Chapter 9 - GRANDMA ROSE HAD KEPT THE RECEIPTS
Grandma Rose walked slowly toward us.
“I have spent six years waiting for one of you to ask the right question.”
I stared.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Her expression softened.
“I tried.”
My chest tightened.
She opened the folder.
Letters.
Three addressed to me.
Returned unopened.
Two addressed to Maya.
Also returned.
“Who returned them?”
Grandma looked at Mom.
My mother closed her eyes.
Of course.
Grandma Rose had suspected something after Grandma Evelyn died.
The two women were not close, but they respected each other.
Evelyn told Rose about the trusts years earlier.
After Evelyn’s death, Rose asked why neither granddaughter seemed to know about them.
Dad told her everything had been distributed.
She didn’t believe him.
So she copied records.
Original account statements.
Trust schedules.
Property documents.
Then one letter from Grandma Evelyn herself.
For Clara:
You will probably be the child who leaves first because you were born questioning everything.
For Maya:
You will probably stay longer because you were born wanting peace.
Neither is better. Both can be used against you if you are not careful.
Maya reached for my hand.
For the first time that night, I let her take it.
Then Grandma Rose revealed the largest secret.
The trust had contained more than money.
It held twenty percent of Grant Premier Interiors.
Grandma Evelyn had invested when Dad started the company.
Ten percent allocated to me.
Ten percent to Maya.
Our parents were supposed to transfer the shares when we turned thirty.
I had turned thirty three years ago.
My shares never arrived.
Maya would turn thirty in six months.
“What happened to mine?” I asked.
Julian was already calculating.
Dad looked defeated.
“They were repurchased.”
“By who?”
“The company.”
“Did I approve that?”
No answer.
The repurchase documents had my forged signature.
Again.
Sale price:
$210,000.
Actual estimated value at the time:
More than $1.4 million.
My parents had effectively bought my shares from me without telling me, at a fraction of their value.
Then Julian noticed where the $210,000 went.
Not into my account.
Into the trust.
And from there, the money was later spent.
Including on Maya’s wedding.
They had stolen my company shares.
May you like
Paid my own trust for them.
Then spent the money themselves.
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