Chapter 2 - The Federal Inquiry
The men step into our living room without waiting for an invitation.
My father immediately drops my wrist and forces a nervous smile. "Officers, how can we help you at this late hour?" he asks.
The taller man pulls a digital tablet from his briefcase. "We are not local police, Mr. Whitaker," he says. "We are investigative agents with the Department of Education."
My mother gasps and clutches her pearl necklace.
The agent explains that Daniel Pierce flagged a massive discrepancy in my academic financial profile. "It appears someone has been illegally claiming federal low-income grants in Emma's name for four years," the agent states.
My heart drops into my stomach. I never applied for low-income grants because my parents make over two hundred thousand dollars a year.
"There must be a mistake," Dad stammers, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
The agent shakes his head. "The funds were routed directly into a private account registered to your wife."
I stare at my mother in complete shock. She refuses to look at me, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor.
"You stole government money using my identity?" I ask, my voice trembling.
Tyler lets out a harsh laugh from the couch. "How do you think we paid for my elite basketball camps, genius?" he mocks.
Dad glares at Tyler to shut him up, but the agents have already recorded the confession.
"We are seizing your financial assets pending a full federal audit," the second agent announces. They hand my father a thick stack of legal subpoenas and leave the house.
The moment the door clicks shut, Dad turns to me with pure hatred in his eyes. "Pack your bags right now, Emma."
May you like
"You are throwing me out?" I ask.
"No," he whispers with a cruel smile. "I am sending you to a psychiatric facility for troubled teens, because a doctor's note declaring you mentally unfit is the only way to invalidate that federal investigation."
