Two agents stepped inside, and the older one introduced himself as an investigator with the bank’s fraud unit. Gordon had called them days earlier, and they had traced the account to Marlene. She had opened it with my stolen identity and deposited every dollar my parents sent. She had also taken two loans in my name, which I had never seen, and used both to buy her SUV and pay the mortgage on her house. Mom pressed her hand to her mouth, tears falling.

Marlene finally broke. She said she had meant to repay everything someday, that she only wanted our parents to look at her with the pride they gave me. “You were the favorite,” she sobbed. “Everyone was proud of the farm.” I stared at her, stunned. In all those years, I had never once felt like the favorite. Dad slowly stood and told her he had trusted her with his savings, and she had spent them lying about his youngest child.

The agents read Marlene her rights. Gordon handed over every statement and offered to testify, and he told me he was sorry he had waited. I opened my folder and told my parents the truth about the sale. Dad stared at the closing statement for a long moment, then covered his eyes. Mom held my hands and said she was so ashamed that she had never once asked how I was really doing.

Marlene pleaded guilty and served three years. The court froze the account, and every dollar returned to my parents, with her SUV and house sold to repay the loans. I cleared her debts in my name and kept my truck. I bought my parents a small house near mine, and we eat dinner together every Sunday. Dad now asks me how I am before anything else, and I always tell him the truth.