Chapter 8 - THE ACCOUNT IN EMMA'S NAME I had no idea the account existed.
Dad said my mother had been listed as custodian.
The balance should have been almost fifty thousand dollars.
It wasn't.
It was barely eleven thousand.
The missing money had been withdrawn over several months.
Some withdrawals matched Lauren's rent.
Others matched credit-card payments.
One matched a weekend trip Lauren had posted online.
Then our attorney found something worse.
A payment to a family-law attorney.
The date was three weeks before Christmas.
I stared at the document.
"Why would Lauren hire a family lawyer?"
James answered quietly.
"Because she was preparing for something."
We learned more that evening.
Dad arrived alone.
He carried a manila envelope.
Inside were printed messages between Mom and Lauren.
One message from Lauren read:
Claire is going to cut us off from the baby eventually.
Mom had answered:
Don't start.
Lauren:
James will make her.
Mom:
He adores that child.
Then Lauren wrote:
If something happens, they'll blame me.
Mom answered:
Then don't give them a reason.
I felt sick.
Then came the message that destroyed what remained of my trust.
I can help with the lawyer. Use the education account temporarily. Claire doesn't know about it yet.
My mother had funded the legal war against us with Emma's money.
That night, she came to our house.
She stood in the snow.
I spoke through the security camera.
"Go home, Mom."
"Claire, please."
"You stole from Emma."
"I made mistakes."
"You helped Lauren."
"I was trying to keep this family together."
"No."
My voice broke.
"You were trying to keep control."
Then headlights appeared.
Lauren stepped from a car.
She held up her phone.
"Perfect."
She pointed the camera at us.
"Now everyone can see how you treat your own mother."
Then she turned toward Mom.
May you like
"Tell Claire whose idea the slap was."
My heart stopped.
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