Chapter 3: The Money My Mother Stole
The drive home was painfully quiet.
Richard drove with both hands on the steering wheel. I sat in the passenger seat holding my diploma and bouquet.
My mother and Vanessa followed in Vanessa's car.
Neither of them had spoken to us since leaving the university.
I kept replaying the conversation.
Whose money has been paying for Vanessa's lifestyle?
It didn't make sense.
Richard was a successful businessman. He owned a construction company and had always been financially comfortable.
He had paid for our household expenses, Vanessa's private education, her car, and almost everything else.
I had never questioned it.
But now I wondered whether I should have.
“Dad?””
“Yeah, sweetheart?””
“What did Mom do?””
He glanced at me.
“I want to show you the documents before I answer that.””
“Why?””
“Because you deserve facts, not another argument.””
I looked down at my diploma.
“Is Vanessa going to lose everything?””
Richard was quiet for a moment.
“I'm not interested in punishing her. I'm interested in making sure nobody is punished for telling the truth.””
When we arrived home, a black sedan was parked in the driveway.
A man in his early sixties stood beside it holding a leather briefcase.
Richard introduced him as Michael Carter, the family's attorney.
Michael shook my hand.
“Congratulations, Maya. Your father has told me a great deal about you.””
“Thank you.””
He looked at Richard.
“Shall we?””
We entered the living room.
Denise and Vanessa were already sitting on the couch.
Vanessa had removed her sunglasses, but her eyes were red.
Denise sat upright, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
Michael placed his briefcase on the coffee table.
“Before we begin,” he said, “I want everyone to understand that this is a private family matter involving financial records and a legal trust.””
Vanessa immediately interrupted.
“I don't see why Maya needs to be involved.””
Richard pulled out a chair for me.
“Because it concerns her.””
Denise shook her head.
“This is unnecessary.””
Michael opened the briefcase.
“Mrs. Hayes, I have copies of the original documents and the financial records you requested I review.””
Denise's face changed.
“Richard, we can discuss this privately.””
“No,” he replied.
“We have discussed it privately for years.””
I looked between them.
“Can someone please tell me what's going on?””
Richard sat opposite me.
“Your biological father left you something when he passed away.””
I stopped breathing for a second.
My biological father had died when I was seven.
I remembered very little about him. A deep voice. A brown leather jacket. The smell of peppermint when he kissed my forehead.
My mother rarely spoke about him.
“What did he leave me?””
Richard looked at Michael.
Michael opened a folder and slid a document across the table.
“Your father established an educational and financial trust for you before his death. The original principal was substantial, and it was intended to provide for your education, future housing, and long-term financial security.””
I stared at the document.
My name was printed near the top.
MAYA ELAINE BROOKS.
I read the first paragraph twice.
“How much?””
Michael answered carefully.
“The original trust was funded with approximately $480,000, including investments and life insurance proceeds.””
My mouth fell open.
“Four hundred and eighty thousand dollars?””
Vanessa let out a nervous laugh.
“That's ridiculous.””
Michael didn't look at her.
“The trust was established specifically for Maya. Your mother was appointed trustee while Maya was a minor.””
I turned toward Denise.
“Mom?””
She looked away.
I couldn't understand.
If my father had left that money for me, why had I worked two jobs throughout college?
Why had I worried about tuition?
Why had Richard helped me make payment arrangements?
Why had I spent three months saving for a graduation dress?
I looked back at Michael.
“What happened to it?””
He opened another folder.
“That's what we've been investigating.””
Richard leaned forward.
“Show her.””
Michael placed several printed statements on the table.
“These are transfers made from the trust over several years. Some were legitimate expenses related to Maya's upbringing. Others were payments to accounts and vendors that have no documented connection to her care or education.””
I picked up the first statement.
There were transfers to a luxury apartment company.
A designer boutique.
A private travel agency.
And several payments to a credit card account.
My hands began shaking.
“Who received this money?””
Michael looked at Denise.
“According to the records, a significant portion went toward expenses associated with Vanessa Hayes.””
Vanessa jumped up.
“That's a lie!””
Michael remained calm.
“I can show you the transactions.””
“I never asked for Maya's money!””
I turned toward her.
“Then why did you get it?””
She looked at my mother.
Denise finally spoke.
“Richard, this is being presented completely out of context.””
He stared at her.
“Then provide the context.””
“You know how expensive raising two girls was.””
Richard's expression hardened.
“Two girls?””
“Yes!””
“Maya's father left that money for Maya. It wasn't household money.””
Denise threw her hands up.
“I was her mother! I had the authority to make decisions!””
Michael carefully corrected her.
“You were appointed trustee. That gave you fiduciary responsibilities. It did not give you unrestricted ownership of the assets.””
Denise looked at him sharply.
“Don't lecture me.””
Michael closed one folder and opened another.
“Mrs. Hayes, we also found a transfer of $86,000 into an account held jointly by you and Vanessa.””
Vanessa went completely still.
I looked at her.
“Eighty-six thousand?””
She shook her head.
“I don't know anything about that.””
Michael turned another page.
“The transfer was made three years ago.””
Richard's voice was low.
“That's the year Maya was working nights to pay her tuition.””
I felt something collapse inside my chest.
I remembered those nights.
The late shifts at the restaurant.
The bus rides home.
The exhaustion that made me cry over textbooks because I couldn't keep my eyes open.
And all that time, money intended for my future had been moving into an account connected to my stepsister.
“Mom,” I whispered.
She finally looked at me.
“I was going to replace it.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
“I had plans to put everything back.””
“When?””
She wiped her eyes.
“When Vanessa became financially stable.””
Vanessa turned toward her.
“Mom!””
Denise immediately reached for her hand.
But the damage was already done.
I slowly placed the documents on the table.
“So you used my money to pay for her clothes?””
Denise said nothing.
“My money paid for her trips?””
Still nothing.
“Her car?””
Denise's lips trembled.
“Some of it.””
I laughed once.
It wasn't a happy sound.
“And when I needed help paying tuition, you told me there wasn't enough money.””
Richard closed his eyes.
Michael looked down at his papers.
Vanessa sat back on the couch.
For the first time, she looked less smug than frightened.
Then Richard spoke.
“There's something else.””
Denise turned toward him.
“Richard, don't.””
He ignored her.
“Michael also reviewed the records from the last six months.””
He pulled out a separate envelope.
“Apparently, after I questioned the financial discrepancies, someone attempted to transfer the remaining trust assets into another account.””
I looked at my mother.
She was shaking her head.
“That's not what happened.””
Richard placed the envelope on the table.
“The transfer was scheduled for yesterday.””
Yesterday.
The same day Vanessa burned my graduation dress.
I looked at Michael.
“Was it completed?””
“No,” he answered.
“The bank flagged it and temporarily froze the transaction.””
Richard nodded.
“Which means we still have a chance to protect what's left.””
I looked at the envelope.
Then I noticed the signature at the bottom of the transfer authorization.
My mother's signature wasn't there.
Instead, it belonged to someone else.
Someone whose name I recognized.
I leaned closer.
It was Vanessa.
“Why is her signature on this?””
Nobody answered.
Vanessa stood up so quickly that the coffee table shook.
“I was just helping Mom!””
Richard looked at her.
“Helping her transfer Maya's remaining inheritance?””
“She told me it was family money!””
Michael slowly removed another document from the folder.
“That's not the only concern. The authorization included a declaration that Maya had personally approved the transfer.””
I looked at the paper.
My name was printed beneath a signature that looked almost like mine.
Almost.
But I had never signed it.
I turned toward Denise.
“Did you forge my signature?””
She started crying.
“Maya, please. You don't understand.””
Richard stood.
“Then explain it.””
Denise looked at Vanessa.
Vanessa looked at the floor.
And Michael quietly added one final detail.
“There's a witness statement attached to the authorization. Someone signed it claiming Maya had given her permission in person.””
I felt cold.
“Who?””
Michael turned the document around.
The witness's name was written clearly.
It wasn't my mother.
It wasn't Vanessa.
It was Richard Hayes.
My father.
I looked up at him, completely confused.
“Dad?””
Richard stared at the signature.
For the first time that afternoon, the controlled expression on his face disappeared.
He shook his head.
“I never signed this.””
Michael slowly closed the folder.
“That's what I was afraid of.””
And then the doorbell rang.
Richard walked toward the entrance.
When he opened the door, a woman in a gray business suit stood outside holding a sealed envelope.
“Mr. Hayes?”” she asked.
“Yes?””
She glanced at me.
“I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need to speak with Maya Brooks immediately.””
She held up the envelope.
“It's regarding a second account your family hasn't disclosed.””
I looked at my mother.
Her face had turned completely white.
May you like
Because whatever was inside that envelope, she clearly knew it existed.
And judging by the way Vanessa suddenly began crying again, the money in my trust wasn't the only thing they had taken from me.
