Ava’s Birthday Drawing Was Ruined While Everyone Blamed Lily — Then the Kitchen Camera Showed Who Really Scribbled Over It
Chapter 6 — Why Matthew Was Afraid
Claire finally reached Matthew that evening.
“Where are you?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“You ruined Ava’s drawing.”
Silence.
“She cried for an hour.”
Matthew exhaled.
“I didn’t mean to upset her.”
“You scribbled over something she made for Grandpa.”
“Because she copied that photograph.”
“Exactly. Why does that photograph scare you?”
Matthew didn’t answer.
Claire continued.
“Dad told me Ben contacted him.”
Matthew swore quietly.
“He wasn’t supposed to tell you.”
“Then you start talking.”
Finally Matthew admitted it.
Ben had contacted him first.
Not Richard.
Almost eight months earlier.
Ben wanted help locating old documents from the red farmhouse.
Specifically, paperwork relating to Susan’s estate.
“Why?”
Matthew’s voice became quieter.
“Because Stephen lied about why he came back for Ben.”
Claire waited.
Susan had inherited a small piece of commercial property from her parents.
When she died, the property should have gone into trust for Ben.
Stephen obtained custody shortly afterward.
Then the property was sold.
Ben never received the money.
“What does that have to do with our family?”
Matthew hesitated.
“Dad was trustee.”
Claire froze.
“Dad?”
Richard had been appointed temporary trustee because Susan trusted him.
But after Stephen obtained custody, legal paperwork supposedly transferred control to him.
Ben now believed those documents had been falsified.
“And you knew this?”
Matthew whispered:
“I found something in Grandpa’s old files.”
Claire frowned.
“What did you find?”
Matthew answered:
“A signature that doesn’t match.”
