My Husband Stole Our Daughters’ College Fund And Ran Off Days Later, His Call Proved The Girls….

My name is Claire Thompson and I thought I had the perfect life. That was until the day my world came crashing down in the most unimaginable way. I was sitting at my kitchen table on a Tuesday morning, sipping my coffee and checking our family’s bank accounts like I did every week.

 The morning sun was streaming through the windows and everything felt normal, peaceful even. I clicked on our daughter’s college fund account, expecting to see the familiar number that had taken me 17 years to build. $180,000. The screen loaded and my heart stopped. Balance zero. I blinked hard, thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me. I refreshed the page once, twice, three times.

 The number didn’t change. $0 and0 stared back at me like a cruel joke. My hands started shaking so badly I could barely hold my coffee cup. 17 years of sacrifice. 17 years of working double shifts at the accounting firm.

 17 years of buying generic groceries, skipping vacations, and wearing the same clothes until they fell apart. Also, my twin daughters, Libby and Natty, could go to college without drowning in debt like I did. Gone. All of it. Gone. I grabbed my phone and called Brandon, my husband of 20 years. It went straight to voicemail. I called again. Voicemail. My chest felt tight, like someone was squeezing my lungs.

 Brandon, call me back right now, I said into the phone, my voice cracking. Something’s wrong with the college fund. The money, it’s all gone. I hung up and stared at the laptop screen, hoping somehow the numbers would magically reappear. They didn’t. That’s when I heard footsteps on the stairs. Livy and Natty were coming down for breakfast before school.

 How was I going to tell them? How do you tell your 17-year-old daughters that their entire future just disappeared? Morning, Mom. Libby said, walking into the kitchen with her backpack slung over her shoulder. She looked so much like me at that age with her dark hair and serious brown eyes. She was planning to study medicine at Stanford. Was planning to. Natty followed behind her, already scrolling through her phone.

 She was the tech genius of the family, always on her computer, always knowing about the latest apps and websites. She wanted to study computer science at MIT. Both dreams that now seemed impossible. I must have looked terrible because both girls stopped and stared at me.

 “Mom, what’s wrong?” Natty asked, putting down her phone. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. How do you say it? How do you destroy your children’s dreams in one sentence? the college fund. I finally whispered. It’s It’s gone. I expected them to cry. I expected them to scream. I expected them to ask a million questions about how this could happen.

 Instead, something strange occurred. Libby and Natty looked at each other. Not the confused, panicked look I expected. It was something else. Something that made my stomach twist with confusion. They smirked. Actually smirked. Mom, don’t worry, Libby said, her voice calm and steady. We handled it. What do you mean you handled it? I asked, wiping tears from my cheeks.

 Handled what? Natty sat down next to me and patted my shoulder like she was the parent and I was the child. Trust us, Mom. Everything’s going to be okay. I stared at my daughters, completely lost. Here I was having the worst moment of my life, and they were acting like they knew some secret.

 I didn’t like they weren’t surprised at all. Girls, I don’t understand. The money for your college, for your future, it’s all gone. Your father isn’t answering his phone, and I don’t know what happened or how to fix this. Livby and Natty exchanged another look. This time, I caught something in their eyes that sent chills down my spine. It wasn’t sadness or fear.

 It was satisfaction. “Mom,” Nattie said softly. There are things you don’t know yet. Things about dad that we discovered. What things? I asked, my voice barely a whisper. But before they could answer, both girls grabbed their backpacks and headed toward the door. We have to get to school, Libby said. But don’t worry about the money, Mom.

 We promise you everything is going to work out exactly the way it should. And with that, they left me sitting alone in my kitchen, staring at a bank account with zero dollars and wondering what my own daughters knew that I didn’t. What do you think happened to Claire’s college fund? And what secret do you think the twins are hiding? Let me know in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe for the next chapter, where we’ll uncover the shocking truth about Brandon’s betrayal. The rest of that Tuesday crawled by like torture.

I called Brandon 17 more times. Each call went straight to voicemail. And with every unanswered ring, my panic grew stronger. I couldn’t concentrate on anything. I kept staring at that bank statement, hoping the numbers would somehow change. By the time the girls came home from school, I was pacing the living room like a caged animal.

 I’d already called the bank twice, and both times they told me the same thing. The account had been legally accessed by an authorized user. Brandon, my husband had taken every penny. “Mom, you look terrible,” Nattie said as she walked through the front door. “Did you eat anything today?” “I hadn’t.

 Food was the last thing on my mind when my entire life was falling apart.” “Sit down,” Libby said, guiding me to the couch. “We need to talk.” Both girls sat across from me, their expressions serious. Gone were the mysterious smirks from this morning. Now they looked like they were about to deliver news that would change everything.

 “What you’re about to hear is going to hurt,” Nattie began, pulling out her laptop. “But you need to know the truth about Dad.” My heart was already broken, but somehow I knew it was about to shatter into even smaller pieces. Libby took a deep breath. 3 months ago, I was using Dad’s computer to print my history report because mine was broken.

 I accidentally opened his email instead of the printer settings. And I whispered, “There were emails, Mom. Hundreds of them.” From a woman named Jessica Martinez. The name hit me like a physical blow. Jessica Martinez. I knew that name. She worked at Brandon’s construction company as the new project manager. Young, beautiful, fresh out of college.

 I’d met her at the company Christmas party last year. Nattie opened her laptop and turned it toward me. We took screenshots of everything before dad could delete them. I stared at the screen and my world tilted sideways. Email after email between my husband and this woman. The subject lines alone made me sick. Missing you. Can’t wait for tonight.

 Our future together. Keep scrolling, Libby said softly. I did, even though every word felt like a knife to my chest. The emails went back 8 months. 8 months of my husband telling another woman he loved her. 8 months of him planning a life with her while I was working overtime to save for our daughter’s education.

 But the worst was yet to come. Look at this one from last week, Natty said, pointing to an email dated just 5 days ago. I read it out loud, my voice shaking. Jessica, I transferred the money today. All of it. $180,000 from the college fund, plus another $50,000 from our savings. It’s in the account we opened together.

 We can start our new life in Florida as soon as I tell Claire. I can’t wait to marry you and start fresh. The girls will understand eventually. I couldn’t breathe. I literally couldn’t breathe. My husband hadn’t just cheated on me. He’d stolen our daughter’s entire future to fund his new life with his mistress. There’s more,” Libby said gently. “He’s been planning this for months.

 He already put a deposit down on a house in Tampa. He’s been transferring money little by little so you wouldn’t notice.” I looked up at my daughters through tears. “How long have you known?” “3 months,” Nattie admitted. “We’ve been trying to figure out what to do. We didn’t want to hurt you, but we also couldn’t let him destroy our family and steal our futures.

So, what did you do?” I asked, though I was almost afraid to hear the answer. The girls looked at each other and for the first time since this nightmare began, they smiled. “We fought back,” Libby said. Nattie pulled up another screen on her laptop.

 “Remember how I’ve been learning about cyber security and digital forensics in my computer science classes?” I nodded, not sure where this was going. “Well, I’ve been documenting everything. Every email, every bank transfer, every lie. I created a digital trail that proves dad committed theft and adultery. But more importantly, she paused dramatically. I found their joint account, the one with our money in it. My heart started beating faster.

And let’s just say that Jessica Martinez is about to get a very unpleasant surprise when she tries to access that account. Natty said with a grin that reminded me exactly of myself at her age. Livy leaned forward. Mom. Dad thinks he’s so smart, but he forgot one very important thing. What’s that? He raised two daughters who are smarter than he is, and we don’t let anyone mess with our family.

For the first time in 24 hours, I felt something other than despair. I felt proud. My daughters had discovered their father’s betrayal, and instead of falling apart, they’d fought back. “What happens now?” I asked. Both girls smiled, and I saw a strength in them. I’d never noticed before. Now, Natty said, “We show Dad that the Thompson women don’t go down without a fight.

 I needed to know everything, every detail of how my daughters had uncovered Brandon’s betrayal and what they’d been planning for 3 months while I lived in blissful ignorance.” “Start from the beginning,” I said, settling back on the couch. “Tell me exactly how this all started.” Libby and Nattie exchanged a look and I could see them deciding where to begin this incredible story. It was a Sunday afternoon in February. Livy began.

Remember when my laptop crashed right before my big history paper was due? I nodded. That had been a stressful weekend. Livy had been panicking about losing all her research. Dad offered to let me use his computer in his office. He said he was going to run errands and I could work in peace.

 Livy’s expression darkened, but he forgot to log out of his email. Nattie picked up the story. When Livy called me upstairs to help her format the paper, we both saw it. An email notification popped up from someone named Jessica. The preview showed, “I can’t stop thinking about last night, my love.” My stomach turned. “Last night.

” While I was sleeping in our bed, thinking my husband was working late again. At first, we thought maybe it was a mistake, Libby continued. Like maybe someone had the wrong email address. But then Natty suggested we look at his scent folder. I know it was wrong to Snoop, Natty said quickly. But something felt off. Dad had been acting so weird lately.

 Always on his phone, always working late, always finding excuses to leave the house. I thought back to February. Brandon had been distant, but I’d assumed it was work stress. He’d been complaining about difficult clients and long hours. I’d actually felt sorry for him. What did you find in his scent folder? I asked, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. Everything, Libby said simply.

 Months of emails, pictures they’d sent each other, plans they were making. And Mom, she hesitated. What? He was telling her things about us, about you, private things that he had no right to share. Nattie pulled up a file on her laptop. He told her you were boring and predictable. He said you’d let yourself go after having kids.

 He complained that you worked too much and didn’t pay enough attention to him. Each word felt like a slap. 20 years of marriage, and this was how my husband described me to his mistress. But the worst part, Libby said, was when we found the emails about money. Show me, I said, even though I dreaded seeing it. Nattie scrolled through the files. Here, this one from March 15th.

I read the email and my blood turned to ice. Jessica, I’ve been thinking about our conversation. You’re right that we need a substantial amount to start fresh. I have access to about $230,000 between the college fund and our savings. Clare never checks the accounts closely.

 I can transfer it gradually, so she won’t notice until it’s too late. By summer, we’ll have everything we need to disappear. He was planning this for months, I whispered. Gets worse, Natty said grimly. Look at this one from April. The next email made me feel sick. The girls will be fine. They’re smart enough to get scholarships, and Clare can take out loans if needed.

 Our happiness matters more than their college plans. We deserve this fresh start. I stared at the screen in disbelief. My husband was willing to destroy his daughter’s futures for his own selfish desires. “That’s when we decided we had to do something,” Libby said. “We couldn’t just sit back and let him ruin our lives.” “So, what did you do?” I asked. Natty grinned.

 And for a moment, she looked like the mischievous little girl who used to hack into my computer to change her bedtime reminders. “We started our own investigation. I used my computer skills to track Dad’s digital footprint. every website he visited, every account he accessed, every transaction he made. And I handled the physical evidence, Libby added.

 I started paying attention to his behavior, documenting his lies, even recording some of his phone conversations when he thought no one was listening. “You recorded him?” I asked, shocked. “Mom, we had to protect ourselves,” Libby said firmly. “Dad was stealing from us. We needed proof.” Natty pulled up another screen. Look at this. I tracked every penny he moved.

 Small amounts at first, just like he planned. $500 here, $1,000 there. Always on days when you were working late or busy with other things. I studied the spreadsheet my 17-year-old daughter had created. It was more detailed than anything I’d ever seen in my accounting work.

 But here’s the thing dad didn’t count on, Natty said with a smile that was both proud and slightly scary. I didn’t just track what he was taking. I figured out how to track where it was going. And once we found their joint account, Libby added, we realized we had the power to stop him. I looked at my daughters with a mixture of amazement and concern.

 What exactly did you do? Both girls smiled and I saw a determination in their eyes that reminded me of myself when I was their age, fighting to get into college despite having no money. We decided, Natty said slowly, that if dad wanted to play games with our future, we’d show him how the game is really played.

 We spent weeks planning everything, Natty said, pulling up a folder on her laptop labeled Project Justice. We knew we had to be smarter than dad, and we had to make sure he couldn’t hurt you or us ever again. I stared at the folder, amazed that my teenage daughters had been running a secret operation right under my nose. The first thing we did was gather evidence, Livy explained.

 Real evidence that would hold up if we ever needed to go to court. Natty clicked on a subfolder called digital evidence. The screen filled with screenshots, saved emails, and bank records. I learned how to capture everything without leaving any traces. Dad never knew I was documenting his activities. How did you get access to his accounts? I asked. Dad’s not as smart as he thinks, Natty said with a smirk.

 He uses the same password for everything. Your birthday plus the year you got married. Once I figured that out, I could access anything. My heart sank a little. Even his passwords were about me. Yet, he was still planning to abandon our family. But we needed more than just digital evidence.

 Libby said we needed to understand Jessica and what she really wanted. So, I created a fake social media profile. Natty continued. I became Ashley Chen, a 25-year-old marketing assistant who just moved to town. I started following Jessica on Instagram and slowly became her online friend. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

 You catfished your father’s mistress? It was surprisingly easy, Natty admitted. Jessica loves attention and validation. Within 2 weeks, she was telling Ashley everything about her life, including her relationship with a married man who was going to leave his wife for her. Libby pulled out a notebook filled with handwritten notes.

While Natty was working on Jessica, I was studying Dad’s patterns. When he left the house, where he went, how long he stayed. I even followed him a few times. “You followed him?” I gasped. “That was dangerous.” “I was careful,” Livia assured me. “I just needed to confirm what we suspected.” And I was right.

 Every Tuesday and Thursday, he went to Jessica’s apartment instead of working late like he told you. Natty turned her laptop screen toward me again. But here’s where it gets interesting. Through my conversations with Jessica, I learned something Dad doesn’t know. What? Jessica has another boyfriend. Both girls said in unison. My mouth fell open. What? His name is Richard Blackwood. Natty explained. He’s a wealthy businessman who owns several restaurants downtown.

Jessica has been dating him for 4 months, even while she’s been with dad. She’s playing them both, Libby added. She told Ashley that she’s planning to take dad’s money and then disappear with Richard to start a restaurant in California. I felt dizzy.

 So, she never intended to actually be with your father? Nope, Natty said cheerfully. She just wanted his money. She even laughed about it to Ashley, saying, “Older married men are easy targets because they’re so desperate to feel young again.” “The betrayal was so deep, so layered that I almost felt sorry for Brandon.” “Almost.” “But we weren’t done gathering information,” Libby said.

 “We needed to know exactly when Dad planned to make his move.” “So, I hacked into his calendar and email drafts,” Nattie said casually, as if hacking was something normal teenagers did every day. You hacked his calendar. Mom, it’s really not that hard when someone uses the same password for everything, Natty explained patiently.

 I found a draft email he’d been working on for weeks, his resignation letter from the construction company. Libby leaned forward. He was planning to quit his job this Friday, tell you about the divorce on Saturday, and be gone by Sunday morning. This weekend, I whispered. this weekend, both girls confirmed.

 I felt like I was going to be sick. In just 4 days, my husband was planning to destroy our family and disappear with our life savings. But here’s the beautiful part, Natty said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. We decided to beat him to it. What do you mean? We mean, Libby said with a smile that was both sweet and terrifying, that dad’s plan is about to backfire in the most spectacular way possible. Nattie pulled up one final screen.

 “Mom, what would you say if I told you that as of yesterday, Jessica Martinez and Richard Blackwood know all about each other?” And Libby added, “Dad’s boss knows about him using company time and resources for his personal affairs.” “And Natty finished triumphantly, the money dad stole from us is now safely back where it belongs.” I stared at my daughters speechless.

They hadn’t just discovered their father’s betrayal. They’d systematically dismantled his entire plan. “Girls,” I said slowly. “What exactly did you do?” “Yesterday was the day we put everything into motion,” Libby said, settling back on the couch with the confidence of a general who just won a major battle.

 “We called it Operation Karma,” Nattie added, pulling up a timeline on her laptop. We had to time everything perfectly so dad wouldn’t have a chance to cover his tracks. I leaned forward, fascinated and slightly terrified by my daughter’s strategic minds. Phase 1 started at 9:00 a.m. Livy began. While dad was at work and you were at the office, I went to his construction company.

 You went to his workplace? I asked alarmed. I told them I was doing a school project about local businesses and asked to interview some employees, Livy explained. But really, I was there to plant evidence where his boss would find it. Natty pulled up a folder of photos.

 I’d printed out some of Dad’s most incriminating emails with Jessica, the ones where he talked about using company computers for personal business and taking long lunches to meet her. I left them in the break room where I knew Mr. Patterson, Dad’s boss, always gets his afternoon coffee, Libby continued. I made it look like someone had accidentally dropped them. I stared at my daughters in amazement. That’s actually brilliant. Phase two happened at the same time.

 Natty said, “Remember how I’d been chatting with Jessica as Ashley Chen for weeks?” I nodded. “Well, yesterday I told Jessica that I’d seen her boyfriend Richard at a restaurant with another woman. I sent her photos I’d found on Richard’s social media of him with his business partner, but I made it sound like he was cheating.

” “Why would you do that?” I asked, confused. because I knew Jessica would get jealous and confront Richard,” Nattie explained. “And when she did, she’d probably mention her backup plan with the married man who was giving her money,” Libby grinned, which is exactly what happened.

 Richard got suspicious and started asking questions about this married man Jessica had been seeing. So, I helped things along, Natty continued by anonymously sending Richard screenshots of Jessica’s social media posts from her dates with dad, pictures of expensive dinners, jewelry, weekend trips, all paid for with our family’s money. I felt a sick satisfaction imagining Jessica’s web of lies unraveling. Richard was furious, Libby said.

 He confronted Jessica at her office yesterday afternoon. There was a huge scene in front of all her co-workers. He called her a gold digger and a cheater, then stormed out. But the best part, Natty added with glee, was that Jessica immediately called Dad, crying and begging him to come comfort her.

 And Dad left work early to go to her apartment, Libby finished, which meant he wasn’t there when his boss found those emails in the breakroom. I was starting to see the beautiful complexity of their plan. So, Mr. Patterson discovered Brandon’s misconduct while Brandon was off consoling his mistress. “Exactly,” both girls said together.

 “But we weren’t done,” Nattie said, pulling up another screen. “Phase three was the most important part.” “The money,” I whispered. “The money,” Libby confirmed. While Dad was dealing with Jessica’s meltdown and his boss was discovering his emails, Nattie was executing the most crucial part of our plan. Nattie’s fingers flew across the keyboard. I’d been monitoring the joint account Dad opened with Jessica for weeks.

 I knew all the login information, the security questions, everything. How? I asked. Dad used your maiden name as the security question answer, Natty said with a roll of her eyes. And Jessica’s birthday as the pin. Men are so predictable. At exactly 3:47 p.m. yesterday, Libby said, checking her notes, “While Dad was comforting Jessica and his boss was calling an emergency meeting about employee misconduct, Natty transferred every penny from their joint account back to our family accounts.” “Mom, you’ve been using the same

password since I was 12,” Nattie said gently. “And technically, as your daughters, we’re authorized users on the college fund account anyway.” I realized my daughters had thought of everything. They’d systematically destroyed Brandon’s plan while protecting our family’s future. So, right now, I said slowly.

 Brandon thinks he’s about to start a new life with Jessica and our money. But actually, actually, Libby said with a smile, his boss is preparing to fire him. His mistress is furious about her other boyfriend dumping her, and the money he stole has mysteriously vanished. And he has no idea any of this is connected, Natty added cheerfully.

 I looked at my daughters with a mixture of pride and concern. What happens when he finds out? Both girls exchanged a look that made my stomach flutter with anticipation. That, Libby said, is when the real fun begins. I didn’t have to wait long to see the results of my

 daughter’s masterpiece. At 11:47 p.m. that same night, our front door slammed open with such force that it shook the entire house. Claire. Brandon’s voice boomed through the hallway, filled with a rage I’d never heard before. Where is my money? I was in my pajamas, having just finished processing everything the girls had told me.

 Livby and Natty were supposedly asleep upstairs, but I knew they were probably listening to every word. Brandon stormed into the living room, his face red and his hair disheveled. His usually perfect appearance was completely destroyed. His shirt was wrinkled, his tie was missing, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

 “What money!” I asked calmly, though my heart was pounding. “Don’t play dumb with me,” he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at me. “The account is empty. Every penny is gone.” I stood up slowly, meeting his furious gaze with a steadiness that surprised even me. You mean the money you stole from our daughter’s college fund? His face went pale.

 How did you How did I find out about Jessica? I finished for him. About your plan to abandon your family and start a new life in Florida. About the house you put a deposit on in Tampa. Brandon’s mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. Claire, I can explain. Explain what? I asked, my voice getting stronger with each word.

 Explain how you’ve been lying to me for 8 months. Explain how you were planning to steal our daughter’s futures. Explain how you called me boring and predictable to your mistress. You don’t understand, he said desperately. Jessica and I, we have something special, something real. You and I, we’ve been living like roommates for years. The audacity of his words hit me like a physical blow.

 So, you decided to solve that problem by stealing from our children? The girls are smart, he said, his voice taking on a weedling tone. They’ll get scholarships. They don’t need that money as much as Jessica and I need a fresh start. I stared at this man I’d been married to for 20 years. And I realized I didn’t recognize him at all.

 Where have you been tonight, Brandon? His face crumpled. Everything’s falling apart, Clare. Mr. Patterson fired me today. He said I was using company resources for personal business and that I was a liability to the company. And Jessica? I asked, though I already knew the answer. She won’t return my calls, he admitted, slumping into a chair. Her boyfriend found out about us and caused a scene at her office.

 She’s blaming me for ruining her life. I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. So, let me get this straight,” I said, crossing my arms. “You lost your job. Your mistress dumped you. And now you’ve come crawling back home expecting sympathy. I made mistakes,” he said, looking up at me with desperate eyes. “But we can work through this. We can go to counseling.

 I’ll make it up to you and the girls.” “With what money?” I asked pointedly. “You stole everything we had.” “That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” he exploded, jumping back to his feet. The money is gone. Someone emptied the account Jessica and I opened. All of it. $230,000 just vanished. I tilted my head, pretending to be confused. “That’s terrible. Have you called the police?” “I can’t call the police,” he shouted.

“The money was it was stolen?” I suggested helpfully. “From your family.” Brandon’s face went through several different expressions as he realized the trap he’d walked into. He couldn’t report the money stolen without admitting he’d stolen it first. “Claire, please,” he begged. “I know you took it. Just give it back and we can figure this out.” “I didn’t take anything,” I said honestly.

 “I’ve been at work all day and I only found out about your affair this afternoon.” “Then who?” he started to ask, then stopped. His eyes widened as he looked toward the staircase. “The girls,” he whispered. At that exact moment, Libby and Natty appeared at the top of the stairs in their pajamas, looking like innocent teenagers who’d been awakened by the shouting.

 “Dad,” Libby called down sweetly. “Is everything okay? You’re being really loud.” “What’s wrong?” Natty added, rubbing her eyes like she’d just woken up. Brandon stared at his daughters, and I could see the exact moment he realized he’d been outplayed by two 17-year-olds. you,” he said slowly, pointing at them. “You did this.

” Both girls looked at each other with perfectly innocent expressions. “Did what, Dad?” they asked in unison. And that’s when Brandon completely lost control. Brandon’s face turned purple with rage as he stared at our daughters. “You little he started, then caught himself. Even in his fury, he knew better than to say what he was thinking. Girls, come down here, I said firmly.

 I think it’s time we all had an honest conversation. Livby and Natty walked down the stairs with the calm confidence of people who held all the cards. They sat on the couch across from their father, looking like they were about to deliver a business presentation. Dad, Libby began, her voice steady and mature. We know everything.

 every lie, every stolen dollar, every promise you made to Jessica about abandoning us. “We have recordings of your phone calls,” Natty added, pulling out her phone. Screenshots of every email, bank records showing exactly when and how you stole from us. Brandon’s mouth opened and closed several times before he found his voice. “You’ve been spying on me.

” “We’ve been protecting our family,” Libby corrected. Someone had to since you clearly weren’t going to. You have no idea what you’ve done, Brandon said, his voice shaking. Jessica and I had plans. We were going to start over, build something beautiful together with our college money, Natty said flatly. Money mom saved for 17 years while you pretended to be a loving father and husband.

 And about Jessica, Libby continued with a small smile. You should know that she never planned to stay with you anyway. Brandon’s face went white. What are you talking about? Natty pulled up her laptop and showed him screenshots of conversations between Ashley Chen and Jessica. She was using you, Dad. She has another boyfriend, Richard Blackwood.

 She was planning to take your money and disappear with him to California. She called you a desperate old man who was easy to manipulate. Libby added, reading directly from the screen. She said, “Older married men always think they’re getting a young girlfriend, but really they’re just being used for their money.

” I watched Brandon’s face crumble as he realized the depth of his betrayal and stupidity. He’d destroyed his family for a woman who was playing him just as badly as he’d been playing me. “This is impossible,” he whispered. “Jessica loves me. She told me so. Jessica loves money, Natty said bluntly. And now that Richard dumped her because of you and you’ve lost your job, she has no use for either of you.

Brandon slumped in his chair, looking older than I’d ever seen him. What do you want from me? The girls looked at each other, then at me. We discussed this part earlier after they told me everything. We want you to leave, I said simply. tonight. Pack your things and go. This is my house, too, he protested weakly.

 Actually, it’s not, Libby said, pulling out a folder of documents. Mom’s name is the only one on the mortgage. You signed a quick claim deed 5 years ago when we refinanced. Remember? You said it would be better for taxes. Brandon stared at the papers, realizing another way his own decisions had trapped him. We’ve already contacted a lawyer, Natty continued.

 We have enough evidence to press charges for theft, fraud, and embezzlement. But we’re willing to make a deal. What kind of deal? Brandon asked suspiciously. You signed divorce papers giving mom everything? Livia explained. You give up all parental rights to us. You agree to leave town and never contact any of us again. In exchange, we don’t press criminal charges. You can’t be serious, Brandon said, looking at me desperately.

Claire, they’re just kids. You can’t let them destroy our family like this. I looked at this man who had been my husband for 20 years, who had fathered my children, who had shared my bed and my dreams, and I felt nothing but disgust. You destroyed our family the moment you decided Jessica was worth more than your daughter’s futures. I said quietly. The girls didn’t destroy anything.

 They saved what was left. Brandon sat in silence for a long moment, then slowly nodded. “Fine, I’ll sign your papers, but don’t expect me to disappear forever. Those are my daughters, too.” “Actually,” Natty said with a sweet smile, “we’re hoping you will disappear forever. Because if you ever try to contact us again, we’ll release everything. The recordings, the emails, the evidence of your theft.

We’ll make sure everyone in this town knows exactly what kind of man you really are. Brandon looked at each of us in turn, seeing no sympathy anywhere. He’d gambled everything on a woman who was using him, and he’d lost. “I’ll pack tonight,” he said finally, standing up slowly. “I’ll be gone by morning.

” As he walked toward the stairs, Libby called after him. Dad, next time you want to steal from your family, maybe don’t use the same password for everything. The front door closed behind Brandon at 6:23 a.m. I watched from the kitchen window as he loaded his car with the few belongings we’d allowed him to take.

 He looked back at the house once, but I didn’t wave. 3 months later, the divorce was final. The college fund was restored and earning interest. Libby got into Stanford with a partial scholarship and Nattie was accepted to MIT with a full ride for her computer science skills. We never heard from Brandon again, though I sometimes wondered if he ever found out that Jessica had moved to California with Richard after all, using the money she’d saved from her relationship with him.

 As for my daughters, they started a blog called Teen Justice, where they help other young people deal with family crises and betrayal. They’ve helped dozens of kids protect themselves from manipulative adults. I’m proud of them in ways I never expected to be. They showed me that sometimes the people who love you most are the ones willing to fight the hardest to protect you.

 And sometimes justice comes from the most unexpected