Chapter 4 - A SECRET STELLA WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO HEAR
Mr. Cole immediately stood.
"Stay here."
He left his office.
Clara heard muffled voices outside.
Mrs. Adamu demanded to see her.
Mr. Cole refused.
Then Clara heard the sentence that changed everything.
"She is nineteen years old, Mrs. Adamu. You have no legal authority to remove her from my office."
Silence followed.
Then Mrs. Adamu said something too quietly for Clara to hear.
Mr. Cole answered louder.
"If you're threatening me, I suggest you choose your next words carefully."
Several minutes later, Mrs. Adamu left.
Mr. Cole returned.
"Clara, I don't think you should return to that house."
Clara stared at him.
"I have nowhere else."
"You may have more options than you think."
He opened the file.
Her father had owned a modest rental property, savings, investments and an insurance policy.
It wasn't enormous wealth.
But it was enough that Clara never should have been dependent on the Adamus for food.
Mr. Cole explained that her uncle had temporarily been appointed to oversee certain assets while Clara was still a minor.
She was now nineteen.
"What happened to the money?"
"That's what we need to determine."
"Can they take it?"
"Not legally."
Clara swallowed.
"Did they?"
Mr. Cole didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
Meanwhile, Stella had returned from school early.
As she approached her parents' bedroom, she heard voices.
Her mother was speaking on the phone.
"She found the lawyer."
Stella stopped.
A pause.
"No, Adamu doesn't know she has the letter."
Another pause.
"Don't tell me to calm down. If Clara discovers what happened to that account, she'll ask where the money went."
Stella covered her mouth.
Then her mother said something worse.
"And if she discovers why her father went to the lawyer on August fourteenth, my marriage is finished."
Stella backed away.
Her shoe touched a vase.
It moved.
Mrs. Adamu stopped speaking.
"Who's there?"
Stella ran.
That evening, Clara returned.
Mrs. Adamu was waiting.
But before she could speak, Stella walked into the room.
"Dad needs to hear something."
Mrs. Adamu's face changed.
"Go upstairs."
"No."
It was the first time Stella had openly disobeyed her.
Mr. Adamu entered.
"What's going on?"
Stella looked at Clara.
Then at her mother.
Finally she looked at her father.
"Mom knows what happened to Uncle's money."
Mrs. Adamu went pale.
Mr. Adamu slowly turned toward his wife.
"What money?"
And Clara realized something astonishing.
Perhaps her uncle hadn't known everything after all.
Mrs. Adamu stared at her daughter.
"Stella."
"I heard you."
"Go upstairs."
"You said if Clara discovers what happened to the account, she'll ask where the money went."
Mr. Adamu's face hardened.
"What account?"
Nobody moved.
Then Clara reached into her bag.
She placed her father's letter on the table.
Mr. Adamu recognized the handwriting immediately.
His hands began trembling.
He read it.
Once.
Then again.
When he finished, he sat down.
"My brother wrote this?"
"Yes."
He looked at his wife.
"What happened August fourteenth?"
Mrs. Adamu said nothing.
Mr. Adamu stood.
"I asked you a question."
"I don't remember."
"You remember."
"I said I don't."
Clara watched them.
Then Mr. Adamu suddenly looked at her.
"Where did you go today?"
"To Dad's lawyer."
Mrs. Adamu closed her eyes.
"What did he tell you?" Mr. Adamu asked.
"That my father left property and money for me."
Mr. Adamu looked genuinely shocked.
Clara realized he might not have known the full amount.
Then Mrs. Adamu whispered:
"It wasn't supposed to happen this way."
Her husband turned.
"What wasn't?"
Mrs. Adamu's eyes filled with panic.
But before she answered, the gate bell rang.
The gateman entered moments later.
"Sir, there's a man outside asking for Clara."
Clara frowned.
"Who?"
"He wouldn't give me his name."
"What does he want?"
The gateman hesitated.
"He says he's the father of her unborn child."
May you like
Every person in the room turned toward Clara.
And for the first time since her pregnancy became known, Clara looked truly terrified.
