Part 2: The Trap Hidden Inside the Trust
I drove straight to Grandma’s house with her letter resting on the passenger seat while my phone buzzed nonstop. Dad called first, followed by Marcus, then Aunt Linda, and finally Dad again. I ignored every call. By the time I reached Grandma’s quiet Cherry Creek neighborhood, fresh snow had begun covering the streets, making everything appear peaceful despite the storm I knew was waiting inside.
Grandma’s brick home stood at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, still decorated for Christmas. Dad’s black Lexus and Aunt Linda’s silver Mercedes were already parked in the driveway, and before I even reached the front door, I could hear raised voices echoing through the house.
“You embarrassed all of us!” Dad shouted.
Grandma answered without raising her voice. “No, Richard. You embarrassed yourselves.”
Using the spare key she had given me years earlier, I let myself inside. Everyone turned immediately. Dad stood in the foyer with his face flushed red, Aunt Linda folded her arms tightly beside him, Marcus leaned against the staircase pretending to scroll through his phone, and Grandma sat calmly beside the fireplace beneath a plaid blanket while Rosa stood quietly behind her.
Dad’s eyes immediately dropped to the folder in my hand.
“Where have you been?”
“At the bank.”
Marcus looked up for the first time, while Aunt Linda’s expression briefly shifted from irritation to unmistakable concern.
Dad forced out a laugh.
“Claire, don’t tell me you actually tried to cash that ridiculous thing.”
“It was real.”
The room became perfectly still. Even the crackling fireplace seemed unusually loud as everyone stared at me.
“What?” Marcus finally asked.
“It was real,” I repeated. “Every check was real.”
Grandma slowly closed her eyes for a brief moment, almost as though she had been waiting for someone else to confirm what she already knew. Aunt Linda stepped forward first.
