(Shara could not stop thinking about the letter she had received from the council. She had read it several times, but the information still made no sense. According to the statement, one full year of payments was still outstanding, and until those payments were completed, the house could not be transferred into her name.)

(What made Shara even more upset was the fact that Larry had repeatedly told her that the payments were being made. She had trusted what he told her. She believed that everything would finally be settled after the final installment in January 2027.)

(Now she had an official letter telling her something completely different.)

(Shara decided she could not sit at home wondering about it anymore. She took the council letter with her and went directly to Larry.)

(When she arrived, she was surprised to see that Bethany was there too. Bethany was Larry’s second wife and was sitting nearby when Shara walked into the room.)

(Larry immediately noticed the serious expression on Shara’s face.)

(Before he could even ask what had happened, Shara placed the council letter in front of him.)

(“What is this, Larry?”)

(Larry picked up the document and began reading. His expression slowly changed as he reached the section about the missing payments.)

(“The council says one full year is still unpaid,” Shara said. “You told me the payments were being made. You told me that after January 2027, everything would be finished. So why did they send me this?”)

(Larry looked confused.)

(“I did make the payments,” he replied.)

(Shara stared at him.)

(“Then where are they?”)

(The room suddenly became quiet. Bethany listened carefully without saying anything.)

(Bethany had been listening to the conversation from the beginning. Although she tried to keep a serious expression on her face, there was something inside her that made her feel relieved.)

(Shara was not getting the house yet.)

(The council had confirmed that something was still incomplete, and that meant Shara’s plans for the property had suddenly been delayed.)

(Bethany knew how much Shara had been looking forward to having the house officially transferred into her name. So when she heard that another year of payments was outstanding, she felt secretly pleased.)

(She did not want Larry or Shara to notice her reaction. She simply remained seated and listened.)

(But Shara noticed something in Bethany’s expression. It was only there for a moment, but it was enough to make Shara wonder.)

(Why did Bethany seem almost relieved by the news?)

(Larry looked at Shara and tried to explain.)

(“I didn’t stop making the payments,” he said. “I gave the money to Bethany.”)

(Shara immediately looked at Bethany.)

(“You gave the money to Bethany?”)

(Larry nodded.)

(“Yes. I asked her to make sure the payments were deposited. She told me she had done it.”)

(Shara’s eyes moved toward Bethany.)

(“Did you deposit the money?”)

(Bethany nodded.)

(“Yes, I did.”)

(Larry continued.)

(“She even showed me proof that the payments had been made. That’s why I had no reason to believe there was a problem.”)

(Shara looked back at the council letter.)

(“Then how can the council say the money was never received?”)

(For the first time, Larry had no immediate answer.)

(Shara turned toward Bethany.)

(“You showed Larry proof. Do you still have it?”)

(Bethany paused.)

(“I think so.”)

(That small hesitation immediately caught Shara’s attention.)

(Bethany picked up her phone and started searching through old messages, emails, and payment records.)

(Larry watched her carefully.)

(“You should still have the confirmation,” he said.)

(Bethany continued scrolling.)

(Minutes passed. Nobody said anything.)

(Finally, Bethany stopped.)

(“I found something,” she said quietly.)

(Larry immediately stood up.)

(“What did you find?”)

(Bethany looked at the screen again.)

(“There is a payment record here,” Bethany said.)

(Shara felt a brief sense of relief.)

(“Then that’s it. Show it to the council.”)

(But Bethany’s expression suddenly changed.)

(“There’s something else.”)

(Larry looked at her.)

(“What?”)

(Bethany looked down at the phone.)

(“I’m not sure this payment went to the account listed on the council letter.”)

(Shara’s expression changed immediately.)

(“What do you mean?”)

(Bethany hesitated.)

(“I thought it was the correct account. That’s where I sent the money.”)

(Larry stared at her.)

(“You thought?”)

(Shara slowly stood up.)

(The situation was suddenly much more serious than a simple mistake.)

(Larry had given Bethany the money. Bethany said she had deposited it. Larry had seen proof. Yet the council was still saying that an entire year of payments was missing.)

(Shara looked at both of them.)

(“Then someone needs to explain where that money actually went.”)

(Nobody answered.)

(Bethany looked nervous. Larry stared at the payment record on her phone. And Shara suddenly began to wonder whether this was really an innocent mistake.)

(If the money had been paid, someone had received it.)

(But who?)

(And why was the council still showing the payments as missing?)

(Shara looked at Bethany one more time. Bethany avoided her eyes.)

(That was the moment Shara realized there was something about this story that nobody was telling her.)

(The house was already in trouble. The payments were missing. The proof was confusing. And now the question was no longer simply about the house.)

(It was about where the money had gone.)

(And Shara was determined to find out.)