Mallory gets points.”
“That is not how points work,” I said.
Kendra’s composure slipped.
“Why are you making this ugly? We’re sisters.”
“You broke my phone after I refused to give you $10,000.”
“It slipped.”
“You were holding it over the tile.”
“You startled me.”
“I was standing still.”
Mom raised both hands.
“Please.
We can solve this without attacking each other.”
I looked at her.
“When Kendra broke my phone, you told me not to make a big deal out of it.
When I found your purchases, your first call was not to apologize.
It was to ask why the account stopped working.”
Mom’s hands fell into her lap.
I placed the bank notice in front of her.
“The charges are being reviewed.
My payment method has been replaced.
Every outside device has been removed permanently.”
Kendra stared at the notice.
“You reported me for fraud?”
“I reported unauthorized transactions.”
“You could ruin my life over twelve-dollar charges.”
“The total is $1,286.44.”
“That’s over months.”
Her answer came so quickly that Jordan looked at me.
Kendra heard herself too late.
She pressed her lips together.
I kept my voice calm.
“You knew the total was spread over months because you knew the charges were happening.”
Mom closed her eyes.
“Kendra,” she whispered.
Kendra stood so suddenly that her chair scraped backward.
“Fine.
I used some subscriptions.
She never noticed.
She can afford them.
I was going to cancel everything eventually.”
“You also connected Mom’s phone.”
“I helped her set it up.”
“With my card.”
“She needed it.”
Mom looked at Kendra as if she were seeing the arrangement from outside it for the first time.
“You told me Mallory had added me,” she said.
Kendra threw up her hands.
“She always pays for things! How was I supposed to know this one time would become a federal investigation?”
“It became serious because you hid it,” I said.
“And because you broke my phone when I said no to more money.”
Kendra’s anger sharpened into something closer to panic.
“You don’t understand what I’m dealing with.”
“You never told me what the $10,000 was for.”
“Because I knew you’d judge me.”
“I asked when you could repay it.”
“You made me feel like a criminal before I had done anything.”
