Chapter 5 - THE VACATION ENDED AT THE CASH REGISTER
The first sign Garrick knew something was wrong came on the fourth night of his vacation.
At 8:43 p.m., my phone rang six times.
I didn’t answer.
Then came a message.
Did you cancel my AmEx?
I looked at Abigail.
She smiled.
Technically, I hadn’t canceled his American Express card.
I had removed him as an authorized user from an account opened under my family trust years before we married.
For six years, Garrick had called it “his platinum card.”
The bank disagreed.
Three minutes later:
My Visa isn’t working either.
Then:
What the hell are you doing?
I placed my phone face down.
Across the room, Amelia slept peacefully in her bassinet.
I had been discharged that morning.
Abigail had arranged for me to stay at a furnished guesthouse owned by my aunt while the legal filings moved forward.
I wasn’t going home yet.
Not until the locks were legally mine to change.
At 9:12 p.m., Garrick finally called Abigail.
She answered beside me.
I heard his voice even without speakerphone.
“What did she do?”
Abigail remained calm.
“Who is she?”
“My wife!”
“Her name is Clara.”
“Fine. What did Clara do to my accounts?”
“Nothing to your accounts.”
“My cards are being declined!”
“Those cards were issued on financial facilities belonging to Clara or her trust. Your authorization was revoked.”
Silence.
Then Garrick exploded.
“You can’t do this while I’m out of the country!”
Abigail looked at me.
“Actually, Clara can.”
He hung up.
Ten minutes later Eleanor called.
Then again.
Then again.
I ignored every call.
The next morning, a family court judge granted me temporary exclusive possession of the house after reviewing the forged home-equity documents and evidence of attempted asset transfers.
A locksmith arrived before noon.
Every exterior lock was replaced.
Every garage code was reset.
Every camera password was changed.
And Garrick’s belongings were packed carefully into sealed boxes in the garage under Abigail’s supervision.
But that afternoon Marcus called with news that made the credit cards seem trivial.
The dealership’s primary lender had begun reviewing Garrick’s loan files.
One of those loans listed collateral Garrick did not actually own.
My house.
May you like
The bank had flagged the application for suspected fraud.
And Garrick’s plane landed the next morning.
