Chapter 3

Sarah called Mark immediately, her voice shaking. "Mark, something' s wrong with the debit card. The money... it' s not there."

"What are you talking about, Sarah?" Mark sounded calm, almost too calm. "I was with Mom when she set up the account. I saw her make the deposit. The full $28,000."

"But it' s not there, Mark! I checked at an ATM. There' s only $800."

"That' s impossible," he said. "You must be mistaken. Maybe you looked at it wrong."

His denial felt like a slap. "I' m not mistaken, Mark. $27,200 is gone."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you," he said, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "Talk to Mom. She gave you the card."

Feeling increasingly frustrated, Sarah called Carol.

"Carol? It's Sarah. There's a problem with the debit card you gave me."

"A problem, dear?" Carol' s voice was all syrupy sweetness. "What kind of problem?"

"The money," Sarah said, trying to keep her voice even. "There's only $800 in the account. The $28,000 you said you deposited... it' s mostly gone."

There was a slight pause. "Oh, my. Well, Sarah, it's your money to manage now, dear. Perhaps you've already made some withdrawals or online purchases? Sometimes those things slip our minds."

Sarah felt a flush of anger. "No, Carol, I haven't. I just tried to buy a tablet, and it was declined. That' s how I found out."

"A tablet? How much was that?" Carol asked, her tone subtly shifting.

"About $1,300. But that' s not the point. The point is $27,200 is missing."

"Well, dear," Carol said smoothly, "I' m sure there' s a simple explanation. You' re a young woman, planning a wedding, starting a new life. It' s easy to get flustered and misplace things, or forget a transaction or two."

Gaslighting. The word screamed in Sarah' s mind. They were both acting like she was crazy or irresponsible.

"I haven't forgotten anything," Sarah insisted, her voice rising.

"Now, now, dear, don't get upset," Carol cooed. "Just take a deep breath. I' m sure it will all sort itself out. Perhaps you should check your online banking records carefully."

Sarah hung up, her hands clenched. They were a united front, subtly blaming her. The trust she' d felt just days ago was curdling into suspicion and anger.