Chapter 5 - “YOU SAID SHE WOULD NEVER NOTICE”
Patricia shut the office door.
George remained outside.
So did everyone else.
For once, my aunt didn’t care about an audience.
She looked at Rebecca.
“You said these were handled.”
Rebecca’s face went white.
There it was.
Confirmation.
I stared at Patricia.
“You knew.”
She immediately changed tone.
“Sophia, this isn’t what you think.”
“Apparently that phrase runs in the family.”
Patricia set the statement down.
“Rebecca was having temporary financial problems.”
“So you helped her steal from my company?”
“Borrow.”
“Did you ask me?”
“We knew how you would react.”
I actually laughed.
“You knew I would say no.”
Patricia folded her arms.
“You have more money than you need.”
The sentence landed almost gently.
Because that was the belief underneath everything.
Not that Rebecca had permission.
That I didn’t deserve boundaries because I had enough.
“You excluded me from Christmas while using my money to pay for it.”
Patricia’s eyes hardened.
“Don’t be childish.”
“Childish?”
“This isn’t about an invitation.”
“You’re right.”
I pulled another document from the folder.
“It’s about eighteen months of unauthorized charges.”
Rebecca started crying.
Patricia reached for her.
Of course she did.
The daughter who stole received comfort.
The niece who was robbed received criticism.
Some patterns survive every income bracket.
“You are going to destroy her life over credit card charges?” Patricia asked.
“No.”
I looked at Rebecca.
“Rebecca made decisions about her life.”
Patricia slammed her hand onto the desk.
“Family does not prosecute family.”
“I haven’t said anything about prosecution.”
Her mouth closed.
That was another mistake.
“Why would you assume this is criminal?”
Nobody answered.
I turned toward Rebecca.
“Did you only use the card?”
She cried harder.
Patricia snapped:
“That’s enough.”
I looked at my aunt.
“What else?”
“Sophia—”
“What else did she use my identity for?”
Rebecca covered her face.
Patricia’s silence became an answer.
I picked up my phone.
“Nora?”
My attorney had been waiting.
“I’m here.”
“Pull everything.”
Patricia stepped toward me.
“Don’t you dare.”
I looked at her.
“You came into my property demanding I fire my staff because they wouldn’t let you spend stolen money.”
Her face flushed.
“And now you’re giving me orders?”
She lowered her voice.
“Caroline would be ashamed of you.”
My mother’s name.
The old weapon.
For thirty years, Patricia had used it whenever she wanted me obedient.
Your mother would have understood.
Your mother believed in family.
Your mother trusted me.
Something inside me finally snapped into place.
“My mother left me with you because she was dying.”
I stepped closer.
“She did not leave you ownership of me.”
Patricia looked almost startled.
Then Nora’s voice came through the speaker.
“Sophia, we found a second account.”
Rebecca stopped crying.
May you like
Patricia went completely still.
And that reaction told me both of them knew exactly what account Nora meant.
