Chapter 8: The Document With My Name On It
The drive home was silent.
Not peaceful silence.
The kind where everyone is afraid to speak because one sentence could break everything.
I stared out the window.
My mother’s inheritance.
I had never cared much about money.
I cared about memories.
The necklace.
The letters.
The small things that reminded me she existed.
But now I realized someone had been trying to take even that.
Dad kept both hands on the steering wheel.
Finally, he spoke.
“I should have told you sooner.””
“Told me what?””
“About your mother’s estate.””
I looked at him.
“What about it?””
“When your mother passed away, she left some assets.””
I frowned.
“Assets?””
“A small investment account. Some savings. A few personal items.””
I didn’t know what to say.
“Why didn’t I know?””
“Because you were young.””
I looked away.
“I’m nineteen now.””
“I know.””
“Then why did Linda know?””
Dad didn’t answer.
That was enough.
She knew.
I didn’t.
When we got home, Dad went straight to his office.
I followed.
He opened a locked drawer and pulled out a file.
Inside were legal documents.
“This is everything from your mother.””
I carefully looked through them.
Then I saw something.
A signature.
My eyes narrowed.
“Dad.””
“What?””
“This isn’t your signature.””
He looked.
And his face changed.
The document had my name.
But the signature beside it belonged to Linda.
“She signed this?””
Dad grabbed the paper.
“She had no authority.””
“What does it say?””
He read silently.
Then his expression turned dark.
“It says she was acting as a representative.””
“For me?””
“Yes.””
“But I never asked her to.””
Dad shook his head.
“No.””
My phone suddenly rang.
Unknown number again.
Dad looked at me.
“Don’t answer.””
But this time, I did.
“Hello?””
A woman’s voice spoke.
“Jasmine?””
“Yes?””
“This is Rachel from the law office that handled your mother’s estate.””
I sat down.
“How do you know my number?””
“Your father gave permission.””
Dad nodded.
Rachel continued.
“I’m calling because we discovered irregular activity involving your inheritance documents.””
My heart raced.
“What kind of activity?””
“There was an attempted transfer.””
“Transfer to who?””
A pause.
Then:
“Linda Carter.””
I closed my eyes.
Dad looked furious.
“She tried to take my inheritance?””
Rachel continued.
“She submitted paperwork claiming she was authorized.””
“But she wasn’t.””
“No.””
“Then why didn’t anyone stop her?””
“Because the documents were incomplete. We flagged them.””
Dad took the phone.
“This is David Carter.””
Rachel explained something to him.
I watched his expression change.
Confusion.
Then anger.
Then shock.
When he ended the call, he looked at me.
“She wasn’t trying to take the money for Tyler.””
“Then what?””
He sat down.
“She was trying to move control of it.””
“Why?””
Dad looked at the document.
“Because if something happened to me…”
He stopped.
I understood.
“She wanted control over my life.””
Dad nodded slowly.
The thought was terrifying.
Not because Linda was powerful.
Because she had been planning.
That evening, Linda came to our house.
Dad almost refused to let her in.
But I stopped him.
“I want answers.””
He looked at me.
“You sure?””
I nodded.
Linda entered quietly.
She looked at the documents on the table.
And immediately knew.
“You found out.””
Dad stared at her.
“You tried to control Jasmine’s inheritance.””
She started crying.
“I didn’t.””
“Then explain.””
She sat down.
“I was scared.””
“Again.””
She looked at me.
“When David got older, I worried about what would happen.””
I frowned.
“What does that have to do with me?””
“Everything.””
She looked at me.
“You were always protected. Always prepared for the future.””
“And Tyler?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I was afraid he would have nothing.””
I shook my head.
“You had no right to take from me.””
“I know.””
“No.””
My voice became stronger.
“You knew.””
Linda looked down.
Because she knew I was right.
Dad stood.
“You need to understand something.””
She looked up.
“I do.””
“No.””
His voice was firm.
“You keep saying you were afraid. But every choice you made created fear for someone else.””
Linda cried.
“I’m sorry.””
Dad looked at her.
“Sorry doesn’t erase signatures.””
The room went quiet.
Then Linda said something unexpected.
“There’s one more thing.””
Dad froze.
“What?””
She looked terrified.
“I wasn’t the person who suggested Jasmine’s laptop.””
I frowned.
“What?””
Linda looked at me.
“Someone else told me how to make it look like a normal sale.””
Dad stepped forward.
“Who?””
Linda hesitated.
Then whispered a name.
A name none of us expected.
And the moment Dad heard it…
his entire expression changed.
Because it wasn’t Carol.
It wasn’t a stranger.
May you like
It was someone who had been in our house before.
Someone we trusted.
