Chapter 4: The Name on the Transfer
For several seconds, I couldn't hear anything except the refrigerator humming behind me.
Madison Carter.
My stepsister's name sat on the bank document in bold black letters, beside the account number that had received fourteen thousand dollars from my savings.
I read the page again, searching for some explanation that would make sense.
Perhaps the account had been opened for a legitimate reason. Perhaps Dad had authorized the transfer without telling me. Perhaps there was a mistake in the bank's records.
But the signature at the bottom was supposed to be mine.
And it wasn't.
“Dad,” I whispered, “did you know Madison had an account at this bank?””
He shook his head slowly.
“I knew Laura had opened a savings account for her. I didn't know the account number, and I certainly didn't authorize a transfer from yours.””
“Then why is Madison's name here?””
“I don't know.””
He pulled the document closer, examining the details.
“The bank says this is a preliminary authorization record. We need to confirm whether the transfer was actually completed and who submitted the request.””
I pointed to the transaction reference.
“Fourteen thousand dollars left my account. You saw the notification last night.””
“I did.””
“And now we have the account it went into.””
His face tightened.
“Yes.””
I swallowed hard.
“Are you going to ask Laura?””
Dad looked toward the stairs.
“I will.””
“No. I want you to ask her in front of me.””
He hesitated.
“Emily, I don't want this to turn into a shouting match.””
“Neither do I. I want an explanation.””
He picked up the document.
“All right.””
We found Laura in the living room, arranging flowers in a glass vase. Madison sat on the couch beside her, watching a video with her headphones on.
Laura glanced up.
“Daniel, can you help me move the dining table later? I want to make more room before Madison's friends come over this weekend.””
Dad didn't answer her request.
Instead, he placed the bank document on the coffee table.
“Laura, whose account is this?””
Her eyes moved to the page.
The vase slipped slightly in her hand, and water spilled onto the table.
She set it down carefully.
“Why are you showing me this?””
“Because fourteen thousand dollars was transferred from Emily's savings account into Madison's account.””
Madison pulled off her headphones.
“What?””
Laura stood.
“Daniel, we should discuss this privately.””
“No,” I said.
“We should discuss it right here.””
Laura turned toward me.
“This is a serious financial matter. You don't understand all the details.””
“Then explain them.””
She pressed her lips together.
Dad tapped the paper.
“Did you arrange this transfer?””
Laura's eyes flashed.
“I did not steal anything.””
“That's not what I asked.””
“I was trying to help Madison.””
The room went silent.
Madison stood up so quickly that her phone slid off the couch.
“Mom?””
Laura turned toward her.
“Sweetheart, sit down.””
“No,” Madison said.
“What is he talking about?””
I looked at Laura.
“You said you didn't access my account.””
“I said I didn't steal your money.””
“You just admitted you arranged the transfer.””
“I said I was trying to help Madison!””
She delivered the words as if they settled everything.
I stared at her.
“How does taking fourteen thousand dollars from me help Madison?””
Laura walked to the window, smoothing the front of her blouse.
“You need to understand our financial situation. Madison has college applications, tuition deposits, and other expenses coming up. Her father has been inconsistent with support payments, and Daniel and I have been trying to manage everything.””
I looked at Dad.
He appeared as shocked as I felt.
“Laura,” he said, “you told me Madison's college expenses were covered.””
“They were supposed to be.””
“By whom?””
She didn't answer.
Dad's voice grew firmer.
“You told me your ex-husband had promised to contribute.””
“He changed his mind.””
“And you didn't tell me?””
“I didn't want to worry you!””
“So you took money from Emily?””
Laura spun around.
“I moved money within the family. I intended to put it back.””
My stomach twisted.
“Did you ask me?””
She looked at me impatiently.
“You were going to be earning a salary. You didn't need fourteen thousand dollars sitting in an account.””
“That wasn't your decision.””
“Someone had to make a decision. Madison's future couldn't wait for you to decide whether you wanted to be generous.””
Madison stared at her mother.
“You told me Dad agreed to help pay for my college.””
Laura's expression softened instantly.
“He did agree to help, sweetheart.””
“Did he know about the money?””
Laura looked away.
That was all the answer Madison needed.
She turned toward Dad.
“You didn't know?””
“No,” he said.
“I didn't.””
Madison's face went pale.
“But Mom said you wanted me to have a better room because I was going to college. She said you thought Emily was leaving anyway.””
Dad rubbed his forehead.
“I agreed to the room change. I did not agree to take Emily's savings.””
Laura crossed her arms.
“Can we stop acting as though this is some terrible crime? The money is still in Madison's account.””
I pointed at the paper.
“Then transfer it back.””
Laura's mouth tightened.
“It's not that simple.””
“Why not?””
She glanced at Madison.
“Because some of it has already been used.””
Madison took a step backward.
“How much?””
Laura didn't answer.
“How much, Mom?””
“Madison, please.””
“How much did you spend?””
Laura's composure cracked.
“About six thousand dollars.””
Madison covered her mouth.
Dad stood so abruptly that the coffee table rattled.
“You spent six thousand dollars of Emily's savings?””
“I paid a deposit on your daughter's college housing,” Laura shot back.
“I paid some outstanding bills. I purchased things the household needed. It's not as though I took the money and disappeared.””
I felt sick.
“What household expenses?””
Laura lifted her chin.
“Things that benefited all of us.””
“Name one.””
She stared at me.
“Don't speak to me like I'm on trial.””
“Then stop behaving as though my money belongs to you.””
Dad stepped between us.
“Laura, where is the remaining money?””
“In Madison's account.””
“Then I want it returned immediately.””
She gave a bitter laugh.
“You can't simply demand fourteen thousand dollars appear out of nowhere. Some payments have already been made.””
“Then you'll repay whatever is missing.””
“With what money, Daniel?””
The question came out louder than she intended.
Dad went still.
For the first time, I saw something beyond anger in his expression.
Fear.
“Laura,” he said slowly, “what have you done?””
She looked toward Madison, then toward the staircase.
“Nothing that can't be fixed.””
“That's not an answer.””
Laura grabbed her handbag from the chair.
“I need some air.””
She walked toward the front door.
Dad followed her.
“Laura, don't walk away from me.””
She stopped with her hand on the doorknob.
“I'm the one who has been holding this family together while Emily gets to chase her dreams. I've been managing the bills, looking after Madison, and trying to make this house work. Nobody asks what I need.””
I stared at her.
“You could have asked for help.””
“And you would have said yes?””
I didn't answer immediately.
The truth was, I might have helped Madison with college expenses if someone had explained the situation honestly. I might have contributed a reasonable amount once I understood the numbers.
But Laura hadn't asked.
She had taken.
She had forged my signature, emptied part of my savings, and then presented the new bedroom as if I were selfish for objecting.
“I would have considered helping,” I finally said.
“But you didn't give me the chance.””
Laura opened the door.
“I'm not discussing this anymore.””
She left.
Dad stood in the doorway, watching her car pull away.
Behind me, Madison began to cry.
I turned toward her.
“Did you know the money came from my account?””
She shook her head violently.
“No. I swear, Emily. Mom told me Dad had transferred money to help me with college. I thought he had agreed.””
“Did you know she had used it for other expenses?””
“No.””
She wiped her face with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
“I didn't know she bought the vanity with your money. She said she had been saving for it.””
I looked at the pink curtains visible through the open staircase.
“Do you know how much is left?””
Madison shook her head again.
Dad returned to the room and picked up the bank document.
“We'll find out,” he said.
“I'm calling the bank's fraud department again. And we're getting a lawyer to explain our options.””
Madison looked at him in disbelief.
“A lawyer? Against Mom?””
Dad's face was exhausted, but his voice was steady.
“Someone has to protect Emily's rights.””
I wanted to feel relieved.
Instead, I looked at my stepsister and wondered how much of the truth she had actually been told.
Then Madison reached into the pocket of her sweatshirt and pulled out her phone.
“Emily,” she whispered, “there's something else you need to know.””
She opened her messages and turned the screen toward me.
It was a conversation with Laura from the week I left for Chicago.
The first message read:
Your room will be ready before Emily gets home.
The next one was worse.
Once she's settled downstairs, she'll stop making everything about herself.
May you like
And then, beneath it, was a message that made my blood run cold.
The money is only the beginning. After she leaves for Chicago, the house will finally be ours.
