Chapter 4: The Secret in the White Envelope
“IF YOU GIVE HER THAT, SHE'LL FIND OUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO HER MOTHER!””
Vanessa's scream seemed to shake the walls.
My father stood motionless, the white envelope trembling between his fingers.
I looked at him.
Then at Vanessa.
“What happened to Mom?””
Neither answered.
“Dad?””
Michael Carter lowered his eyes.
“Emily, sweetheart, there's something I've needed to tell you for a long time.””
Vanessa immediately stepped forward.
“Michael, don't do this. She's sixteen. She doesn't need to hear about things she can't understand.””
I backed away from her.
“Stop telling everyone what I can understand!””
My voice cracked.
“Mom is my mother. Whatever happened to her, I have a right to know.””
Dad looked at Vanessa.
“Go upstairs.””
She blinked.
“Excuse me?””
“I said go upstairs.””
“Michael, we are not having this conversation in front of her.””
“Then you should have thought about that before putting my daughter in the garage.””
Vanessa's lips tightened.
She glanced at the envelope, then at the bank statement still lying on the workbench.
“You're making a terrible mistake,” she whispered.
Dad didn't respond.
She walked out, but not before turning toward me.
“This isn't over, Emily.””
The workshop door slammed.
Dad waited until her footsteps disappeared.
Then he sat on the old wooden stool beside the workbench.
He looked older than I remembered.
“Come here, sweetheart.””
I approached cautiously.
He reached for my hand and noticed the red marks around my wrist.
His expression changed.
“Did she do this?””
I nodded.
His jaw tightened.
“I'm sorry.””
I wanted to tell him that sorry wasn't enough.
That I'd spent three nights sleeping beside a washing machine.
That I'd been hungry, cold, and terrified while he was hundreds of miles away.
But the question burning inside me was bigger.
“What happened to Mom?””
Dad stared at the envelope.
“Your mother was diagnosed with an aggressive heart condition five years ago. The doctors said she needed surgery. It was complicated, but they believed she had a good chance.””
I remembered the hospital.
The white walls.
The smell of disinfectant.
Mom squeezing my hand and promising she'd be home before Christmas.
I remembered Dad telling me everything would be okay.
“What does that have to do with Vanessa?””
He rubbed his forehead.
“Vanessa worked in the financial department of the medical group that handled some of your mother's insurance paperwork. We met through a mutual friend after your mother passed.””
I frowned.
“You knew her before Mom died?””
“Not personally. I'd seen her around, but we weren't close.””
He opened the envelope.
Inside was a letter written by Mom, along with several photocopied documents.
The first page was dated three months before her death.
Michael,
If something happens to me, please don't let anyone convince you that Emily's future is negotiable.
I've made sure the house and the money are protected. The trust is already established. The bank has the original documents.
There is one more thing you need to know.
I discovered irregularities in the insurance payments and medical billing records. Someone accessed our accounts without authorization. I don't know how far it goes, but I've made copies.
If Vanessa Carter ever becomes involved in our financial affairs, please investigate before trusting her.
I read the final sentence again.
“Vanessa Carter?””
Dad nodded slowly.
“She wasn't married to me yet. Her maiden name was Vanessa Reed.””
My stomach twisted.
“Mom knew about her?””
“She knew someone with access to the medical accounts was involved in suspicious transactions. She didn't know who. I didn't either.””
I stared at the papers.
“Did Mom die because of something Vanessa did?””
Dad immediately shook his head.
“I don't know, sweetheart. I won't make that accusation without proof.””
“Then why did Vanessa say I'd find out what happened to Mom?””
He looked down.
“Because I believe she knows more than she's admitted.””
I felt dizzy.
Five years.
Five years of thinking my mother had died because her heart had failed.
Five years of birthdays without her.
And now there was a possibility that something else had happened.
Dad handed me another document.
It was a letter from an attorney named Daniel Brooks.
The letter confirmed that my mother's trust was legally established and that her fifty-percent ownership interest in the house could not be transferred, sold, or altered without following the trust's provisions.
There was also a second account.
An investment account.
The balance was now $284,650.
“Your mother started saving for you when you were born,” Dad explained.
“She added to it every year. It was supposed to pay for college and give you a start in life.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I thought you were too young. Then, after I married Vanessa, I made the mistake of letting her handle some of the household paperwork.””
“Did she take money?””
Dad didn't answer immediately.
He turned over the bank statement.
Several withdrawals were marked in red.
$15,000.
$22,500.
$8,750.
And more.
“Your mother set restrictions on the account,” he said.
“Those transactions should never have happened.””
I looked at him.
“How much is missing?””
He swallowed.
“I'm not sure yet.””
Then he noticed something written at the bottom of the letter.
A handwritten note from Mom.
Michael, if the account is ever accessed without Emily's permission, contact Daniel immediately. He has the original evidence.
Dad picked up his phone.
He searched through his contacts and found a number.
“Daniel? It's Michael Carter.””
A pause.
“Yes. I'm sorry it's been so long.””
He listened.
Then his face went pale.
“Wait. What do you mean you already sent it?””
I leaned closer.
Dad's fingers tightened around the phone.
“Who requested the transfer?””
Another pause.
Then he looked directly at me.
“Vanessa.””
The call ended.
Dad stared at the screen.
I could barely breathe.
“What did she do?””
He didn't answer.
Instead, he picked up the blue folder and carefully gathered the documents.
Then he said something that made my heart drop.
“Emily, your mother didn't just leave you money and the house.””
May you like
He pulled out one final page.
“She left you control of something Vanessa has been trying to get for years.””
