Jordan diverts household funds to stop an emergency eviction — Then Clara discovers the hidden transaction that drains their own daughter’s tuition account

Chapter 6 — Confronting Amber on Speakerphone

Clara stared at the glowing screen for three seconds before sliding her thumb across to answer.

She pressed the speaker icon immediately.

The kitchen filled with a burst of static before Amber’s voice came through the small speaker.

“Aunt Clara?” Amber said, sounding breathless and uneasy.

“I tried calling Jordan twice, but his line was busy.”

Clara kept her eyes locked on Jordan.

Jordan stood frozen near the edge of the granite island, his hands gripping the edge of the counter.

“He was on the phone with the bank, Amber,” Clara said, her tone cold and level.

A brief silence hung on the line.

“Oh,” Amber whispered.

“Did… did the money go through?”

“The money went through, Amber,” Clara replied, stepping closer to the phone.

“It went through straight to your landlord’s account.”

“Thank God,” Amber sighed audibly on the other end.

“You have no idea what a relief that is. The sheriff was literally scheduled to come out with the lockout notice at four o’clock today.”

“We know you were in a bad spot, Amber,” Clara said, her voice cutting through the young woman’s relief.

“But Jordan didn’t just help you out with spare cash. He emptied our primary account.”

“What do you mean?” Amber asked defensively.

“He used the household rent money and tuition funds. Right now, our own apartment has a past-due notice sitting on the counter.”

Jordan flinched visibly at Clara’s words.

“I didn’t think it would do that,” Jordan muttered under his breath.

“Well, it did,” Clara shot back without breaking eye contact with the phone.

“Amber, how long were you planning on staying at that place without being able to afford the rent on your own?”

“I am working on it,” Amber said, her voice rising with sudden tension.

“I’ve been looking for a steady position all month.”

“Looking isn’t paying bills,” Clara said.

“Do you have an actual job lined up right now, or are you just hoping another family emergency is going to bail you out next month too?”

Amber hesitated for a moment, the sound of rustling paper coming through the speaker.

“I actually just got hired,” Amber admitted defensively.

“I start a part-time job handling front desk reception starting next week.”

Clara crossed her arms tightly over her green cardigan.

“A part-time job next week doesn’t pay today’s rent, and it certainly doesn’t replace the thousands of dollars Jordan just wired away without telling me,” Clara said.

“I thought Uncle Jordan understood,” Amber murmured, sounding small.

“I had no idea it would cause this kind of mess for you guys.”

Jordan reached out a trembling hand toward the phone, wanting to speak, but Clara stopped him with a sharp gesture of her palm.

“You need to listen to me very carefully, Amber,” Clara said, keeping her voice steady.

“Jordan made a reckless mistake behind my back, and our family is paying the price for it right now.”

“I can try to pay some of it back,” Amber offered, her voice shaking slightly.

“When I get my first paycheck in two weeks.”

“Two weeks is too late for our landlord,” Clara replied.

“So we need to figure out right now exactly how much of that wire transfer you can scrape together and send back before tonight.”

Amber fell silent on the other end of the line.

The digital clock on the microwave glowed red, reading 3:14 PM.

“Let me check my account balance and look at what I have left from my deposit,” Amber said slowly.

“I might be able to scrape together a partial repayment immediately.”