Chapter 3 - The Papers in the Safe
Nobody slept that night.
Jamie tried.
I carried him upstairs myself.
When we reached his old bedroom, I stopped.
It wasn’t his bedroom anymore.
It had become Prudence’s dressing room.
Hundreds of dresses filled the closets.
Shoes lined the walls.
Jamie stared.
“Where’s my bed?”
Prudence stood behind us.
“We needed the space.”
I looked at her.
“For dresses?”
She rolled her eyes.
“He was a baby when you left.”
I opened another bedroom.
Guest room.
King-sized bed.
Clean sheets.
“Sarah.”
She stood hesitantly in the hallway.
“You and Jamie sleep here tonight.”
She shook her head.
“I’ll sleep downstairs.”
“Why?”
Her answer came automatically.
“Your mother doesn’t allow me upstairs.”
I looked at Sarah for several seconds.
Then I said quietly:
“My mother doesn’t make rules anymore.”
The next morning, I called three people.
A lawyer.
An accountant.
And the bank.
By noon, Attorney Michael Reeves sat at the dining table with documents spread around him.
He had helped me purchase the property years earlier.
“This deed doesn’t make sense,” he said.
Mother sat across from him.
“It was transferred legally.”
Michael looked at me.
“Did you sign a property transfer?”
“No.”
Mother spoke.
“You signed many documents before leaving.”
Michael pushed the deed toward me.
“Is that your signature?”
I stared at it.
It looked like mine.
Almost.
But the D curved incorrectly.
“No.”
Michael nodded.
“That’s what I thought.”
Prudence stood abruptly.
“This is ridiculous.”
“Sit down,” Mother snapped.
That interested me.
Prudence obeyed.
Michael continued.
“If Daniel didn’t sign this, we may be dealing with fraud.”
Mother’s face remained calm.
“Prove it.”
Sarah stared at her.
I did too.
Something had changed.
Mother wasn’t defending herself anymore.
She was challenging us.
I leaned back.
“You planned this.”
She smiled faintly.
“You were gone five years, Daniel. Did you really expect the world to stop?”
“I expected my wife to be fed.”
“She could have left.”
Sarah finally spoke.
“With what money?”
Mother looked at her.
“You always had options.”
“No, I didn’t.”
Sarah stood.
“You took my identification documents.”
My head snapped toward her.
“What?”
“You told me Daniel had abandoned us. Then you said Jamie and I could stay if I worked.”
Mother shrugged.
“You lived here.”
“In a storage room.”
“You had shelter.”
“I cleaned this entire mansion.”
Prudence laughed.
“You weren’t very good at it.”
Sarah turned toward her.
For the first time, I saw something other than fear.
Anger.
“I raised your brother’s son while washing your clothes, cooking your meals, cleaning your bathrooms, and watching you spend money Daniel sent for us.”
Prudence’s smile vanished.
Sarah stepped closer.
“And every time Jamie asked why his father never called, I had to tell him maybe Daddy was busy because I couldn’t bear to tell him his father might not love him.”
I stood.
“Sarah—”
She looked at me.
“I believed them.”
Her voice broke.
“I’m sorry.”
I crossed the room.
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
Michael cleared his throat.
“There’s another issue.”
He opened a folder.
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
“Daniel, the $108,000 you mentioned is only the direct monthly support.”
“Yes.”
“There were additional transfers.”
I frowned.
“What transfers?”
“Your construction bonuses.”
Mother looked at the table.
Michael continued.
“Based on preliminary banking records, approximately $312,000 passed through accounts controlled by your mother.”
Prudence went pale.
I stared at Mother.
“Three hundred and twelve thousand?”
She said nothing.
“Where is it?”
Mother slowly stood.
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“You couldn’t have built any of this without me.”
I laughed in disbelief.
“I earned that money.”
“And I protected it.”
“You stole it.”
“I turned it into something.”
She gestured around the mansion.
“Status. Connections. Investments.”
“While Jamie starved?”
“He didn’t starve.”
A small voice came from the doorway.
“Yes, I did.”
Everyone turned.
Jamie stood there clutching a toy truck I had brought him.
Mother froze.
Jamie looked at her.
“Sometimes Mommy didn’t eat so I could.”
Sarah covered her mouth.
Mother’s expression flickered.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
Shame.
Then it disappeared.
Michael closed his folder.
“I recommend we contact the authorities.”
Prudence panicked.
“No!”
Mother shot her a warning look.
Too late.
I turned toward my sister.
“Why not?”
Prudence backed away.
“Because…”
Mother said sharply, “Be quiet.”
“Because what?”
Prudence looked at Mother.
Then at me.
May you like
And finally whispered:
“Because the money isn’t the worst thing she did.”
