Chapter 2: The Secret Inside the Locked Cabinet
My father's office was at the end of the upstairs hallway.
It was the one room in the house Vanessa never cleaned, Kayla never entered, and Noah wasn't allowed to touch.
Michael kept his business documents, tax records, insurance papers, and important family documents there.
He had always been protective of it.
Which made Kayla stealing its key even more suspicious.
"Where is it?"" Dad demanded.
Kayla wiped her cheeks.
"I don't know.""
"Don't lie to me.""
"I'm not!""
Dad held up the tablet.
"You're holding the key in the recording. I watched you take it.""
Kayla looked at Vanessa.
That small movement told me everything.
She wasn't looking for help.
She was waiting for instructions.
Vanessa stepped between them.
"Michael, she's scared. You're interrogating her like she's committed some terrible crime.""
"Then she should have no problem explaining why she took my key.""
"Maybe she was looking for something.""
"What?""
Vanessa hesitated.
"Her birth certificate.""
I frowned.
"Why would her birth certificate be in Dad's locked cabinet?""
Vanessa shot me a warning look.
"Emily, this has nothing to do with you.""
Dad turned toward her.
"Actually, it has everything to do with this family.""
He walked upstairs.
We followed him.
Noah stayed close to me, holding his tablet with both hands.
When we reached the office, Dad unlocked the door and switched on the light.
The room smelled of leather, old paper, and the coffee he'd left on his desk that morning.
He went straight to the filing cabinet.
The top drawer was locked.
He tried his key.
Nothing.
He tried again.
The lock turned, but the drawer wouldn't open.
Michael frowned.
"That's strange.""
Vanessa stood in the doorway.
"Maybe something is caught inside.""
Dad pulled harder.
The drawer slid open.
Inside were several folders, a small envelope, and a black leather document case.
He began checking the folders.
"Business taxes. Insurance. Property records...""
Then he stopped.
A folder labeled FAMILY TRUST was missing.
His face tightened.
"Where's the trust folder?""
Vanessa crossed her arms.
"I don't know.""
"Don't you?""
"No, Michael. I don't spend my time memorizing your paperwork.""
Dad checked the drawer again.
Then he opened the document case.
A few papers were inside, but several empty plastic sleeves remained.
He looked at Vanessa.
"Did you move anything?""
"Of course not.""
I watched her hands.
She was twisting her wedding ring around her finger.
She only did that when she was nervous.
Dad pulled out his phone.
"I'm calling Daniel.""
"Who?"" Vanessa asked.
"My attorney.""
Her eyes widened.
"Michael, don't be dramatic.""
He ignored her and called.
A moment later, a man answered.
"Michael? Everything okay?""
"No, Daniel. I need you to come over. Something's missing from my filing cabinet.""
There was a pause.
"Which documents?""
"The family trust.""
Another silence.
Then Daniel's voice became serious.
"Don't touch anything else. I'll be there in twenty minutes.""
Dad ended the call.
Vanessa let out a frustrated breath.
"This is unbelievable. You're treating your own wife like a criminal because your daughter decided to show you a video.""
I looked at her.
"Your daughter?""
She glared at me.
"You know what I mean.""
"No. I think I know exactly what you mean.""
Kayla suddenly spoke.
"Mom, can we just tell him?""
Vanessa turned sharply.
"Kayla, stop talking.""
But Dad heard her.
"Tell me what?""
Kayla's eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't mean for any of this to happen.""
Dad stepped closer.
"What didn't you mean?""
She looked at Vanessa again.
Then she whispered, "I was only supposed to get the papers.""
My heart began pounding.
"What papers?"" I asked.
Kayla swallowed.
"The ones in the cabinet.""
Dad's expression hardened.
"Who told you to take them?""
Kayla started shaking her head.
"I can't.""
Vanessa grabbed her daughter's shoulder.
"That's enough. You're exhausted.""
Dad pulled Vanessa's hand away.
"Let her speak.""
Kayla looked at the floor.
"Mom said there was something important in the folder. She said if I found it, everything would be easier.""
"Why would everything be easier?"" Dad asked.
"Because she said Emily was going to get the house.""
The room fell silent.
I stared at her.
"What?""
Kayla nodded.
"She said the house was supposed to belong to you when you turned eighteen. And Mom didn't think that was fair.""
I looked at my father.
He seemed confused.
"What is she talking about?""
I had no idea either.
Vanessa laughed nervously.
"She's mixing things up. She's been watching too many videos online.""
But Kayla continued.
"Mom said she had to find the papers before Emily's birthday.""
Dad slowly turned toward Vanessa.
"Explain.""
Vanessa lifted her chin.
"Michael, you know I have always worried about Kayla's future. You've spent years making sure Emily has everything she needs, but what about my daughter?""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"I have everything I need?""
Vanessa ignored me.
"Kayla deserves security too. She's your stepdaughter. You should care about her future.""
"I do care about her future," Dad replied.
"That doesn't explain why she was taking confidential documents.""
Vanessa's voice became louder.
"Because you never listen to me! Everything in this house revolves around Emily!""
I stared at her.
For six years, she'd treated me like an unwanted guest in my own home.
Now she was claiming I had been given everything.
Dad rubbed his forehead.
"Where are the missing papers, Vanessa?""
"I don't know.""
Kayla suddenly whispered, "They're in Mom's closet.""
Vanessa spun around.
"Kayla!""
My stepsister flinched.
Dad walked toward the hallway.
"Michael, don't you dare go through my things!""
He stopped.
"Then bring me the folder.""
Vanessa's mouth opened.
She looked at Kayla.
Then at me.
And finally, she said the words that changed the atmosphere completely.
"If you find those papers, you'll understand why I did what I did.""
Dad stared at her.
"What exactly did you do?""
She didn't answer.
Instead, she walked into the bedroom and slammed the door.
A minute later, she returned carrying a thick brown envelope.
She threw it onto the desk.
"There. Happy?""
Dad opened it.
Inside were several photocopies, a handwritten note, and a document bearing his signature.
He picked up the first page.
His eyebrows drew together.
Then he looked at me.
"Emily, did you know about this?""
I shook my head.
"What is it?""
He turned the document toward me.
At the top, in bold letters, were the words:
*NOTICE OF PROPERTY TRANSFER.*
Below that was my name.
And beneath my name was a signature that looked almost exactly like mine.
I stared at it.
"I didn't sign that.""
Dad's face became pale.
Because the document claimed I had voluntarily transferred my future interest in the house.
And the date printed at the bottom was three months earlier.
I had been seventeen.
I wasn't even legally old enough to sign what Vanessa was claiming I'd agreed to.
Then Dad noticed something else.
The witness signature at the bottom belonged to someone he trusted.
His older brother.
Uncle Robert.
Dad slowly sat down.
"Why would Robert sign this?""
Vanessa didn't answer.
I looked at the date again.
Then I remembered something.
Three months earlier, Vanessa had asked me to sign a stack of school forms while I was rushing to catch the bus.
She'd told me one of the pages was a permission slip.
I felt sick.
"She gave me those papers," I whispered.
Dad looked up.
"What papers?""
"The ones I signed in the kitchen. She said they were for school.""
Vanessa's face went completely blank.
And suddenly, I understood.
The accusation, the fake injury, the attempt to throw me out...
It wasn't just about making me look bad.
It was about getting me out of the house before I could discover what she'd done.
But there was one question nobody had answered.
May you like
Why had Uncle Robert signed the document?
And what had Vanessa promised him in return?
