Chapter 4 - The Stolen Life
Fifty thousand dollars.
The number blurred before my eyes as I sat in the sterile hospital waiting room.
Natalie had not just demanded five thousand dollars for rent.
That argument at the dinner table was a calculated distraction.
She had used my stolen phone to bypass the two-factor authentication on my banking apps.
My parents must have known exactly what she was doing.
That was why they cornered me, keeping me occupied while the massive wire transfers went through.
The doctor emerged from Tyler's room and told me he had a severely bruised rib, but thankfully no internal bleeding.
I hugged my children tightly, promising them the worst was finally over.
Sarah took us back to her small apartment and let us sleep in her guest room.
The next morning, I woke up with a fierce determination to fight back.
I called my bank to report the fraud, ready to explain the identity theft.
The customer service representative placed me on a long, agonizing hold.
When she finally returned, her voice was cold and dismissive.
"Ma'am, the loan was approved using your social security number, and the funds were wired to an offshore account."
"I did not authorize this," I pleaded, gripping the phone.
"The authorization came from a device recognized on your account, authenticated with your facial ID."
Natalie looked just enough like me that my phone's camera had been fooled by her before.
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A loud, aggressive knock at Sarah's front door suddenly interrupted the call.
I peeked through the blinds and saw two police officers standing next to a stern-looking woman holding a clipboard from Child Protective Services.
