Chapter 3: The Company in Kendra’s Name
Kendra was the first person to run back inside.
I followed her.
“Dad, I swear, I don't know anything about that company.””
“I believe you.””
She stopped in the hallway.
“You do?””
“Yes.””
Behind us, Victoria entered the house slowly.
“Everyone needs to calm down.””
I turned on her.
“No one is calming down.””
Mercer remained near the doorway, his blue folder tucked beneath his arm.
Zoria came inside last.
She had changed out of the graduation apron, but she still wore the blue dress underneath.
It was wrinkled now.
The hem was stained with grass.
A tiny gold tassel hung from her wrist where she had tied it earlier.
Kendra stood beside me.
“What's the company name again?””
“Kendra Davis Consulting,” I said.
She frowned.
“I've never heard of it.””
I looked at Victoria.
“Have you?””
Victoria hesitated.
“I may have registered something temporarily.””
Kendra's eyes widened.
“You used my name?””
“It was for bookkeeping.””
“You told me you never touched my credit.””
Victoria looked annoyed.
“Because I didn't.””
Mercer stepped into the room.
“We should probably sit.””
“No,” I said.
“We're not sitting.””
I walked toward my office.
Victoria moved in front of me.
“Daniel.””
“Move.””
“Please.””
“Move.””
She didn't.
I looked at her for a long moment.
Then I said quietly, “You spent tonight humiliating our daughter in front of people who came to celebrate her.””
Victoria swallowed.
“You don't know why I did it.””
“I know what you did.””
I pushed past her.
My office was exactly as I had left it that morning.
Desk.
Bookshelf.
Leather chair.
Framed photographs.
I opened the bottom drawer where I kept tax documents.
Nothing.
Then I noticed a small black laptop case tucked behind an old printer.
I pulled it out.
Victoria appeared in the doorway.
“Don't.””
I stopped.
“Why?””
She stared at the case.
“That's mine.””
“I've never seen it.””
“You don't need to.””
I unzipped it.
Victoria rushed forward.
I held up one hand.
“Don't.””
She stopped.
Inside was a laptop.
I plugged it in.
The password screen appeared.
Kendra leaned over my shoulder.
“Mom?””
Victoria said nothing.
Zoria stood behind us.
Mercer watched quietly.
I tried Victoria's birthday.
Wrong.
Our wedding date.
Wrong.
Then Kendra said softly,
“Try my birthday.””
I looked at her.
Victoria closed her eyes.
I entered the date.
The laptop opened.
Nobody spoke.
The desktop had dozens of folders.
Ashbourne.
Eastbridge.
Zoria.
Kendra.
Bank.
Scholarship.
I clicked the one labeled ZORIA FINAL.
Inside were scanned letters, emails, documents, and drafts.
The first file was titled:
RESPONSE TO ASHBOURNE — ZORIA.
I opened it.
The document was a rejection.
Not from Ashbourne.
From Zoria.
It stated that she was declining the scholarship because of “changing family circumstances.””
I scrolled down.
At the bottom was my daughter's name.
Zoria Davis.
Copied perfectly.
Except it wasn't her signature.
Zoria covered her mouth.
“I never saw that.””
“I know.””
Kendra whispered, “Mom…”
Victoria walked toward us.
“Give me the laptop.””
I didn't move.
She reached for it.
I pulled it away.
“No.””
“Daniel, those documents are private.””
“They're evidence.””
“They're family documents.””
“You forged them.””
She shook her head.
“You're making a terrible mistake.””
“No.””
I opened another folder.
Inside was an Excel spreadsheet.
Three columns.
Zoria.
Kendra.
Expenses.
There were numbers beside each name.
Private tutoring.
Clothes.
Travel.
School fees.
Then, beside Zoria, several amounts were crossed out.
Beside Kendra, they were highlighted.
Kendra stared at the screen.
“What is that?””
Victoria said nothing.
Kendra pointed.
“Why does it say you're moving my expenses onto Zoria's account?””
I scrolled.
The total was enormous.
Over five years, Victoria had reassigned nearly seventy thousand dollars in family spending to Zoria.
I looked at my wife.
“What did you do?””
“I balanced the household.””
“You lied.””
“I managed the finances.””
“You charged things to our daughter.””
“She had more money available.””
Zoria looked stunned.
“From where?””
Victoria looked away.
“Your trust.””
Zoria went silent.
I had forgotten about it.
When Zoria was twelve, my father had left her a modest trust.
It wasn't enough to make her rich.
But it was enough to cover part of college.
I had always told her that money was hers.
Victoria had access because we were married.
I opened the bank folder.
There it was.
Transfers.
Thousands at a time.
From Zoria's trust.
To various accounts.
Some labeled “household.””
Others went to a business account.
And one transfer was dated three days after Zoria received her Ashbourne scholarship.
$18,500.
Transferred to Kendra Davis Consulting.
Kendra stepped backward.
“That's not mine.””
“I know,” I said.
Victoria's voice suddenly broke.
“Daniel, stop.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because you're only seeing numbers.””
“Then explain them.””
She stared at the floor.
“I borrowed it.””
“For what?””
Silence.
“For Kendra.””
Kendra shook her head.
“You said you were paying my tuition with savings.””
“I was going to replace it.””
“When?””
“Soon.””
“You stole from Zoria.””
“I did not steal.””
Kendra's voice rose.
“You took money that wasn't yours!””
Victoria slapped her palm against the desk.
“I was trying to give you a future!””
“And what was Zoria supposed to have?””
Victoria looked at her.
“Kendra was struggling.””
Zoria stepped forward.
“So I wasn't?””
Victoria turned.
“You always had everything.””
The room became still.
Zoria stared at her mother as if hearing the sentence for the first time.
“Everything?””
Victoria crossed her arms.
“You were gifted. You were confident. Teachers adored you.””
“So you punished me for being good at school?””
“I punished nobody.””
“You destroyed my scholarship!””
“I saved my family.””
I laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“You keep calling this saving.””
Victoria looked at me.
“Because that's what it was.””
Mercer finally spoke.
“Mrs. Davis, there is no legal distinction between protecting your family and committing fraud when forged documents and misappropriated funds are involved.””
Victoria turned toward him.
“Are you threatening me?””
“No.””
He opened the folder.
“I'm telling you that Ashbourne has already referred the matter to its legal department.””
Victoria's face drained of color.
“And because a financial institution is involved,” Mercer continued, “this may go far beyond an admissions dispute.””
I looked at Victoria.
She seemed suddenly smaller.
Not innocent.
Just cornered.
Then my phone buzzed.
I pulled it from my pocket.
An unknown number.
The message contained a photograph.
It was a picture of a document.
A bank statement.
At the top was my name.
Daniel Davis.
I zoomed in.
There was another account.
One I had never seen.
It had received monthly transfers for almost three years.
And the latest transaction was dated that morning.
$125,000.
I stared at the amount.
Then at Victoria.
“What's this account?””
She didn't answer.
Kendra looked at her mother.
“Mom?””
Victoria's face went completely blank.
Mercer stepped closer.
“Mr. Davis, don't touch that account.””
“Why?””
“Because whoever sent you that statement wants you to see where the money went.””
I looked back at the screen.
There was a beneficiary name beside the $125,000 transfer.
It wasn't Victoria.
It wasn't Kendra.
It wasn't Zoria.
It was someone I had never heard of.
A man named Marcus Bell.
May you like
And beneath his name was one word.
Attorney.