Chapter 7 - Money That Wasn’t Theirs
The forged authorization was dated March 14 two years earlier.
That date was easy to remember.
I was in Seattle for a work conference.
I had boarding passes.
Hotel records.
Work calendar.
I had not sat at my mother’s kitchen table authorizing $12,000 from Emma’s account.
The document said:
Funds to be used for educational enrichment benefiting minor Emma Carter.
Destination account belonged to Rachel’s boutique.
Laura sent it for forensic review.
The signature appeared copied from an old school permission form.
Mom had access to dozens.
Emma spent weekends at her house.
Claire Carter was not hard to reproduce.
The investment company froze the custodial account pending legal review.
The grandparent visitation case suddenly became more complicated.
My parents had claimed they financially supported Emma.
Some of that “support” came from Emma’s own money.
Mom’s attorney withdrew the phrase from their petition.
Too late.
Laura filed a motion requesting formal accounting and removal of Diane as custodian.
Mom called me through counsel.
She wanted to explain.
I refused direct contact.
She wrote instead.
I never stole from Emma. I used family money to help family during emergencies. Eleanor loved all the children equally. She would have wanted Tyler helped.
I read three times.
Then the last paragraph.
You have always had more than Rachel. Emma will have more than Tyler. I was trying to balance things.
Balance.
The word my mother used whenever she took from one daughter to rescue the other.
I sent the letter to Laura.
The next bank document made it worse.
Rachel had emailed Mom before one withdrawal.
Tyler’s school deposit is due Friday. If Claire ever asks, call it enrichment. She’ll never check.
My sister knew.
Not all withdrawals perhaps.
Enough.
The shove over a tablet suddenly felt like a physical version of a financial rule Rachel had been living under for years.
If Emma owned something Tyler wanted, Rachel believed it could be redistributed.
Tablet.
Money.
Attention.
May you like
The family did not call it taking.
They called it fairness.
