Chapter 2: The Money Was Never Hers
The next morning, Jessica woke to the sound of David's voice coming from the kitchen.
He was on the phone.
“No, I need the complete transaction history,” he said.
“Every transfer, every withdrawal, and every authorized user on the account.””
Jessica sat up in bed.
Her stomach tightened.
She had barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw David's expression when he threatened to sell her jewelry.
He had never spoken to her like that before.
For years, Jessica had believed she understood her husband. David was generous, dependable, and protective of his family. He disliked conflict and preferred to solve problems quietly.
That was why she had assumed he would eventually calm down.
He always did.
But last night had been different.
David hadn't shouted. He hadn't threatened divorce or thrown things across the room.
He had simply looked at her as if he no longer recognized the woman standing in front of him.
Jessica climbed out of bed and hurried downstairs.
David stood beside the kitchen island with his laptop open. A mug of black coffee sat untouched near his elbow.
“Who are you talking to?”” she demanded.
He ended the call.
“The bank.””
Jessica folded her arms.
“Are you seriously investigating me?””
“I'm investigating what happened to Jasmine's money.””
“I already told you what happened.””
“No. You told me what you wanted me to believe.””
His words stung more than she expected.
She walked closer and lowered her voice.
“David, we need to talk privately. This is a family matter.””
“Jasmine is family.””
“I know that!””
“Then explain why you treated her scholarship like a spare credit card.””
Jessica pressed her palms against the counter.
“I was under pressure. Cameron's coach called me. The team needed uniforms before the tournament, and the parents were arguing about who would pay.””
“So you decided to pay for everyone?””
“I thought Cameron's opportunity was worth it.””
“With money that belonged to Jasmine.””
Jessica exhaled sharply.
“Must you keep repeating that?””
“Until you understand it.””
Before she could respond, footsteps sounded on the stairs.
Jasmine appeared wearing jeans and a university sweatshirt. Her eyes were swollen from crying, but her chin was lifted.
She had spent most of the night lying awake, calculating what would happen if the scholarship money couldn't be replaced.
Her college portal had shown the tuition deadline in red.
Six days.
She had checked it so many times that she could recite the date without looking.
“Dad,” she said, “I called the financial aid office.””
David's expression softened immediately.
“What did they say?””
“They said the scholarship is still listed under my name, but I have to make the payment by Friday. If I miss the deadline, they could release my place to someone on the waiting list.””
Jessica looked toward the refrigerator.
David slowly closed his laptop.
“Did you explain what happened?””
“I didn't tell them everything. I asked whether they could extend the deadline.””
“And?””
“They said they would review the request, but they couldn't promise anything.””
David nodded.
“All right. We'll make the payment before Friday.””
Jasmine glanced at Jessica.
“Is she going to give the money back?””
Jessica's face hardened.
“Don't talk about me as if I'm not standing here.””
Jasmine flinched.
David turned toward his wife.
“Then answer her question.””
Jessica pressed her lips together.
“I don't have eighteen thousand dollars sitting in my purse, David.””
“Where is the money?””
“I told you. The uniforms.””
“All of it?””
“Yes!””
David reopened his laptop.
“Then we should have no problem reviewing the receipts.””
Jessica went still.
“What receipts?””
“The invoices from the vendors. The payments. The transaction records.””
She gave a nervous laugh.
“You're acting as if I've committed some terrible offense.””
David looked directly at her.
“If you spent the money legitimately, the records will show it.””
Jessica glanced at Jasmine, then back at her husband.
“Fine. I'll get the receipts.””
“Today.””
She snatched her phone from the counter.
“I'm not a child, David.””
“No. You're a grown woman who should know better.””
Jessica stormed out of the kitchen.
The front door slammed hard enough to rattle the glass in the nearby cabinet.
Jasmine stared after her.
“Dad, what if she doesn't have the money?””
David closed the laptop again.
“Then we'll find out why.””
He reached across the counter and took his daughter's hand.
“Listen to me. Your scholarship is yours. You earned it. Nobody gets to decide that another person's dream matters more than yours.””
Jasmine's lower lip trembled.
“I don't want you to lose your marriage because of me.””
David looked almost offended.
“Sweetheart, you didn't do anything wrong. Don't ever confuse someone else's choices with your responsibility.””
She nodded, but the worry remained in her eyes.
David could see it.
He also knew that money alone wouldn't repair the damage Jessica had done. Jasmine had trusted her stepmother enough to believe her scholarship was safe in the family account.
Now she was afraid to leave her belongings unattended in her own home.
And that broke David's heart.
At noon, Jessica returned carrying a thick folder.
She placed it on the kitchen island with a dramatic sigh.
“There. Everything you wanted.””
David pulled out a chair.
“Sit down.””
“I have things to do.””
“Sit down, Jessica.””
She reluctantly took the seat across from him.
Jasmine remained near the doorway, uncertain whether she should leave.
David noticed her.
“You can stay if you want, sweetheart. You have every right to know what happened to your money.””
Jessica's eyes flashed.
“This is humiliating.””
“No,” David replied.
“What you did was humiliating. We're just discussing it.””
He opened the folder.
The first few pages appeared ordinary enough: invoices for jerseys, jackets, basketball shoes, and equipment bags.
But David studied the figures carefully.
He had spent more than twenty years managing construction projects. He knew how to read a budget, compare invoices, and spot numbers that didn't make sense.
After several minutes, he looked up.
“Jessica, why does this invoice list forty-eight uniform sets when Cameron's team has only twelve players?””
Jessica shifted in her chair.
“They ordered extras.””
“Forty-eight?””
“For future use.””
“And why are the shoes listed at nearly twice the price of the model advertised on the manufacturer's website?””
“The vendor charged what they charged.””
David turned another page.
“Why is there a payment for $2,750 labeled 'team development package'?””
Jessica reached for the folder.
“Give me that.””
David moved it out of her reach.
“I'm asking you a question.””
“It was part of the arrangement!””
“What arrangement?””
“With the supplier.””
“What supplier?””
Jessica's face flushed.
“I don't remember every detail.””
“You signed these invoices.””
“So what?””
“So you should know what you purchased with my daughter's money.””
Jasmine stepped closer.
“Mom, did you actually spend all of it on Cameron's team?””
Jessica looked at her.
“I have explained this already.””
“No,” Jasmine said quietly.
“You told me you spent it on uniforms. Dad is asking about thousands of dollars that don't seem to be for uniforms.””
Jessica slapped her palm against the table.
“Stop interrogating me!””
Jasmine recoiled.
David stood so quickly that his chair scraped backward.
“Do not shout at her.””
Jessica's mouth snapped shut.
David gathered the invoices and placed them beside his laptop.
“I'm going to verify every payment.””
“You don't trust me?””
“Not right now.””
The answer seemed to hit Jessica harder than a shout.
She stared at him.
After a long silence, she picked up her handbag.
“Fine. Do whatever you want.””
She headed for the front door.
Then David spoke again.
“Leave your jewelry here.””
Jessica spun around.
“Excuse me?””
“The bracelet, the necklace, and the earrings. They're going to be appraised. If the money can't be recovered from the transactions, we'll use the value of those items to cover the amount you took.””
“You cannot take my jewelry!””
“Then you can provide the money yourself.””
Jessica clutched the strap of her handbag.
For a moment, she looked as though she might throw it at him.
Instead, she pulled off the bracelet and dropped it onto the counter.
The metal struck the stone with a sharp clink.
She removed her earrings next, then the necklace.
“Happy now?”” she demanded.
“No,” David replied.
“Not even close.””
Jessica left without another word.
Jasmine watched through the window as her stepmother climbed into her SUV and drove away.
“Dad,” she whispered, “I don't think she's telling us everything.””
David looked down at the invoices.
“Neither do I.””
He picked up his phone and called the number printed on the largest receipt.
After a few rings, a man answered.
“Summit Sportswear. This is Mark.””
“Hello, Mark. My name is David Carter. I'm calling about several purchases made by Jessica Carter for the Westbrook basketball team.””
There was a brief pause.
Then the man said something that made David's expression change.
“I'm sorry,” David replied.
“Could you repeat that?””
Mark spoke again.
David slowly sat down.
His eyes moved to the invoice in front of him.
May you like
Then he looked at Jasmine.
“Sweetheart,” he said quietly, “I think we have a much bigger problem than the scholarship money.””
