Chapter 6 - Unearthing the PastThe next morning, I sat at my small wooden desk with a stack of bank statements, old tax forms, and my laptop open. If I was going to destroy them, I needed more than criminal charges. I needed to hit them where it hurt the most: their fragile, fake social standing and their finances.
For years, my father Robert had managed "Brooks Consulting," a mid-sized real estate firm in Charlotte. Everyone in our social circle thought they were wealthy, pillars of the community. But as I dug through old papers I had reluctantly helped file years ago, I noticed discrepancies. Massive ones.
My father hadn't just been running a business; he had been bleeding accounts dry. And worse—he had used my social security number, along with Emily's, to secure multiple high-interest commercial loans without our knowledge back when we turned eighteen.
I tapped my fingers on the desk. My credit score had taken hits over the years that I could never explain, assuming it was just clerical errors. It wasn't errors. It was identity theft committed by my own parents to fund Emily's lavish lifestyle and my father's failing investments.
"You thought I was just the quiet, strong one you could push around," I whispered to the empty room, pulling up an encrypted messaging app.
I didn't call the police this time. I opened a chat with Marcus Vance, a brilliant forensic accountant and an old college friend who specialized in corporate fraud.
“Hey Marcus,” I typed. “I have a case for you. A family business in Charlotte that’s built entirely on fraud, loans under false identities, and embezzlement. Ready to tear down an empire?”
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Within two minutes, my phone rang. Marcus's voice came through, sharp and eager. “Sarah? Is that you? I heard about... I am so, so sorry about your baby. Who do you want me to destroy?”
"My family," I replied evenly. "Let's start with my father's company."
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