Chapter 3
I took Noah inside.
Not home.
Not yet.
I cleaned mud from his face in the downstairs bathroom.
He watched me in the mirror.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
“Does it hurt?”
He touched his cheek.
“Little.”
Madison hadn't slapped him.
The bucket had hit hard enough anyway.
I wet another towel.
“Want a new shirt?”
He nodded.
Then whispered:
“Grandpa laughed.”
My hands stopped.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
There are questions children ask that adults should never make necessary.
I chose the simplest truth.
“He made a bad choice.”
“Madison too?”
“Yes.”
“Uncle Kevin?”
“Yes.”
He thought.
Then:
“Me?”
I turned him toward me.
“No.”
His eyes filled.
“I reached for cake before?”
“No.”
“Was birthday bad?”
“No.”
“Wish bad?”
My throat tightened.
“Noah.”
I held his face gently.
“You did nothing wrong.”
He nodded.
Not fully convinced.
That mattered.
Someone had been teaching him otherwise.
“Did anyone tell you this would happen?”
He looked down.
Interesting.
“Buddy?”
Silence.
“Did Madison say something before the cake?”
He nodded.
“What?”
“She said…”
His little mouth tightened.
“Rich kids get wishes.”
My hands went cold.
“What else?”
“She said Morgan boys get big party.”
“You're a Morgan boy.”
He frowned.
“She said not real one.”
Silence.
I stared at him.
“Who told her that?”
Noah shrugged.
Then:
“Uncle Kevin says Mom isn't important.”
There.
My breathing changed.
“Did he say that to you?”
“No.”
“Who?”
“Madison.”
I stood.
Not important.
Interesting.
They didn't simply dislike me.
They had built hierarchy around it.
Kevin's child above mine.
Why?
Because they thought Kevin inherited power.
I managed money.
Dad mediated.
Emily? no Emily here. Good.
I dressed Noah in one of the spare superhero shirts from his gift bag.
Then brought him into the living room.
My driver stayed.
“Cartoons?”
“Yes.”
“Food?”
His face changed.
“Can I?”
I stared.
“Of course.”
He looked relieved.
Too relieved.
“Why did you ask like that?”
He shrugged.
Then whispered:
“Grandma says birthday kids eat after guests.”
My mother wasn't even listed in prompt; likely absent/dead? We shouldn't introduce grandma maybe user's character list only father. Better make Richard? Could be Grandpa? Let's avoid mother. Maybe Kevin told him? Let's correct within narrative: "Grandpa says..." But we've already written line. Need not conflict with prompt? We can still introduce grandmother not in video? User didn't list her. Better avoid. Could say "Grandpa says birthday kids eat after guests." Let's revise mentally final block should say Grandpa. We'll adjust.
“Grandpa says birthday kids eat after guests.”
My hands tightened.
“When?”
“Last time.”
“What last time?”
“Lunch.”
I stared.
This had happened before.
Not mud.
Food control.
Hierarchy.
I knelt again.
“You eat when you're hungry.”
“Even Morgan party?”
“Especially.”
He smiled.
Good.
I ordered him a sandwich.
Then returned to the patio.
Kevin was shouting.
At Dad.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Dad's face was pale.
“I told you not to use the black card.”
“You said Claire monitors it.”
“I said don't use it.”
“You didn't say she owned it.”
I stopped at the patio door.
They hadn't seen me.
Good.
Kevin continued.
“You told me family funds were family funds.”
Dad looked furious.
“Lower your voice.”
“No.”
“Kevin.”
“You knew.”
Dad said nothing.
There.
My father knew the account was mine.
Maybe not the whole organization.
Enough.
Kevin laughed bitterly.
“Nine hundred grand.”
Dad whispered:
“You were supposed to put it back.”
I stepped outside.
“From where?”
Both men froze.
I walked toward them.
“Where was he getting nine hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred dollars to put back?”
Dad stared.
Kevin smiled nervously.
“Business.”
“What business?”
“Mine.”
“No.”
His smile faded.
“You don't have one.”
Silence.
Madison had stopped crying.
She was watching now.
Good.
Kevin pointed at me.
“You know nothing about what I do.”
I stared.
“I know you charged $74,000 to Pacific Elite Tennis.”
His face changed.
“$118,000 in private travel.”
Nothing.
“$206,000 in what the card system describes as hospitality.”
Dad closed his eyes.
“And $312,000 transferred through three Morgan vendor accounts.”
Kevin went pale.
Madison whispered:
“Dad?”
I looked at him.
“That last part wasn't for tennis.”
Silence.
Kevin's fear changed.
Different.
Not being caught stealing.
Being caught funding something.
I smiled faintly.
“What did you buy with the rest?”
Dad said:
“Claire.”
“No.”
I turned.
“What was he funding?”
Dad looked at Kevin.
Kevin looked at the ground.
Then one of the older relatives near the patio said:
“The south crews.”
Every person went silent.
I turned.
Uncle Thomas.
Dad's younger cousin.
He looked at me.
“Kevin has been paying men.”
My blood went cold.
“How many?”
May you like
Thomas swallowed.
“Enough to think he could replace you.”
