PART TWO — THE TRAP
I couldn’t speak.
The room seemed suddenly too small.
The coffee machine hummed behind me.
A clock ticked on the wall.
Outside, someone started a lawn mower.
Normal sounds.
An entirely abnormal morning.
I stared at the bank statement.
“My name.”
“Yes,” Andrew said.
“My signature.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t authorize this.”
“I know.”
Kayla whispered:
“Claire…”
I turned toward her.
“Did you?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“Then explain.”
“I can explain.”
“Then explain.”
She looked at Andrew.
He nodded.
“Go ahead.”
She wiped her eyes.
“The money wasn’t stolen.”
I stared at her.
“Then where did it go?”
She hesitated.
“To Ethan.”
My stomach dropped.
“Why?”
“He owed money.”
“What kind?”
“Business debt.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You stole thirty-eight thousand dollars from me to pay your boyfriend’s debt?”
“I didn’t steal it!”
“You used my account!”
“I was going to pay it back.”
“When?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then you stole it.”
She began crying.
“I was desperate.”
“So you manipulated me?”
“No.”
“You walked around my husband in a towel.”
“I was trying to get you angry.”
“Why?”
“So you’d ask me to leave.”
I stared.
“What?”
“If you kicked me out, I’d have a reason to go back to Ethan.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“You could have simply told me.”
“He wouldn’t take me back.”
“So you wanted me to become the villain?”
She lowered her head.
“I thought…”
“What?”
“I thought if I could make you hate me, then I could leave.”
Andrew interrupted.
“And the money?”
Kayla said nothing.
“Who told you about the account?”
She looked at him.
“No one.”
He shook his head.
“Wrong.”
Her eyes widened.
“What?”
“The transfer wasn’t made from your phone.”
She froze.
Andrew continued.
“It was made from a computer.”
“That’s impossible.”
“I checked the login.”
Her face drained.
“It came from the library.”
I frowned.
“What library?”
“The public library two blocks from Ethan’s apartment.”
Kayla shook her head.
“I wasn’t there.”
“I know.”
“Then…”
Andrew looked at me.
“Someone used her information.”
My confusion deepened.
“Someone else stole the money.”
Kayla looked terrified.
“I told you.”
I looked at her.
“You didn’t steal it?”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
She didn’t know.
Andrew stood.
“I don’t think Ethan did either.”
Kayla stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because the transfer was routed through three accounts.”
He pulled out another document.
“The final account belongs to a company.”
“What company?”
He looked at me.
“Your company.”
I frowned.
“I don’t own a company.”
“Exactly.”
My skin prickled.
“Then whose is it?”
Andrew looked at Kayla.
“She doesn’t know.”
Kayla shook her head.
“I swear.”
