Chapter 8: My Daughter Was Never Supposed to Know
Renee drove home with both hands gripping the steering wheel.
She had spent the entire drive replaying Tasha's words.
Jada's name.
A vehicle loan.
A signature she had never authorized.
When she entered the house, Jada was sitting on the living room couch with her laptop.
"Mom?""
Renee placed the documents on the coffee table.
"We need to talk.""
Jada closed the laptop.
"What's wrong?""
Renee sat beside her.
"Your father may have used your information to help finance Mason's truck.""
Jada stared.
"What information?""
"Your name. Your date of birth. Possibly your Social Security number.""
Jada slowly shook her head.
"No.""
"I know.""
"Mom, I never signed anything.""
"I believe you.""
Jada picked up the document.
The application listed her as a secondary borrower.
The address was their family home.
The signature at the bottom looked like someone had copied her name from an old school form.
Jada put the paper down.
"Why would he do this?""
Renee didn't answer immediately.
Because she knew the answer.
Lionel had become so comfortable using his family members as pieces in his private arrangements that he no longer seemed to recognize their right to refuse.
Jada stood and began pacing.
"Does this mean I owe money?""
"We don't know yet. We're going to speak with a lawyer and contact the lender.""
"What if it affects my credit?""
"We'll deal with it.""
"What if they don't believe me?""
Renee reached for her hand.
"They will have to investigate. You didn't sign that document, and we're not going to pretend you did.""
Jada looked at the paper again.
Then her phone rang.
Mason.
She stared at the screen.
"That's him.""
Renee nodded.
"Do you want to answer?""
Jada hesitated before accepting the call.
"Hello?""
"Hey. Is this Jada?""
"Yes.""
"It's Mason.""
"I know.""
There was a pause.
"Can we talk?""
Jada looked at her mother.
"About what?""
"About the truck.""
Jada exhaled.
"Okay.""
Mason sounded nervous.
"My mom said you found out about the money.""
"I found out my father stole my tuition.""
"Yeah. I'm sorry.""
Jada didn't respond.
Mason continued.
"I didn't know he used your money.""
"Did you know he was married?""
"Yes.""
Jada closed her eyes.
"Did you know he had a daughter?""
"Yes.""
"Then what did you think was happening?""
Mason went quiet.
Finally, he said, "He told me you didn't want anything to do with me.""
Jada looked at her mother.
"What?""
"He said you knew about me, but you didn't want to meet. He said you thought I was a mistake.""
Jada stared at the wall.
For seventeen years, Lionel had hidden one child from another.
He had also made sure neither could question the other.
"That's not true," she said.
"I know.""
"How?""
"Because I saw your pictures.""
Jada frowned.
"What pictures?""
"Your school pictures. Your graduation. Your birthday posts. He kept a bunch of them in a folder.""
Jada felt tears prick her eyes.
"Why?""
Mason sighed.
"I don't know. Maybe he wanted to pretend we were one big family without actually letting us meet.""
Jada sat down.
"What did you find on the truck paperwork?""
Mason hesitated.
"I found a copy of your ID information.""
Jada's stomach tightened.
"Where?""
"In Dad's email.""
"How did you get into his email?""
"He left his tablet at our apartment. I was looking for the insurance information because the dealership called about a financing problem.""
"What problem?""
Mason lowered his voice.
"They said the loan application might be fraudulent.""
Jada gripped the phone.
"What?""
"They asked Mom to confirm some information. She told them she didn't know anything about you being on the loan.""
Jada looked at Renee.
"Did they contact you?""
"Not yet," Renee replied.
Mason continued.
"There's something else. Dad told Mom that you were already eighteen and had agreed to help with the payments.""
Jada shook her head.
"I've never even seen the truck.""
"I know.""
"Why are you telling me this?""
Mason was quiet for a moment.
"Because I don't want to be part of what he did.""
His voice cracked slightly.
"And because I think he used my name too.""
Renee leaned closer.
"What do you mean?"" Jada asked.
"There's a document showing my signature on a separate account. I never signed it either.""
Jada looked at her mother.
Lionel had apparently been using both children.
The truck was only one piece of something larger.
Mason continued.
"Can I meet you?""
Jada hesitated.
"Why?""
"Because I have copies of the documents. And because I think we both deserve to know what happened.""
Jada looked at Renee.
Her mother nodded slowly.
"Only if you feel comfortable," Renee said.
Jada agreed to meet Mason the following afternoon at a public library.
After ending the call, she sat silently.
Renee wrapped an arm around her.
"You don't have to become friends with him.""
"I know.""
"You don't owe him anything.""
"I know, Mom.""
Jada looked at the loan application.
"But he didn't steal my money.""
"No.""
"He didn't make Dad lie.""
"No.""
Jada swallowed.
"Then maybe I should hear him out.""
The next day, Mason arrived at the library carrying a black backpack.
He looked nervous.
Jada recognized him immediately from the photographs.
He was taller than she expected, wearing a gray hoodie and worn sneakers.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey.""
They sat at a table near the windows.
Mason placed a folder between them.
"I brought everything I could find.""
Jada opened it.
There were financing applications, bank statements, insurance documents, and emails.
One document showed Lionel had used Mason's name to open a savings account.
Another showed regular deposits into that account.
But the account's listed beneficiary wasn't Mason.
It was Lionel.
"Why would he do that?"" Jada asked.
Mason shook his head.
"He said it was for my future.""
Jada turned another page.
The account had received deposits from three different sources.
Lionel's paycheck.
Beverly's transfers.
And a household account belonging to Renee.
Jada looked at the amounts.
Some of the deposits were small.
Others were several thousand dollars.
"Mom never knew about this.""
Mason nodded.
"I believe you.""
He pulled out his phone.
"There's a message I want you to see.""
He opened a conversation with Lionel.
The date was six months earlier.
Lionel had written:
Keep the truck paperwork simple. If anybody asks, tell them Jada agreed to help. She won't check anything. She's too busy with school.
Jada's hands went cold.
She read the message again.
Then she put the phone down.
"He said I wouldn't check?""
Mason nodded.
"That's what he said.""
Jada looked at the boy sitting across from her.
For the first time, she understood that Lionel hadn't merely favored one child over another.
He had turned them against each other before they had ever met.
"Did he ever tell you I was a bad person?"" she asked.
Mason nodded.
"He said you were selfish.""
Jada laughed without humor.
"He told me you were getting everything because you were his real responsibility.""
Mason looked down.
"I guess we both got lied to.""
Jada closed the folder.
"There's something I want to ask.""
"Okay.""
"Do you want the truck?""
Mason shook his head.
"No.""
"Why?""
"Because every time I look at it, I think about what Dad did.""
He paused.
"And because I don't want you losing your education so I can drive something expensive.""
Jada looked away.
For a moment, she couldn't speak.
Then Mason slid another document across the table.
"This is the one I found yesterday.""
It was a printout from a financial account.
At the top was a balance.
$42,600.
Jada frowned.
"What's this?""
"An account Dad said he opened for me.""
She looked at the transaction history.
The money had been deposited over several years.
But the last line showed a withdrawal made just four days earlier.
The entire balance had been transferred.
To an account ending in the same four digits as the one that received Jada's tuition money.
Jada stared.
"That's Dad's account.""
Mason nodded.
"Yeah.""
"Where did the money go?""
Mason pointed to the transaction description.
*CARTER FAMILY PROPERTY RESERVE.*
Jada looked up.
"He's been moving money around for years.""
Mason swallowed.
"And there's something worse.""
He opened another page.
It showed a pending transfer scheduled for the following Monday.
Amount: $42,600.
Recipient: A property investment company.
The company name was unfamiliar.
But the address was not.
It was the Westerville apartment.
Jada felt her heart pound.
"He's trying to move the money.""
Mason nodded.
"I think he's preparing to leave.""
Jada called her mother.
Renee answered immediately.
"Sweetheart?""
"Mom, you need to come to the library.""
"What happened?""
Jada looked at Mason.
"He's moving more money.""
There was a pause.
Then Renee asked:
"How much?""
Jada looked at the document.
"Forty-two thousand, six hundred dollars.""
Renee went silent.
Then she said something Jada hadn't expected.
"Don't let your father know you found that document.""
"Why?""
"Because I just received an email from the bank.""
Renee's voice trembled.
"Someone has submitted a request to change the ownership details on our house.""
Jada stared at the pending transfer.
May you like
The request had been submitted that morning.
And the name of the person listed as the new property contact was Tasha Williams.
