Chapter 7: The Price of Every Lie
Celeste’s head snapped toward Madison.
“What jewelry?”
“The blue box from Dad’s closet,” Madison said.
“You gave it to Victor.”
Dad gripped the desk.
“Those pieces belonged to Emma’s mother.”
Victor stepped back.
“I never received any jewelry.”
Nora opened another spreadsheet.
“Then why is there an entry marked ‘Carter jewelry—security for loan’?”
Victor grabbed his briefcase and moved toward the rear exit.
One officer blocked him.
“Stay where you are, sir.”
Celeste turned to me.
“Your mother’s jewelry was sitting in a box.
I used it to save this family.”
“You used it to fund Victor’s property deal,” Dad said.
Victor pointed at her.
“This was her idea.”
“You promised the investment would double.”
“And you promised Daniel would never examine the account.”
Madison gave a broken laugh.
“You’re both blaming each other already.”
The bank investigator collected the documents.
“We will request an immediate hold on the property sale,” she said.
“The accounts, jewelry, and transferred funds will be traced.”
Celeste looked at Dad.
“If you let them take me away, our marriage is over.”
Dad removed his wedding ring.
“Our marriage ended when you decided my daughter’s future was yours to sell.”
He placed the ring on Victor’s desk.
Celeste’s voice softened.
“Daniel, please.
Think of Madison.”
“I am,” he said.
“That is why she is not leaving with you.”
Madison began to cry.
Celeste pointed at her.
“After everything I gave you, you choose them?”
“You gave me expensive things and taught me to hurt someone who had less.”
“I made you strong.”
“You made me cruel.”
One officer asked Celeste and Victor to accompany him for formal questioning.
Celeste stopped beside me on her way out.
“You think you won, Emma?
Your father signed the document.
The bank may never return that money, and every time Madison looks at you, she’ll remember you broke her family.”
I held her gaze.
“No.
She’ll remember who told her to cut the gown.”
Celeste’s lips tightened.
“You will always be exactly like your mother—too proud to know when you should keep quiet.”
Dad stepped forward, but I raised my hand.
“My mother left me an education fund.
You left Madison a recording of your voice.
I know which mother I would rather resemble.”
Celeste had no answer.
She followed the officer through the door.
Victor tried to speak privately to the investigator, but Nora shook her head.
“He offered me money too,” she said.
“The office cameras recorded it.”
The investigator turned to Victor.
“You can explain that during your interview.”
My phone vibrated.
Mrs.
Alvarez’s name appeared on the screen.
“Emma, the ceremony starts in twenty-five minutes,” she said.
“Where are you?”
“Across town.”
“Can you reach the school?”
I looked at my torn gown, then at the garment bag she had brought.
Dad picked up his keys.
“We can if we leave now.”
Madison wiped her face.
“Go.
I’ll give my statement.”
I looked at her.
“You’re supposed to graduate too.”
“I don’t deserve to walk beside you.”
“That isn’t my decision.”
“It should be.”
Dad opened the door.
“Both of you, get in the car.”
We reached the school as the graduates were lining up.
Mrs.
Alvarez zipped me into the replacement gown.
Madison stood several feet away without hers.
“Where is your gown?” Mrs.
Alvarez asked.
“At home.”
Mrs.
Alvarez held out a second garment bag.
“I brought two.”
Madison stared at her.
“Why would you help me?”
“Because consequences and humiliation are not the same thing,” Mrs.
Alvarez said.
“You still have to answer for what you did.
But you also have to decide who you will become after today.”
Madison slowly took the bag.
As we moved toward the auditorium, the bank investigator called Dad.
“They found the jewelry,” she said over the speaker.
“But there is a problem with the education fund.”
Dad stopped walking.
“What problem?”
“The property company filed for insolvency this morning.
Unless we prove Victor moved the money elsewhere, most of Emma’s fund may be gone.”
May you like
The music began inside the auditorium.
My name was only minutes away from being called.
