Chapter 5 - The Stolen Funds
Dana’s face flushed a deep, panicked red. She quickly dropped the wrapping paper and wiped her hands on her dark trousers, laughing nervously.
"Adam, don't be dramatic," Dana stammered, her eyes darting around the room, desperate for an escape route. "Ruth sent a check, yes. But we had to prioritize! Mason's old laptop broke, and he needed the new console to connect with his friends. The socks were just a stocking stuffer. Natalie doesn't even draw that much anyway!"
"I draw every single day," Natalie whispered softly, clutching the cheap socks to her chest.
Ruth didn't raise her voice. She didn't need to. She leaned forward on the velvet sofa, her silver hair catching the glow of the Christmas tree lights.
"I didn't send a check to the household, Dana," Ruth stated, her words dripping with venom. "I specifically sent a four-hundred-dollar money order made out to you, because you told me you were at the electronics store buying it for her. You sent me a picture of the receipt."
Adam stood up, his gray sweater completely forgotten. He set his coffee cup down on the side table with a loud, aggressive clack.
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"You faked a receipt to my mother?" Adam demanded, his voice shaking with absolute disbelief. "To steal from my daughter?"
👉 Will Dana be able to lie her way out of this trap, or is the truth much worse?
