don't.””
But Brianna had already started crying.
“I wasn't supposed to tell anyone.””
Jordan stood.
“Tell us what?””
Brianna wiped her cheeks.
“Mom helped me rent an apartment.””
The silence that followed was so complete I could hear the refrigerator humming in the kitchen.
I looked at Denise.
“You helped her rent an apartment?””
Denise folded her arms.
“She needed a place of her own.””
I glanced toward Maya.
My daughter was still standing by the window.
The same daughter who had been told she needed to leave because she was twenty-two and should learn independence.
The same daughter who had been paying Brianna's tuition.
I turned back to Denise.
“When?””
“Two months ago.””
“Where?””
“It's none of your business.””
I stared at her.
“Was it paid for with Maya's money?””
Denise looked away.
Brianna answered.
“Some of it.””
“How much?””
She swallowed.
“Four thousand dollars for the deposit and first month's rent.””
I looked at Denise.
“And the rest?””
“Furniture,” Brianna whispered.
I closed my eyes.
The pieces were falling into place.
Brianna had been unemployed for three months.
She had supposedly been struggling to pay tuition.
She had been living in our house without contributing financially.
Yet somehow, she had a separate apartment.
Meanwhile, Maya had been told to pack her belongings and leave.
“Why?”” I asked.
Denise gave me an irritated look.
“Because Brianna needed a fresh start.””
“And Maya didn't?””
“Maya has a job.””
“So does that mean she deserves less consideration?””
Denise shook her head.
“You're deliberately misunderstanding me.””
I turned toward Brianna.
“Does your brother know about the apartment?””
She shook her head.
Jordan stared at her.
“You rented an apartment?””
Brianna looked down.
“Mom said it was temporary.””
Jordan laughed in disbelief.
“Mom told me you were staying here because you couldn't afford to move.””
“I couldn't.””
“Then how did you get an apartment?””
Brianna looked toward Denise.
“She helped me.””
Jordan shook his head.
“That's unbelievable.””
Denise snapped.
“Don't start judging your sister. You've received plenty of help yourself.””
Jordan's expression hardened.
“I know. And I've been trying to pay you back.””
“Then you should be grateful.””
“I am grateful. But you never told me Maya was paying my insurance.””
Maya finally spoke.
“I didn't know either.””
Everyone turned toward her.
She held the blue notebook against her chest.
“I thought I was helping with groceries and bills. Then Denise started asking for other things. She said Dad was under pressure and that I should help.””
Denise rolled her eyes.
“You're making yourself sound like a victim.””
Maya looked at her.
“I didn't ask you to take money from my education account.””
Denise's expression tightened.
“I was going to replace it.””
“When?””
“When I could.””
Maya shook her head.
“That's what you said about everything.””
I watched my daughter.
She wasn't shouting.
She wasn't insulting Denise.
She was simply stating the truth.
And somehow, that seemed to anger Denise more than anything else.
I turned toward Brianna.
“Do you still have the apartment?””
She nodded.
“Where is it?””
“About fifteen minutes away.””
“Who pays the rent?””
Denise answered.
“I do.””
I stared at her.
“With what money?””
She didn't respond.
I picked up the financial worksheet.
The numbers suddenly made more sense.
The private loan.
The education account withdrawals.
Maya's contributions.
Jordan's car expenses.
Brianna's apartment.
There had been money moving in every direction.
But nobody had been keeping track except Maya.
“Denise,” I said, “I want to see the apartment lease.””
She looked at me.
“Why?””
“Because I want to know what you've committed yourself to financially.””
“It's in my name.””
“Then you can show it to me.””
“No.””
I nodded slowly.
“All right.””
She seemed surprised by my response.
I continued.
“Then I'll have an attorney review the financial records and determine what obligations involve our shared property.””
Denise's eyes widened.
“An attorney?””
“Yes.””
“You're going to involve lawyers in a family disagreement?””
“This stopped being a family disagreement when you used an account created for my daughter without telling me.””
She shook her head.
“You're threatening me.””
“I'm protecting my daughter.””
“Your daughter is an adult!””
I looked toward Maya.
“Exactly. Which means she gets to decide what happens to her money.””
Maya's eyes filled again.
Denise looked around the room.
Then she turned toward Jordan.
“Are you going to stand there and let him speak to me like this?””
Jordan shook his head.
“Mom, you need to stop.””
She stared at him.
“You too?””
“I'm not taking sides. I'm asking you to explain what happened.””
“I've explained it!””
“No, you haven't.””
Brianna moved toward the couch.
“Mom, maybe we should just tell him everything.””
Denise turned sharply.
“There's nothing else to tell.””
Brianna looked at me.
Then she glanced at Maya.
“There's one more thing.””
Denise's face went pale.
“Brianna.””
“It's about the house.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“What about the house?””
Brianna took a breath.
“Mom told me she was going to put my name on the deed.””
I didn't move.
Jordan looked at his mother.
“What?””
Brianna continued.
“She said once Maya moved out, there would be more room, and we could finally make the house feel like ours.””
I stared at Denise.
“Put Brianna's name on my deed?””
Denise shook her head.
“I never said that.””
Brianna looked confused.
“You showed me the paperwork.””
“That was a draft.””
“What paperwork?”” I asked.
Denise's voice rose.
“It's nothing. A possible arrangement. I was looking into options.””
I held out my hand.
“Show me.””
She didn't move.
“Denise.””
“I don't have it.””
“Where is it?””
“In my office.””
I walked toward the staircase.
She followed me.
“Marcus, you're not going through my office.””
I stopped.
“Then bring the paperwork downstairs.””
She stood at the bottom of the stairs.
Her expression was now a mixture of anger and fear.
“You're acting like I planned to steal your house.””
I looked directly at her.
“I don't know what you planned. That's why I want to see the documents.””
She stared at me for several seconds.
Then she turned and walked upstairs.
I heard her office door close.
Jordan came beside me.
“Marcus, I swear I didn't know about the deed.””
I looked at him.
“Did you know she was planning to put Brianna's name on the house?””
“No.””
Brianna shook her head.
“She said it would make things easier for everyone.””
I looked at Maya.
My daughter was sitting on the couch now, holding the notebook.
She looked exhausted.
I sat beside her.
“Are you okay?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
I put my arm around her.
“You don't have to pretend.””
She leaned against me.
“I just don't understand why she didn't like me.””
I looked at her.
There are questions a father can answer with money.
There are questions he can answer with time.
But there are questions that require a kind of honesty that hurts.
I took her hand.
“This isn't because something is wrong with you.””
Maya stared at the floor.
“Then why?””
I thought about the messages.
The transfers.
The suitcase.
The way Denise had repeatedly insisted that Maya didn't have responsibilities.
I didn't know the complete answer yet.
But I knew one thing.
Maya had been useful to Denise as long as she was willing to pay.
And the moment she became inconvenient, Denise wanted her gone.
I kissed the top of my daughter's head.
“You don't have to earn love by paying for it.””
She started crying.
I held her until the sound of footsteps came from upstairs.
Denise appeared at the top of the staircase.
She was carrying a brown folder.
“I found it,” she said.
I stood.
She walked down slowly and placed the folder on the dining table.
“Here. Since you insist on making this into a legal matter.””
I opened it.
Inside were several pages.
The first was a property valuation.
The second was a draft deed.
The third was a document from a private attorney.
I scanned the first few lines.
Then I stopped.
The document didn't simply propose adding Brianna's name.
It contained a paragraph describing a transfer of ownership interest.
And beneath it was a signature.
My signature.
I stared at the page.
The handwriting looked almost identical to mine.
But I had never signed it.
I turned the paper around.
“Denise.””
She swallowed.
“What?””
“Where did you get this signature?””
She looked at the page.
Then at me.
For the first time that evening, she didn't have an immediate answer.
I held the document up.
“This isn't my signature.””
Her face went completely white.
And then Jordan said something from behind me.
“Marcus, there's something else you need to know.””
I turned.
He was holding his phone.
“Mom asked me to witness something at the attorney's office last month.””
My grip tightened around the folder.
“What did you witness?””
Jordan looked at Denise.
Then he looked at me.
“She told me you had already agreed to transfer part of the house.””
I stared at my wife.
She took one step backward.
And suddenly, I understood why she had been so determined to get Maya out.
May you like
It wasn't just about making room.
It was about making a decision before I discovered what she had signed my name to.
