Chapter 3: The Money Nobody Was Supposed to Find
Dad took my phone from my hand.
He read the message twice.
Then he walked toward the window and stood with his back to us.
Mom watched him.
"James?""
He didn't respond.
"James, what money?""
Dad turned around slowly.
"Last December, I transferred money into Marcus's account.""
"How much?""
"Fifteen thousand dollars.""
Mom stared at him.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I thought it was a private matter between me and my son.""
She stood up.
"We don't keep financial secrets from each other.""
"I know.""
"Then why did you?""
Dad rubbed his forehead.
"Because Marcus told me he was dealing with something serious. He said he needed help, and he promised me he would pay it back.""
I looked at him.
"Help with what?""
Dad hesitated.
"He said somebody was threatening him over a debt.""
Mom's face went pale.
"What kind of debt?""
"He wouldn't explain.""
"And you gave him fifteen thousand dollars?""
Dad nodded.
"I thought I was protecting him.""
Mom stepped away from the counter.
"James, you should have told me.""
"I know.""
The kitchen fell silent again.
I looked at the anonymous message.
Whoever sent it knew about the transfer.
And they wanted us to ask questions.
I typed a reply.
Who is this?
The response came almost immediately.
*Someone who has been watching Marcus lie to your family for months.*
I typed again.
What do you know?
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Then appeared again.
*Ask him about Victoria. And ask him why he needed fifteen thousand dollars in December.*
I showed Dad.
He stared at the screen.
"That's enough.""
He called Marcus.
This time, the call went straight to voicemail.
Dad called again.
Voicemail.
Again.
Nothing.
Mom tried Jasmine.
She answered after the second ring.
"Mrs. Carter?""
"Jasmine, where are you?""
"At a motel.""
"Are you alone?""
"Marcus went out.""
Mom looked at Dad.
"Where did he go?""
"I don't know. He said he needed to handle something.""
Dad leaned closer.
"Jasmine, did Marcus tell you anything about a woman named Victoria Hayes?""
The silence lasted several seconds.
Then Jasmine whispered:
"Yes.""
Mom sat down.
"What did he tell you?""
"He said she was a business partner.""
Dad frowned.
"What business?""
"I don't know. He said they were working on an investment.""
"Did you ever meet her?""
"No.""
"Did you see her messages?""
Jasmine hesitated.
"Yes.""
"What did they say?""
Jasmine's voice became almost inaudible.
"She said she wanted her money back. And she said she wasn't going to let him keep pretending he was single.""
Mom covered her mouth.
Dad gripped the edge of the countertop.
"When did you see those messages?""
"Last night. Marcus left his phone on the bed while he was showering.""
"And what happened when you asked him?""
"He got angry. He told me I was being insecure.""
Mom closed her eyes.
"Jasmine, I need you to send me those messages if you still have them.""
"I took screenshots.""
"Send them.""
A minute later, the photographs arrived.
The first showed a conversation between Marcus and Victoria.
Victoria had written:
You promised this would be settled before the wedding.
Marcus replied:
I'm handling it.
Victoria:
You said the same thing in October.
Marcus:
Stop pressuring me.
Victoria:
I paid for the apartment. I covered the deposit. I even helped you when your family stopped sending money. What exactly are you handling?
Marcus:
Don't bring my family into this.
Victoria:
Then stop using their money to pay me back.
Dad read the last sentence again.
"Using our money?""
He opened his banking application.
He found the December transfer.
Then he examined the transactions from the following weeks.
The fifteen thousand dollars had entered Marcus's account on December 18.
Three days later, a transfer of nearly twelve thousand dollars had gone to an account with the name V. Hayes.
Dad sat down.
Mom stared at the screen.
"He told you he needed money because someone was threatening him.""
Dad nodded.
"He said it was an emergency.""
"And he gave it to Victoria?""
"It looks that way.""
I looked at the screenshots.
There was more.
Another message from Victoria had been sent the previous week.
You cannot marry someone else while still owing me money.
Marcus replied:
The wedding is happening. I need you to stop making this difficult.
Victoria:
Then tell Jasmine the truth.
Marcus:
She doesn't need to know about our arrangement.
Jasmine had sent one final screenshot.
It showed a message from Victoria that was only a few hours old.
If you walk out of that wedding pretending everything is settled, I'll tell your family everything.
Nobody spoke.
Then Mom's phone rang.
It was Marcus.
She answered.
"Where are you?""
"Why are you asking?""
"Because we need to talk.""
"I already know what this is about.""
"Good. Then explain Victoria.""
There was a sharp exhale.
"Who told you about her?""
Mom looked at Dad.
"That doesn't matter.""
"It matters to me.""
"Marcus, did you take fifteen thousand dollars from your father to pay Victoria?""
Silence.
Then he said, "It wasn't like that.""
Dad reached for the phone.
"Son, I want a straight answer.""
Marcus laughed bitterly.
"Now everybody wants straight answers.""
"Did you transfer the money to her?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because I owed her.""
"For what?""
Marcus didn't answer.
Dad's voice hardened.
"What did you owe her for?""
"An investment.""
"What investment?""
Marcus lowered his voice.
"I was trying to start something.""
"With Victoria?""
"She was helping me.""
Dad looked at the screenshots.
"She paid for your apartment?""
"That was part of the arrangement.""
Mom stepped closer.
"Marcus, were you involved with her?""
Another silence.
"Marcus?""
He finally answered.
"That doesn't have anything to do with my marriage.""
Jasmine, who had apparently been listening on another phone, suddenly spoke.
"It has everything to do with your marriage.""
Marcus went quiet.
"Jasmine?""
She was crying.
"You told me you were building a future with me. You told me your parents were proud of us. You told me Victoria was nobody.""
"Jasmine, calm down.""
"Don't tell me to calm down!""
Her voice cracked.
"Did you have another apartment with her?""
Marcus sighed.
"I can explain.""
"Did you sleep there?""
"Jasmine—"
"Did you?""
Nobody in our kitchen moved.
Finally, Marcus answered.
"Yes.""
Jasmine began sobbing.
Mom closed her eyes.
Dad looked down at the floor.
And I felt something I had never felt toward my brother before.
Not disappointment.
Not even anger.
Shame.
Marcus continued talking.
"It wasn't supposed to become serious. Victoria and I were working together. Things got complicated.""
Jasmine laughed through her tears.
"Complicated? You married me while you were living with another woman?""
"I wasn't living with her.""
"Then why was your name on the lease?""
"Because she needed someone to help with the application.""
"And why did you tell me you had an apartment?""
Marcus didn't answer.
Jasmine wiped her face.
"You let me stand in front of our families and promise to spend my life with you while you were hiding another woman.""
"That's not fair.""
"What's not fair is that I believed you.""
Mom took the phone.
"Marcus, where are you?""
"I'm handling things.""
"Where?""
"At the apartment.""
Dad looked up.
"Which apartment?""
Marcus went silent.
Mom asked again.
"The apartment on the lease with Victoria?""
Marcus exhaled.
"Yes.""
Dad shook his head.
"You're going to leave that place and return the keys.""
"Why?""
"Because you have a wife who needs somewhere safe to stay, and you have a family that deserves the truth.""
Marcus laughed.
"You think you're going to control me forever?""
"No," Dad replied.
"I'm done controlling nothing. But I'm also done paying for your lies.""
Marcus's voice became colder.
"Fine. You want the truth? I'll tell you everything.""
Mom tightened her grip on the phone.
"Go ahead.""
Marcus took a breath.
"Victoria didn't just help me with an apartment. She helped me start a business. I was supposed to pay her back after the first contracts came through.""
Dad frowned.
"What business?""
"An event company.""
Mom looked at the wedding invoice.
"Is that why you booked the venue?""
"No.""
"Then why?""
Marcus hesitated.
"Because I needed the money.""
Dad's expression hardened.
"You used the wedding to get money?""
"No! That's not what I mean.""
"Then explain.""
Marcus lowered his voice.
"Victoria wanted out. She wanted her money back. I thought if I could get married and convince everyone I had my life together, I could get a loan.""
Mom stared at him.
"A loan?""
"Yes.""
"Against what?""
"The business.""
Dad's voice dropped.
"What business, Marcus? You don't have a registered company.""
Silence.
Then Marcus said something that made my stomach turn.
"I was going to use the wedding contracts as proof that I had clients.""
Dad closed his eyes.
He understood immediately.
Marcus had been planning to use the appearance of a successful wedding and event business to convince a lender that he had a legitimate operation.
And he had apparently used our family's names and financial information to make the entire thing look credible.
Mom took a step backward.
"You used our reputation?""
Marcus sounded frustrated.
"I was trying to build something!""
Dad answered calmly.
"By lying to everyone who trusted you?""
"I was going to pay everybody back.""
"With what money?""
Marcus didn't respond.
Then Jasmine spoke.
"Marcus, I want an annulment.""
The words hung in the air.
Mom looked at Dad.
Dad looked at the phone.
Marcus let out a nervous laugh.
"You're not serious.""
"I am.""
"We just got married.""
"And I wish I hadn't.""
"Jasmine, don't make decisions while you're emotional.""
She took a shaky breath.
"You made yours while you were lying.""
Then she ended the call.
Mom slowly lowered the phone.
For a few moments, the only sound in the kitchen was the refrigerator humming.
Dad finally spoke.
"We need to protect ourselves.""
He began gathering the paperwork.
Mom looked at him.
"And Marcus?""
Dad paused.
"He's our son.""
"I know.""
"We can love him without giving him another dollar.""
I watched them organize the documents.
For the first time, I understood the difference between helping someone and enabling them.
Our parents had spent years making Marcus's life easier.
They had paid his bills, solved his problems, and rescued him whenever he got into trouble.
But somewhere along the way, he had stopped seeing their help as a gift.
He had started seeing it as an entitlement.
And now the consequences were arriving.
At 4:37 that afternoon, Dad received an email from the venue.
The financial review was complete.
The manager had attached the original booking records, the payment history, and a list of people who had accessed the contract.
Dad opened the final attachment.
His face changed.
"Rebecca," he whispered.
Mom came over.
"What?""
He turned the laptop toward her.
There were three names listed under authorized contacts.
Marcus Carter.
Victoria Hayes.
And someone else.
Someone whose name made Mom grip the back of the chair.
*Daniel Carter.*
My name.
I stepped closer.
"What? I never signed anything.""
Dad scrolled down.
The record showed that my email address had been used to request a copy of the financial agreement.
And beneath it was a message sent from an account I had never seen before.
The message read:
Please process this quickly. My family doesn't know about the arrangement yet.
I stared at the screen.
Because I had never sent that message.
Then another email arrived.
This one was from Victoria Hayes.
It contained a single sentence.
*"Your brother didn't do this alone. Someone in your family helped him, and I have the evidence.""*
Mom slowly turned toward me.
May you like
Dad stopped breathing for a moment.
And I realized that the person who had been hiding behind Marcus's lies might have been much closer to home than any of us imagined.
