Chapter Six
“Mrs. Kim?”
I raised my head, setting down the magazine. A prim and proper gentleman in a brown suit and large glasses flashed me his best professional smile.
“Right this way, ma’am, the manager can see you now.”
Standing up, I smoothed down the vintage designer dress I found at the back of Sue’s walk-in dream closet. It was an old-school, off-the-shoulder, little-black-dress Chanel. A gorgeous piece, but I was surprised Sue owned it. I was the one into cute, funky, vintage clothes.
Sue was into turning up her nose at pre-owned clothes. When we were teens, she wouldn’t be caught dead clothed in something some random had farted and sweated in.
But I guess even my sister is allowed to change. I followed behind the gentleman, passing under the tinkling, gold chandelier. Although, not that much. She still settled for nothing less than the finer things.
After leaving Omma to rest and have her breakfast, I showered, changed, then found myself in the back of a stranger’s car, paying them to take me to the bank whose logo I read on all the financial documents I found in Sue’s desk.
Swanky was the first word that came to mind when I walked into Lantana Private Bank.
No one had to tell me this bank catered to the ultra-rich of Lantana.
I figured that out myself when the attendant looked me up and down at the door, clocked my designer dress and purse, made me produce ID before taking another step inside, and then guided me to a gold-and-blue waiting area with plush leather seats, financial magazines, and a selection of herbal teas for me to drink while I waited for the manager to receive me in the personal client room.
He swept open the door for me, actually bowing and gesturing for me to enter.
I wasn’t sure if he bowed to all the clients, or just the Asian ones, but I doubt that added layer of deference made the huge account minimums, and even huger account fees, worth banking here.
I’d have done just fine with the rinky-dink, two-manned credit union down the street.
“Good morning, Mrs. Kim.” The manager rounded the desk and pulled the chair out for me. When he bowed to me too, I knew it was an Asian thing. “Lovely to see you again. What can I do for you today?”
I relaxed in the armchair, fighting not to gape at the extravagance around me.
Ten years of poverty made me forget what it was like to sit in rooms with expensive artwork on the wall, custom mahogany antique Victorian desks, stained glass windows depicting the life and laughter of dancing mermaids, and a desktop computer I couldn’t afford even if I sold my eggs.
“Good morning,” I greeted. He didn’t tell me his name, and I didn’t ask for it. He obviously knew Sue, and giving away that I didn’t know him would be a major red flag. But he did look exactly like how I pictured the guy who managed a bank for the uber-rich.
Like the Monopoly man.
“I don’t want to take too much of your time,” I said. “I’m here for a complete financial review of all of my accounts, and then I want the total of all of those accounts to be transferred to another bank.”
“Very well,” he replied, not blinking twice at the request. “We can certainly take care of that today. First, if I may, I’ll need to take you through the security questions and reconfirm your identification.”
I replied yes also without blinking twice.
Mother’s maiden name? Knew that.
Street I grew up on? Check.
Name of first pet? The hamster was named Henri until Sue went days without feeding him, and I saved the poor thing from her and named him Mister Fuzzybutt.
“And your account pin?”
“Five-eight-two-three,” I rattled off. That I didn’t know off the top of my head, until I found it scribbled on the back of her account papers in her desk. Honestly, it amazed me that more siblings didn’t rob each other blind.
Not that they should, of course.
“Thank you for that information, Mrs. Kim.” Tip-tap-tap he went on the keyboard.
“Now, the financial review is rather simple. You only have one personal account with us now, after choosing to close your investment and business accounts. The total in your remaining account is...” He flipped the screen around, letting me see the number.
$42,176
“Forty-two thousand dollars,” I whispered.
It didn’t come near enough to pay back the money Sue cost me from my college and trust fund, but that was enough to pay for IVF, and put first month’s rent and a security deposit down on a better apartment in a good neighborhood. It wasn’t everything... but it was a start.
“Okay, what about the marital accounts?” I asked.
“Your husband and partners removed your access to those accounts three months ago,” the manager said without inflection. “As of today, they have not reversed that decision.”
I didn’t say any more on the topic. I didn’t want the guy questioning why I didn’t already know that.
“Very well. Let’s get started on the transfer.” I riffled through Sue’s bag, taking out the folder I brought. I brushed against my phone screen doing so, and the home screen came to life—reminding me that I had seven missed calls from Satan.
No doubt, Dan was trying to get ahold of the police so that he could get more information on the accident that killed me, but I was still amazed that I faked him out the first time. I wasn’t going to test my luck. I just had to hope he’d give up and go away.
Sue’s phone rang at that moment, and I flicked my eyes to the— MENTARY SCHOOL flashing on the screen.
“One moment, please.” I got up and crossed the room, answering on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Hello? Hello, Mrs. Kim, is that you?”
I glanced back at the manager. “I am Ms. Kim,” I replied, slipping in the slight correction. “Is something wrong?”
“Yes, I’m sorry to interrupt your day, but Lily is in the nurse’s office. She’s been throwing up for the past half an hour, and she wants to go home. I tried all three of your husbands first, but didn’t get an answer. What time will you be by to pick her up?”
“Throwing up?” I cried, snapping up. “Why? What—?”
Stop! a voice snapped in my head. Just because you want to be a mother, doesn’t mean you can pretend to be someone else’s. Her teacher is looking for Lily’s parent, and that’s not you.
Hang up the phone.
I swallowed hard, chest tightening. “I’m sorry, I can’t help. Please continue trying to get a hold of her fathers until you reach one of them.”
“But, Mrs. K—”
I hit end, and then nearly pitched across the room and threw up in the toilet.
Everything about leaving a little girl crying and throwing up in a sterile nurse’s office felt wrong, but everything had changed.
When I thought it would just be me and Omma hiding out in the manor in her final days, I didn’t care about any lies I had to tell.
But now there were three men and a young child involved, and keeping up the deception was both way too dangerous, and way too creepy. The only thing to do now was take the money, and leave. There was no life left for me to live in Lantana.
Clearing my throat, I put away Sue’s phone. “Okay,” I rasped. “Let’s get started on that transfer.”
“—WHY DIDN’T YOU PICK up?!”
“I had a meeting! What the fuck’s your excuse?!”
“You know I have to turn my phone off at work. That’s why your phone is always supposed to be on!”
“I told you, I had a meeting!”
“Lily?!”
“Lily!”
The door flew open and three men fell through it, nearly colliding and ending up as a pile on the carpet.
We stared at them.
“Uhhh... what are you guys doing?” I asked.
Nari opened her mouth for another spoonful of broth. She was tucked up tight in her ladybug bed, kicking her little feet under the covers.
And by ladybug, I meant ladybug. The circular bed had little bug feet for legs, antennae on the headboard, and red-and-black polka-dot sheets. It all paired nice with the green, shaggy carpet masquerading as grass, the beautiful meadow painted on the walls, and the clouds and sun on the ceiling.
“What are we doing?” Rhodes snapped, untangling himself from his fellow brothers in matrimony. “What are you doing? Why did you take Lily out of school?”
“Why?” I fed her more soup. “What do you mean why? I left all three of you a voicemail, telling you Lily was sick and needed to be picked up from school. Didn’t you listen to it?”
They slowly approached, surrounding the bed and the two of us like we were suspicious packages left at the airport—
No. I saw the looks on their faces. All of their suspicions are for me.
“Yeah, we got it...” Alex said slowly. “But it didn’t make any sense...”
I cocked a brow. “What didn’t make sense? They had a carnival at school for student appreciation day, and the little lady here overdid it on the cotton candy, funnel cake, and lollipops.”
Micah bit off a swear as Lily ducked her head under the covers. “Overdid it? How does that happen?” They were still talking much louder than they needed to. “Why weren’t those idiots watching her? Who lets a six-year-old eat that much sugar unchecked!”
I shrugged. “Lily puked on her teacher’s shoes, so I’m sure he learned his lesson.
Anyway, why are you all here? I also said in the message that I’d bring her home and take care of her.
” I set down the broth and picked up the bag at my feet.
“The pharmacist said this is a really good anti-nausea medicine, and it’s safe for kids.
“Lily took some an hour ago, but she said if she’s not better by the afternoon, to give her another dose.
Or if she’s not better by tomorrow, to call her doctor.
But I don’t think that will be necessary,” I said to their unsettling, wide-eyed stares.
“She’s already feeling much better, right, Nariboo? ”
A giggle floated out of the sheets. “No!”
I gasped. “Huh? No? But you know what happens to little girls who are sick?” I dove under the covers. “They get their toes eaten!”
Nari flipped out, kicking and squealing when I grabbed her foot, nibbling on her toes.