Chapter 8: The House Without Mom
By the time we reached home, the front door was open.
Dad ran inside.
I followed.
The living room was empty.
Mom's purse was gone.
Her coat was gone.
The dining table was covered with papers.
Dad grabbed one.
A handwritten note.
I read over his shoulder.
*David, I'm sorry. I couldn't let them destroy my children.*
Dad's face tightened.
“She's gone.””
Mia stood at the end of the hallway.
Her eyes were swollen.
“I came home twenty minutes ago.””
“Where were you?”” Dad asked.
“At the pharmacy.””
“You left Mom alone?””
“I didn't know she was leaving!””
I looked at her.
“What did she say to you?””
“Nothing.””
“Did Ethan call?””
Mia looked away.
Dad stepped closer.
“Mia.””
She whispered, “Yes.””
“When?””
“This morning.””
“What did he say?””
“He said everything was falling apart.””
“What else?””
“He said Richard was going to expose us.””
I frowned.
“Us?””
Mia began crying.
“I didn't mean me.””
“Then who?””
She looked at Dad.
“The family.””
Dad slammed his hand onto the table.
“What did Ethan want?””
“He wanted the trust.””
“Why?””
“Debt.””
“His debt?””
Mia nodded.
“How much?””
“Almost two hundred thousand.””
I stared at her.
“How did he get that much debt?””
She wiped her face.
“Gambling.””
Dad's expression hardened.
“What?””
“He told me he had investment losses.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You believed him?””
“I loved him.””
“He used you.””
“I know.””
“No,” I said.
“You knew he was using my money.””
Her face crumpled.
“I thought we'd pay it back.””
“With what?””
“With the trust.””
I stepped closer.
“You destroyed my graduation dress because you were scared.””
Mia nodded through tears.
“I wanted you to postpone graduation.””
I froze.
“What?””
She looked at me.
“Ethan said if you graduated and became independent, you would find out about the trust.””
I stared at her.
“So you ruined my dress to keep me from going.””
“Yes.””
Mom had stood there.
“It’s only a dress.””
I finally understood.
It wasn't about the dress.
It was about the day.
My graduation meant freedom.
It meant leaving home.
It meant getting a job.
It meant opening my own accounts.
It meant discovering the truth.
Mia had been trying to delay me.
I whispered, “You weren't jealous of my dress.””
“No.””
“You were afraid I'd find out.””
“Yes.””
Dad picked up another paper.
“This is from the law firm.””
He read it.
“Power of attorney.””
I looked at him.
“For Mom?””
“No.””
He looked at Mia.
“For you.””
She went pale.
“Mom was trying to make you legal representative over Evelyn's trust.””
I couldn't breathe.
“What?””
Mia shook her head.
“I didn't sign it.””
“Did you know about it?””
“Yes.””
Dad stared.
“And you said nothing.””
“I didn't know what to do.””
I looked at her.
“You could have told me.””
“I was scared.””
“You could have called the police.””
“I was scared!””
Her voice broke.
“I was scared Ethan would hurt me.””
The room went quiet.
Dad lowered the paper.
“Did he threaten you?””
Mia nodded.
“He said if I didn't get the money, he'd send the account records to the police.””
“For what?””
“For fraud.””
Dad stared at her.
“You knew?””
She nodded.
“I used the account.””
“So did Mom.””
“Yes.””
I looked at the destroyed pieces of my dress still lying in the corner.
Something inside me finally broke.
Not in anger.
In understanding.
Mia wasn't the mastermind.
She was still responsible.
But someone had been pulling strings.
And that someone had Mom trapped too.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Dad said, “Don't.””
I answered.
“Hello?””
A man's voice.
Ethan.
“You're finally listening.””
I gripped the phone.
“Where's my mother?””
“Safe.””
“Put her on.””
“Not yet.””
Dad leaned toward me.
I put the call on speaker.
“You're in serious trouble,” Dad said.
Ethan laughed.
“You have no idea.””
I said, “What do you want?””
“The trust.””
“It's frozen.””
“I know.””
“Then why are you calling?””
“Because you can unfreeze it.””
“How?””
“Richard made the trust conditional.””
My stomach tightened.
“He changed the terms.””
“I know.””
Ethan laughed again.
“Good. Then you know about the marriage clause.””
Dad looked at me.
I understood.
Ethan continued.
“You need to be married before midnight.””
“What?””
“There's an old provision.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
He sounded almost cheerful.
“Richard added a clause years ago. If you marry before your twenty-fourth birthday, the trust transfers to your spouse.””
I felt cold.
“That doesn't make sense.””
“Read the amendment.””
Dad grabbed the trust paperwork.
He flipped through the pages.
Then stopped.
I saw his eyes widen.
There it was.
A clause buried in legal language.
*Upon marriage, control of the trust may be transferred to the beneficiary's lawful spouse.*
Ethan spoke again.
“Guess who I found?””
I froze.
The front door creaked.
Dad turned.
Someone stepped inside.
Lucas.
My boyfriend.
His face was pale.
“Evelyn.””
I stared at him.
“What are you doing here?””
He looked at the phone in my hand.
Then at Dad.
Then at the documents.
Ethan laughed through the speaker.
“Perfect.””
I turned toward Lucas.
“Did you know about this?””
His eyes filled with tears.
“I was going to tell you.””
“Tell me what?””
He stepped forward.
“I didn't know how.””
Dad's voice was dangerous.
“Did you talk to Ethan?””
Lucas nodded.
“Once.””
“Why?””
Lucas looked at me.
“Because he said your life was in danger.””
I stared at him.
“And you believed him?””
“I did.””
Ethan interrupted.
“Lucas did more than believe me.””
I looked at my boyfriend.
“What did you do?””
He couldn't answer.
Dad did.
“He signed something.””
Lucas closed his eyes.
A document fell from his jacket.
I picked it up.
A prenuptial agreement.
My name.
Lucas's name.
And a transfer clause.
I looked at him.
“You were going to marry me.””
“Yes.””
“So Ethan could get the trust through you.””
Lucas started crying.
“No. I didn't know that part.””
I shook my head.
“Then what did you know?””
He looked at me.
“I knew your mother was desperate.””
My stomach dropped.
“You knew my mother?””
“Yes.””
“How long?””
Lucas whispered,
“Since before I met you.””
The room went silent.
I stepped backward.
And then my phone received a new message.
This one contained a photograph.
Mom.
Ethan.
Lucas.
And Richard Vale.
May you like
All standing together.
Taken six months ago.