Chapter 5 - THE FIRST CRACKS
Three days passed before the first phone call came.
It was Michael.
He didn't sound like a man who had just inherited a house.
He sounded like a man who was drowning.
"What did you do,
you little brat?"
he hissed as soon as I picked up.
"I just got a letter from some lawyer named Thorne."
"He’s asking for a full inventory of Dad's assets."
"He’s asking about the deed."
I sat on my sofa,
looking at the red wardrobe.
"I didn't do anything,
Michael."
"I just hired a lawyer to handle the inheritance."
"Since Mom gave me the wardrobe,"
"I needed to make sure the taxes were handled correctly."
There was a long silence on the other end.
"The wardrobe?"
he laughed,
but it sounded forced.
"That piece of junk?"
"Just drop it,
okay?"
"Mom gave us what she gave us."
"Don't make this messy."
"It was already messy,
Michael."
"It was messy when I paid for Dad's casket while you bought a new watch."
"It was messy when I stayed in the hospital while you were too busy to call."
"I'm not dropping anything."
I hung up before he could respond.
An hour later,
Sarah called.
She wasn't angry;
she was sweet,
the voice she used when she wanted something.
"Oh,
honey,"
she cooed.
"Michael told me you're upset."
"If you want some of the jewelry,
we can talk."
"I can give you one of the bracelets."
"I don't want a bracelet,
Sarah."
"I want what Dad left me."
"He left you the wardrobe!"
she snapped,
the sweetness disappearing instantly.
"Be grateful for what you have."
"I am grateful,"
I said calmly.
"I'm grateful for every single thing I found inside it."
The line went dead.
I knew they would go to the house.
I knew they would corner our mother.
I knew they would ask her if there was another will,
if there was a secret they didn't know.
I waited.
I knew the panic was setting in.
Greed is a hungry beast,
but fear is even hungrier.
They were realizing that the sister they had ignored,
May you like
the one who sat in the corner,
was no longer sitting down.
