The Money Had Been Leaving for Months
Claire came to the hotel less than an hour later.
She sat beside me on the bed while I scrolled through eight months of transactions.
At first, neither of us spoke.
There were too many.
Too many transfers.
Too many excuses.
Too many amounts that I somehow had never noticed because I had trusted the man whose name was beside mine on that account.
“Lucas,” I whispered.
Claire nodded.
“Again.”
Four thousand dollars.
Then six thousand.
Then twelve thousand.
A transfer to Liam.
Then another to Susan.
Then Lucas again.
I felt sick.
“Maybe Brandon loaned them money,” my mother said quietly.
I looked at her.
“With our savings?”
Claire reached for her laptop.
“Not just savings, Elena.
From what I can see, some of these transfers happened right after your paycheck was deposited.”
