Chapter 6: What Tyler Knew
Dad stared at Tyler.
"What else did she pay for?""
Tyler looked toward the dealership.
Then at me.
"I shouldn't have said anything.""
Dad grabbed his keys.
"Get in the truck.""
Tyler didn't move.
"Now.""
Tyler reluctantly climbed into the back seat.
I sat in the passenger seat while Dad drove to a quiet parking lot behind a grocery store.
He turned off the engine.
Nobody spoke.
Finally, Dad looked over his shoulder.
"Start talking.""
Tyler rubbed his palms against his jeans.
"Mom said she was handling it.""
"Handling what?""
"My debt.""
Dad's expression hardened.
"The eleven thousand?""
Tyler nodded.
"Who did you owe?""
"Some guys.""
"What guys?""
"I don't know their real names.""
Dad's eyes narrowed.
"Tyler.""
"They loaned me money.""
"For what?""
Tyler stared at the floor.
"Betting.""
I felt a cold knot form in my stomach.
"You gambled eleven thousand dollars?""
Tyler didn't look at me.
"More.""
Dad leaned back.
"How much more?""
"Twenty-three.""
Dad went silent.
"Twenty-three thousand dollars?""
Tyler nodded.
"How did your mother know?""
"I told her.""
"When?""
"Two months ago.""
Dad's voice was almost a whisper.
"And she didn't tell me?""
Tyler shook his head.
"She said you'd throw me out.""
Dad looked out the windshield.
For several seconds, there was only the sound of rain against the roof.
Then he asked, "Why the sports car?""
Tyler swallowed.
"One of them said if I paid part of it, they'd stop.""
Dad looked at him.
"So your mother bought you a car.""
"She said we could sell it.""
"To pay your gambling debt.""
"Yes.""
"And the eight thousand?""
Tyler hesitated.
Dad's voice sharpened.
"Tyler.""
"She gave some of it to me.""
My heart sank.
"You got my money?""
Tyler looked at me.
"I didn't know it was yours.""
"You didn't ask?""
"Mom said it was family money.""
Dad turned around.
"How much did she give you?""
Tyler's lips trembled.
"Eight thousand.""
"Where is it?""
Tyler looked down.
"I don't have it.""
Dad stared at him.
"What did you do with it?""
"I paid the people I owed.""
I closed my eyes.
Thirty thousand for the car.
Eight thousand for Tyler's debt.
And somehow, my father had been living in the same house without knowing any of it.
Dad got out of the truck.
He walked around to the back door and opened it.
Tyler looked up.
"Are you kicking me out?""
"No.""
Tyler looked surprised.
Dad crouched beside him.
"I'm giving you one chance to tell the complete truth.""
"I've told you.""
"No.""
Dad's voice was quiet.
"You're still hiding something.""
Tyler shook his head.
"I'm not.""
Dad stared at him.
"Then why did the finance company tell me your mother had another application?""
Tyler's face drained of color.
"What application?""
Dad pulled out his phone.
"One for another vehicle.""
Tyler's mouth opened.
"I don't know.""
"Neither do I.""
Dad turned toward me.
"Stay here.""
He walked a few steps away and called the bank.
I watched through the windshield as he spoke.
Five minutes later, he returned.
His face looked different.
"There's another transfer.""
My stomach dropped.
"How much?""
"Five thousand.""
Tyler whispered, "No.""
Dad looked at him.
"Why did you say no?""
Tyler stared at the floor.
"Because...""
He stopped.
Dad waited.
"Because Mom told me not to tell you.""
"Tell me what?""
Tyler's eyes filled with tears.
"She said if you found out about the second transfer, you'd leave her.""
Dad's face went still.
I asked, "Where did the five thousand go?""
Tyler shook his head.
"I don't know.""
Dad looked at his phone.
Then he saw something.
A transaction description.
A name.
He zoomed in.
His eyebrows drew together.
"That's not a debt collector.""
"What is it?"" I asked.
Dad didn't answer.
He called the bank again.
After a few seconds, he asked, "Can you tell me the account holder?""
He listened.
Then his expression turned cold.
He ended the call.
I looked at him.
"Who was it?""
Dad turned the phone toward me.
The transfer hadn't gone to Tyler.
It hadn't gone to a lender.
It hadn't gone to the dealership.
It had gone to an account registered under a name I recognized.
*Laura Carter.*
But Dad's next discovery was worse.
There was a note attached to the transaction.
*"For the house deposit.""*
Dad looked at me.
"Emma...""
His voice was barely audible.
"Your stepmother wasn't just hiding debt.""
May you like
He stared at the screen.
"She was planning to leave with someone.""
