Chapter 5 - HE HAS POTENTIAL
The education records arrived two days later.
My grandparents’ fund had once contained enough to cover graduate school and living expenses. Isolda had withdrawn from it repeatedly over seven years, describing the transfers as family educational support.
Some paid for Jet’s private preschool.
Some covered summer programs.
One paid for Valora’s kitchen renovation but was labeled as a home learning environment improvement.
The remaining balance had recently been moved into a new account established for Jet.
My forged signature appeared on the authorization.
I called my mother with Ms. Avery present.
“You transferred my education fund.”
Isolda sighed.
“You weren’t going back to school.”
“You did not know that.”
“You’ve worked in the same office for years. The money was sitting there.”
“It belonged to me.”
“It belonged to the family.”
“No. It was created specifically for my education.”
Her patience vanished.
“Jet is gifted. He needs opportunities while he’s young.”
“And I didn’t?”
“You were always capable of taking care of yourself.”
That sentence explained my entire childhood.
Valora received help because she appeared to need it. Jet received everything because he was called exceptional. I received responsibility because competence had been mistaken for a lack of dreams.
“You decided his future mattered more than mine.”
“He has potential,” Isolda said.
I finally heard the words she did not say.
You do not.
Avery ended the call before my mother could do more damage.
Then she placed a document in front of me. It was the original trust language signed by my grandparents. Isolda had authority to manage the investments, but she did not have permission to redirect the beneficiary’s funds.
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The transfers were not family decisions.
They were breaches of trust supported by forged documents.
