The Vanishing $28,000

n, her fiancé. They sat in the Johnsons' living room, a nice, tid

s mother, beamed at t

like honey, "Mark and I, well, his father and

g up a small, elegant enve

t you $28,000 for a do

outh. "Carol, I... I don't know what t

d look on his face. "See? I to

the envelope. Insid

ned. "The full amount is in there. It' s for yo

being welcomed, of future security. She trusted Carol, trus

er voice thick with emotio

ht. "It' s our pleasure, dear. We just want Mark to

Sarah called her bes

ieve what Carol d

o-nonsense attitude, list

condo down payment! On a

genuinely impressed. "So, Mrs. Johnson

s so sweet about it. She s

," Chloe noted. "Don't go spending

till buzzing from the genero