Chapter 5: What Caleb Had Given Her
Nobody moved while the recording continued.
Victor’s voice came next, quieter but unmistakable.
“Use the signature from the card.
By the time she notices, you’ll be married.”
Caleb stared at him.
“You were part of this?”
Victor reached for the tablet.
Naomi stepped behind one of the venue managers.
“That recording belongs to the venue,” Victor said.
“Delete it.”
“It has already been backed up.”
Alexis lunged forward, but Caleb blocked her.
“Tell me this isn’t what it sounds like.”
She shoved his arm aside.
“You knew we needed the money.”
“I knew you wanted a house deposit.”
“And where did you think it would come from?”
“My savings.
Your savings.
Not hers.”
Alexis pulled out her phone.
“Should I show everyone your messages?”
“Show them.”
She opened a conversation and held it toward me.
A message from Caleb read: Just get it done before Mom changes her mind.
I looked at him.
“Did you write that?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t about the transfer.”
“What was it about?”
“The final catering deposit.
Alexis said you were reconsidering the menu.”
“I never reconsidered anything.”
Alexis smiled for the first time since the services stopped.
“He gave me your laptop password too.”
Caleb shook his head.
“I gave you the password so you could download the guest list.”
“You knew it was her banking password.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You use the same password for everything,” I said.
His face collapsed.
“Mom, I’m sorry.”
Alexis stepped closer to me.
“There you have it.
Your own son gave me access.
You can’t blame me because your family has poor boundaries.”
“You entered my bank information.”
“I organized payments for our wedding.”
“You directed the remaining balance to your company.”
“Aster Events is a legitimate business.”
Marianne gave a bitter laugh.
“It has no office, no employees, and your father registered it from his garage.”
Victor pointed at her.
“One more word and you’ll regret it.”
“No,” I said.
“You don’t threaten her because she told the truth.”
Alexis’s phone chimed.
She glanced down and quickly turned the screen toward her body.
Naomi noticed.
“What was that?”
“None of your concern.”
My own phone lit up a second later.
A bank alert filled the screen.
TRANSFER COMPLETED: $18,000.
My fingers went cold.
“Eighteen thousand dollars left my account three days ago,” I said.
Caleb backed away from Alexis.
“You said no money had moved.”
“I said the remaining wedding balance hadn’t moved.”
“Where is the eighteen thousand?”
“It paid deposits.”
Naomi shook her head.
“Every vendor deposit was paid directly by Susan.”
Victor folded the cream-colored letter and placed it inside his jacket.
“This conversation is over.”
I stood and faced him.
“No.
It ends when my money comes back.”
“You should be careful, Susan,” he said.
“Public accusations can become expensive.”
“More expensive than eighteen thousand dollars?”
Alexis slipped her phone into her bouquet.
“Dad, we’re leaving.”
Before she could turn, my bank called.
“Mrs.
Carter,” the representative said, “we have located the receiving account.”
I put the call on speaker.
“The account belongs to Aster Events LLC,” she continued.
“But the transfer memo does not say ‘wedding deposit.’”
“What does it say?” I asked.
May you like
There was a pause.
“It says, ‘First payment—Carter estate.’”
