Chapter 6: The Money My Mother Left Behind
My father slowly removed Monique's hand from the flash drive.
"Move.""
She didn't resist this time.
He picked it up and handed it to Malik.
"Can you open this on the laptop?""
Malik nodded.
"Give me a minute.""
Monique sat down.
For the first time since the confrontation began, she looked tired rather than angry.
I remained standing beside my mother's chair.
My cheek still hurt.
My wedding dress was wrinkled where I'd pressed my hand against it.
And I hadn't even walked down the aisle.
Malik connected the flash drive to his laptop.
A folder appeared.
Inside were scanned documents, bank statements, photographs, and several spreadsheets.
He opened the first folder.
"There's a lot here.""
Darius leaned over his shoulder.
"Start with the estate records.""
Malik clicked.
A bank statement appeared.
The account belonged to Denise Carter's estate.
I recognized the bank.
My mother had used the same institution for years.
I looked at the balance.
Then looked again.
"That can't be right.""
My father frowned.
"What?""
"The account should have been closed.""
Malik scrolled down.
There were several transactions over the previous eighteen months.
Monthly withdrawals.
Some were small.
Others were several thousand dollars.
Rochelle leaned closer.
"Who authorized these?""
Darius shook his head.
"I didn't.""
Monique stood.
"Those were household expenses.""
My father turned toward her.
"From Denise's estate?""
"You were managing the finances.""
"I was managing the estate for Jada.""
"Exactly. And you used some of that money for family expenses.""
Darius stared at her.
"Which family expenses?""
She didn't answer.
Malik opened the transaction details.
One payment was labeled as a home renovation deposit.
Another was a transfer to a company called M. Carter Consulting.
A third was a payment to a luxury furniture retailer.
Rochelle pointed at the screen.
"Monique, is that your business?""
She looked away.
My father took the mouse.
"How much?""
Malik opened the spreadsheet.
He scrolled to the bottom.
The total was displayed in bold.
$86,400.
Nobody spoke.
I felt sick.
"That's my mother's money?""
My father looked at the screen.
"I never approved these transfers.""
Monique shook her head.
"Don't act innocent. You knew the account existed.""
"I knew it existed because I was the executor.""
"You signed the paperwork!""
"What paperwork?""
She grabbed her purse.
"I am not doing this.""
My father stepped between her and the door.
"You're going to explain.""
She stared at him.
"You slapped your daughter today. And now you're pretending you're some kind of innocent victim?""
His face tightened.
"I know what I did.""
"Then maybe you should worry about that instead of interrogating me.""
He looked down.
For a moment, I thought he might retreat into silence again.
Then he raised his eyes.
"You're right about one thing. I have a lot to answer for.""
He turned toward me.
"Jada, I'm sorry.""
I looked at him.
He continued.
"I should never have hit you. I should have asked you what happened. I should have protected you.""
My eyes burned.
I wanted to hug him.
I wanted to scream at him.
I wanted to go back to being the little girl who believed her father could never hurt her.
Instead, I said the only thing I could manage.
"Why didn't you trust me?""
He lowered his head.
"I don't have an excuse.""
Monique gave a sharp laugh.
"Beautiful speech.""
Darius ignored her.
"Marcus needs to see these statements. And we need to contact the bank.""
Malik opened another folder.
"Uncle Darius, there's something else.""
My father turned.
"What?""
"These transfers weren't made from the estate account alone.""
He opened a second spreadsheet.
It listed transactions from an investment account.
The account number matched the one listed in my mother's will.
I stared at the screen.
"That was supposed to be mine.""
Rochelle looked at me.
"Did you ever receive the final estate accounting?""
I shook my head.
"Dad told me everything had been settled.""
My father looked confused.
"I thought it had.""
Malik scrolled farther.
"There's a transfer to an account under Monique's name.""
My father closed his eyes.
"How much?""
Malik read the figure.
"$112,000.""
Monique immediately stepped forward.
"That money was mine.""
My father looked at her.
"From where?""
"My savings.""
"The statement says it came from Denise's investment account.""
"That doesn't prove anything.""
Malik clicked another file.
A scanned authorization form appeared.
At the bottom was Darius's signature.
He stared at it.
"That's not mine.""
Monique's voice rose.
"Stop saying that!""
He pointed at the document.
"I never signed this.""
"You don't remember every piece of paperwork you've signed.""
"I remember authorizing a transfer of estate funds.""
She shook her head.
"Then perhaps you should have paid attention.""
The room went quiet.
Darius stared at her.
"What did you just say?""
Monique pressed her lips together.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she looked toward me.
"Your mother left more money than you think.""
I frowned.
"What does that mean?""
Monique laughed bitterly.
"She had another investment account. One your father never told you about.""
My father went pale.
I turned toward him.
"Is that true?""
He didn't answer immediately.
Rochelle stepped forward.
"Darius?""
He looked at me.
"Your mother had an investment portfolio outside the estate account. She started it years before you were born.""
"How much was in it?""
He swallowed.
"I don't know the exact amount.""
Monique laughed.
"Of course you do.""
My father looked at her.
"Monique, stop.""
She continued.
"Denise left nearly four hundred thousand dollars in that portfolio. And your father knew exactly where it was.""
I stared at him.
"Four hundred thousand?""
He shook his head.
"I never received that money.""
Monique pulled out another sheet.
"Then explain this.""
She placed it on the table.
It was a financial statement showing the portfolio's balance before a series of transfers.
The last page contained a beneficiary change request.
My name had been crossed out.
Monique's name appeared beneath it.
I felt my knees weaken.
"Who changed the beneficiary?""
My father picked up the paper.
His face went completely blank.
"I didn't.""
Monique looked at him.
"Maybe you should check the date.""
He did.
Then he looked at me.
The date was six months before his marriage to Monique.
I whispered, "Dad...""
He stared at the signature.
It looked like his.
But beneath it was another name.
A witness.
Someone I knew.
Someone who had attended my mother's funeral.
Someone who had been helping my father manage the estate since the beginning.
My father read the name aloud.
"Marcus Bennett.""
The room went silent.
My aunt Rochelle slowly shook her head.
"That can't be right.""
Darius looked at the document again.
"Marcus was the one who handled Denise's estate.""
I stared at the screen.
The same attorney who had just denied preparing the property transfer.
The same man who had told us not to sign anything.
My father picked up his phone.
He dialed Marcus again.
The call rang once.
Twice.
Then a man's voice answered.
"Darius?""
My father held up the document.
"Marcus, I need you to tell me why your name is on a beneficiary change request for my late wife's investment account.""
Silence.
Then Marcus spoke.
"Darius, where did you get that document?""
My father looked at Monique.
"From my wife.""
Marcus's voice suddenly became urgent.
"Listen to me carefully. Do not let Monique leave with those files.""
My father stiffened.
"Why?""
Marcus took a breath.
"Because the signature on that beneficiary change is not the only forged document connected to Denise's estate.""
I felt the room spin.
"What other document?"" I whispered.
Marcus heard me.
And then he said something that made my father grip the phone with both hands.
"Jada, your mother changed her will three weeks before she died.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
Marcus continued.
"The original will your father gave you was not her final will.""
My father slowly turned toward Monique.
She was no longer smiling.
Marcus's voice came through the speaker again.
"And the person who collected the original document from my office was...""
The call abruptly disconnected.
Malik looked at his laptop.
Rochelle covered her mouth.
And my father turned toward his wife.
"Monique.""
She took one step backward.
Darius's voice shook.
"What did you do with Denise's final will?""
May you like
Monique looked at the exit.
Then, without answering, she ran.
