Chapter 4 - The Fourteen Thousand Dollars
By sunrise, Maya’s fever had begun to fall.
David sat beside her with a legal pad from the nurses’ station.
He wrote one number at the top.
$14,000.
Then he started tracing it.
The transfer had been made nine days earlier.
David had sent $8,000 to Eleanor.
$3,000 to Chloe.
$3,000 to Mark.
The money was supposed to cover groceries, transportation, household help, baby supplies, and anything Maya needed during his absence.
David opened the transaction history.
Eleanor’s account was easy because she still had linked access through the family finance dashboard David had set up years earlier.
He had created it when his father died.
At the time, it had felt responsible.
Now it felt stupid.
The first charge appeared less than two hours after his transfer.
$1,284.
Luxury department store.
Then $760.
Spa.
Then $2,100.
Airline tickets.
Then a hotel deposit.
South Beach.
David stared at the screen.
The trip had been booked with the money intended for Maya and Liam.
He kept going.
Chloe’s purchases included clothing.
Shoes.
A salon.
A handbag.
Mark had spent hundreds at a steakhouse and another large amount at an electronics store.
David added everything.
Maya watched from the bed.
“How much?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
“David?”
“Most of it.”
She closed her eyes.
“I knew they were using some.”
“You knew?”
“Your mother told me you gave her money for everyone.”
“I gave it for you.”
“I know that now.”
David put the phone down.
“Maya, why didn’t you tell me?”
She looked at him for a long time.
“Because I thought you’d defend her.”
The sentence landed cleanly.
No accusation.
No anger.
That made it worse.
David sat back.
“Have I done that before?”
Maya didn’t answer.
He already knew.
Thanksgiving.
When Eleanor criticized Maya’s cooking.
David told Maya to ignore it.
Their wedding.
When Eleanor complained about the guest list.
David said she was just emotional.
When Chloe borrowed Maya’s car without asking.
David called it a misunderstanding.
Tiny compromises.
Tiny excuses.
Tiny betrayals.
They had stacked up until Maya stopped believing her husband would see what was happening.
David rubbed his face.
“I’m sorry.”
Maya looked at him.
“I should have seen it.”
“You were trying to keep peace.”
“I kept peace for the people creating the war.”
Maya’s eyes filled.
David took her hand.
“That ends now.”
His phone rang.
Corporate security.
He answered immediately.
“Bennett.”
“Mr. Bennett, we found something.”
David stood.
“What?”
“Your company laptop was accessed remotely from your home network on December thirtieth.”
“My laptop is with me.”
“Correct.”
David frowned.
“Then how?”
“Your backup workstation.”
David’s office desktop.
He had forgotten about it.
“What was accessed?”
“We’re still investigating.”
“Was anything downloaded?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Several folders.”
David’s pulse accelerated.
“Which folders?”
“Vendor pricing, acquisition projections, and the Stuttgart machinery contract.”
David went silent.
Those files weren’t just sensitive.
They were confidential.
“Do you know where they went?”
“We have an external device connection logged.”
“A USB drive?”
“That’s our current assumption.”
David looked at the paused security footage.
Mark leaving the office.
Black document case in hand.
“What time?”
“Approximately 11:09 PM.”
David checked the camera timestamp.
Mark entered the office at 11:05.
Came out at 11:17.
Perfect match.
“Mr. Bennett?”
“I know who did it.”
“We need you not to confront anyone.”
David almost smiled.
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“We’ll involve legal.”
“Do it.”
“And David?”
“Yes?”
“If these files were shared outside the company, this may become a criminal matter.”
David looked at Maya.
“I think it already has.”
He ended the call.
Maya had heard enough.
“Mark?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
His phone buzzed.
A text from Mark.
BRO, THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS. TURN THE CARDS BACK ON AND WE’LL TALK TOMORROW.
David stared at it.
Then typed his first reply of the night.
WHERE IS MY BLACK DOCUMENT CASE?
Three dots appeared immediately.
Then vanished.
Returned.
Vanished again.
Finally:
WHAT CASE?
David took a screenshot.
May you like
Then he looked at Maya.
“He just made his first mistake.”
