The bus had barely left Manhattan when I checked my phone again.

Eleven missed calls.

Seven from Michael, three from Jessica, and one from Carol.

A voicemail from Jessica began playing.

“You’re seriously abandoning Tony over one argument?

If he loses his place at school, that’s on you.”

My hand tightened around the phone.

Even now, she wasn’t worried about my baby.

She was worried about my money.

Then a banking alert appeared: **Unusual activity detected on your household account.**

I opened it and felt my stomach drop.

That morning, Michael had transferred $48,000 to an account bearing Carol’s name.

I called him immediately.

“Why did you send your mother forty-eight thousand dollars?”

Silence.

“Michael, answer me.”

“It isn’t what you think,” he said.

“Mom needed help.”

“With what?”

Before he could respond, Carol’s voice cut through the background.

“Don’t tell her over the phone.”

“Tell me what?” I demanded.

Michael lowered his voice.

“Althia, when you get home, we can explain.”

“I’m not coming home.”

Another pause followed.

Then Carol hissed words she clearly never meant me to hear:

“She cannot find out about the second mortgage.”

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