Chapter 2 - The House of Cards Collapses
The confrontation in the kitchen escalated before anyone could defuse it. Anthony’s face turned a violent shade of crimson, the veins in his neck bulging as he held Shawn against the pantry door.
"Get your hands off him!" I shouted, stepping between them despite the sticky strawberry frosting still clinging to my dress.
"He knew!" Anthony roared, his voice cracking with a mixture of betrayal and fury. "My own brother knew my wife was stealing from me, destroying my life, and you both kept it a secret?!"
"We didn't know the full extent of it until recently," Shawn stammered, pulling away and adjusting his shirt with trembling hands. "Olivia threatened to cut us off, to turn the rest of the family against us, to make sure we never saw family events again. You know how she is, Anthony! She holds grudges like nobody else."
"She’s a thief and a liar," Anthony said, his voice dropping to a terrifying, cold whisper. He let out a harsh, humorless laugh, running a hand through his hair. "All this time... I thought we were saving for a house in the suburbs. I thought the late nights at her shop were hard work. And she was out gambling?"
Maya whimpered from her stool, sliding down and wrapping her small arms tightly around my waist. I knelt down, burying my face in her soft hair, whispering reassurances to calm her trembling body.
"Go pack a bag, Maya," I murmured softly. "Go to your room and grab your favorite blanket. Daddy and I need to talk to Uncle Anthony for a minute."
As Maya hurried up the stairs, Anthony turned his gaze toward me, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. "How long, Aaron? How long has she been doing this?"
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"Almost a year," I answered honestly. "Since she lost that major investment account. She didn't want to admit failure, so she started taking out secret loans under your name. Shawn found out when a collection agency accidentally mailed a notice to our house instead of hers."
Anthony stared blankly at the floor. Without another word, he turned on his heel, slammed the kitchen door behind him, and sprinted toward his car, peeling out of the driveway with tires screeching against the asphalt.
