Chapter 4: The Account My Father Tried to Hide
The applause was still echoing through the auditorium when my father pushed past the last row of chairs and hurried toward me.
“Maya, we need to talk.””
I was still standing beside the grand piano, my hands trembling from the performance. A few contestants approached to congratulate me, but Dad ignored them. His eyes were fixed on the blue folder tucked beneath my arm.
“Not now,” I said.
His jaw tightened.
“Now.””
Margaret Collins stepped between us.
“Marcus, your daughter has just completed her performance. She deserves a moment to herself.””
Dad forced a smile that never reached his eyes.
“Of course. I'm proud of her. I only want to discuss a family matter.””
“Then discuss it after the competition.””
He glanced at the folder again.
“That's private family property.””
Margaret's expression hardened.
“I'm afraid you misunderstand. This folder contains documents entrusted to me by Evelyn Walker. Its contents are governed by the foundation's procedures, not by your preferences.””
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Then Dad turned to me.
“Maya, come with me.””
I looked at him and remembered the broken violin lying across our music room floor.
I remembered him standing over me, telling me there would be other competitions.
I remembered how easily he had believed Brianna.
“No,” I said.
The word was quiet.
But it was the first time I had ever refused him without immediately apologizing.
Dad blinked.
“What did you say?””
“I said no. I'm staying here.””
His face reddened.
“Don't embarrass me in public.””
I almost laughed.
“You weren't embarrassed when you watched Brianna destroy Grandma's violin.””
A few people nearby turned toward us.
Dad lowered his voice.
“You don't know what you're talking about.””
“Then explain it.””
His eyes flicked toward Margaret.
“Not here.””
“Why not?””
“Because some things should stay within the family.””
I held his gaze.
“That's what you said yesterday when I asked you to listen to me.””
His expression changed.
For the first time, I saw uncertainty in his eyes.
Margaret gently touched my shoulder.
“Maya, your father can wait. The judges need a few minutes to finalize the results. Why don't you come with me?””
Dad reached for my arm.
I stepped back before he could touch me.
He stopped.
The movement was small, but it changed something between us.
Margaret led me through a side door into a quiet administrative office. She closed it behind us and offered me a chair.
I sat down, still holding the folder.
“Why does Dad look so frightened?”” I asked.
Margaret didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she opened a locked cabinet and removed a thick envelope bearing the foundation's seal.
“Your grandmother's estate was handled by an independent trust,” she explained.
“Some of its assets were transferred to the foundation. Others were reserved for specific beneficiaries. The arrangements were designed to prevent family disagreements from interfering with their intended purpose.””
“Does that mean Grandma left me money?””
“She left you an educational scholarship, a collection of personal items, and a beneficial interest in a separate family trust. The exact terms are set out in the legal documents.””
I stared at her.
“How much?””
“I'm not going to guess at the value before the trustees complete their review. What matters is that the assets are legally administered, and no one can simply claim them because they are related to you.””
I looked down at the folder.
“Then why was Brianna emailing you about them?””
“That is something the trustees will investigate.””
Margaret removed a printed copy of Brianna's email from the envelope.
“Your sister asked whether the valuable instruments could be placed under adult family management. She also questioned whether you were sufficiently responsible to receive them.””
My stomach tightened.
“She thinks I'm irresponsible because I practice music?””
“I cannot speak to her motives. I can tell you that her email raised concerns because your grandmother's instructions specifically addressed attempts to interfere with your education.””
I remembered Brianna's face that morning.
Ask Dad what happened to Grandma's last account.
“What account was she talking about?””
Margaret folded her hands.
“Before Evelyn died, she maintained an account connected to the foundation's early instrument acquisitions. It was not a personal checking account. It was a restricted account intended to preserve funds for scholarships and instrument restoration.””
“And Dad had access to it?””
“He served briefly as an administrative contact while your grandmother was ill.””
The room seemed to tilt.
“Did he take money?””
“I don't have enough verified information to make that accusation. The trustees identified discrepancies in the account's historical records. They requested supporting documents, but several were never provided.””
“By my father?””
Margaret nodded slowly.
“Your grandmother's records indicate that Marcus was asked to clarify certain transactions.””
My fingers tightened around the folder.
“Why didn't Grandma tell me?””
“Because you were fifteen when she died. She wanted the adults responsible for the estate to resolve the matter without placing the burden on you.””
I looked at the floor.
All my life, Dad had presented himself as the reasonable one. He managed our bills, handled our investments, and reminded us how fortunate we were to live in a beautiful house.
I had never questioned him.
Now I couldn't stop thinking about Brianna's email.
She hadn't asked about the foundation because she suddenly cared about music education.
She had asked because she knew something.
A knock sounded at the office door.
Margaret opened it.
My mother stood outside.
Diane Walker's makeup was immaculate, but her expression was strained.
“May I speak to my daughter?””
Margaret hesitated.
“Is there something you need to discuss with both of us?””
Mom glanced at me.
“This is a private family matter.””
I stood.
“Then you can say it in front of Margaret.””
Mom's lips pressed together.
“Maya, please don't make this more difficult than it needs to be.””
I felt a familiar ache in my chest.
Even now, she was asking me to make things easier for everyone else.
“What do you want, Mom?””
She stepped inside and closed the door.
“Your father is upset because you've been making accusations about the family.””
“I haven't accused anyone of anything. I've asked questions.””
“Questions can be damaging when they're based on misunderstandings.””
“Then explain the misunderstanding.””
Mom looked at Margaret, then back at me.
“Your grandmother's affairs were complicated. Your father helped manage things after she became ill. He worked very hard to make sure everything was handled properly.””
“Then why is there an investigation into the account?””
Her face went still.
Margaret hadn't mentioned an investigation. She had said the trustees were reviewing discrepancies.
I watched my mother's eyes widen as she realized what she had revealed.
“What investigation?”” Mom asked quickly.
I stared at her.
“You just said Grandma's affairs were complicated.””
“Because they were.””
“Did Dad tell you about the missing records?””
Mom sat down abruptly.
“Maya, you need to understand that your father was under enormous pressure at the time. Evelyn's illness was expensive. There were legal expenses, medical bills, and a great deal of paperwork.””
“Was he allowed to use the foundation's money for those things?””
Mom's fingers twisted around her handbag.
“I don't know.””
The answer was so different from her usual certainty that I believed her.
She genuinely didn't know—or she had spent two years convincing herself that she didn't need to know.
“Mom,” I whispered, “what happened to Grandma's account?””
She looked at me.
For a moment, her expression softened.
Then she reached across the desk and took my hand.
“Please don't destroy this family over money.””
I pulled my hand away.
“Brianna destroyed my violin yesterday. You didn't want to destroy the family over that. You wanted me to forgive her.””
“That is completely different.””
“Why?””
“Because she made a mistake.””
“She told me she did it on purpose.””
Mom's eyes flashed.
“Your sister is under a lot of pressure, too.””
I stood up.
“So am I.””
Silence filled the room.
Mom looked as though she had never considered that possibility.
Margaret rose and opened the door.
“I think we should allow Maya some space. The trustees will contact the family through the appropriate channels if additional information is required.””
Mom walked out without another word.
I followed Margaret into the hallway.
Across the auditorium, Brianna was standing beside a vending machine, typing furiously on her phone.
When she saw me, she slipped it into her handbag.
I walked toward her.
“What happened to Grandma's account?””
Her face went blank.
“I have no idea what you're talking about.””
“Then why did you tell me to ask Dad?””
She glanced around the lobby.
“Keep your voice down.””
“Why?””
“Because you're acting like a lunatic.””
I took a breath.
“You wrote to Margaret about Grandma's assets three weeks ago.””
Brianna's expression changed.
For a second, her eyes darted toward the office where Margaret was standing.
Then she laughed.
“Did you read my private correspondence?””
“It was in the folder.””
“That's confidential information!””
“You asked whether Grandma's instruments could be taken away from me.””
“I was trying to protect the family.””
“From what?””
She stepped closer.
“From you making decisions you don't understand.””
I stared at her.
“You broke my violin because you didn't want me to compete. Now you're worried about whether I deserve Grandma's belongings. What exactly are you trying to protect?””
Her jaw tightened.
“Everything you touch turns into a competition. You always need to be the most talented, the most loved, the most important person in the room.””
“I never asked Grandma to leave me anything.””
“But she did!””
The words burst out of Brianna before she could stop herself.
A nearby volunteer turned toward us.
Brianna lowered her voice.
“She left you the scholarship. She left you the instruments. She left you everything she thought mattered.””
“Why does that make you so angry?””
Brianna's eyes glistened.
For one brief moment, I thought she might tell me the truth.
Instead, she leaned toward me.
“Because you have no idea what Dad sacrificed to keep this family together.””
“What did he sacrifice?””
She looked over my shoulder.
Then she whispered, “Ask him why Grandma stopped trusting him six months before she died.””
Before I could respond, the announcer called the finalists into the auditorium.
Brianna stepped away.
“Congratulations on your little piano performance,” she said, forcing a smile.
“Enjoy it while you can.””
She walked toward Dad, who was waiting near the entrance.
I watched them exchange a few hurried words.
Then Dad looked directly at me.
His face had gone pale.
And when Brianna handed him her phone, I saw the screen clearly enough to recognize the document displayed on it.
It was a bank statement.
At the top was Grandma's name.
At the bottom was a transaction dated six months before she died.
May you like
Beside the transaction, someone had written three words in red ink.
*AUTHORIZED BY MARCUS.*
