Chapter 5 - How Lily Found the Truth|
While the ballroom descended into utter chaos—guests whispering frantically, waiters hovering in confusion, and Vanessa sobbing dramatically against her mother’s shoulder—I stepped up onto the DJ booth.
I wrapped my arms around Lily, pulling her narrow frame tightly against my chest. She was shaking now. The bravery that had sustained her on stage was fading, leaving behind a terrified eight-year-old girl.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” she whispered into my neck, her small hands clutching the collar of my navy dress. “I didn’t mean to make you mad.”
“I’m not mad, baby,” I whispered back, kissing the crown of her head while tears finally spilled down my cheeks. “I’m not mad at all. But how did you get this?”
Lily pulled back slightly, her big brown eyes looking up at me.
“Three weeks ago, when Aunt Vanessa came to Grandma’s house to drop off her bridesmaid dresses, she made me take her heavy winter coat up to the closet,” Lily explained softly, her voice trembling. “Her pink flash drive fell out of her pocket onto the rug. I picked it up to give it back, but then I saw a tiny sticky note taped to it.”
“What did the note say?” I asked.
“It said Claire’s Money,” Lily whispered.
My heart hammered against my ribs.
“I put it in my pocket,” Lily continued. “And the next day, when we were at the library doing homework, I put it into the computer. I watched the video. I didn't understand the bank papers, but I heard what she said about you. She said you were stupid, and that she took Grandpa’s money so we would stay poor.”
Tears burned my eyes. For three years, I had thought I was failing as a mother. I had cried myself to sleep in our tiny two-bedroom apartment, staring at unpaid stacks of medical bills, wondering why my hard work was never enough.
And all along, my own sister had been suffocating us from the shadows.
“You were so brave, Lily,” I whispered, hugging her again. “You saved us.”
“Hey,” a deep voice said from the steps of the booth.
May you like
I looked up. Graham was standing there. He had pulled off his silk bow tie, unbuttoning the top button of his collar. He looked exhausted, but his eyes were sharp and clear.
“Can I talk to you for a second, Claire?” he asked.
