Chapter 6 - CAROL HAD BET HER HOME ON HER SONS
Carol arrived at Rachel’s house the next morning.
Uninvited.
Rachel almost refused to open the door.
I allowed ten minutes.
Carol sat across from me.
No makeup.
No expensive handbag.
Different woman.
“Please don’t destroy the lake project.”
I stared.
“You came here about the project?”
“If the lender pulls out, I could lose everything.”
“How much did you borrow?”
Her eyes filled.
“Two hundred fifty thousand.”
I almost laughed from disbelief.
The documents showed fifty.
“That was only the equity contribution.”
The rest was a second-position loan secured against Carol’s home.
Julian and Ethan promised the resort would refinance her within six months.
It had now been eight.
“Did Selina know?”
“No.”
“Did I know?”
Carol looked down.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Julian said you would panic.”
That word again.
Women were always “panicking” whenever they asked to know what men were doing with family money.
Then Carol surprised me.
“I didn’t know about the plan for your house.”
I studied her.
“I believe that.”
She started crying.
“I thought Julian was consulting successfully.”
“He was.”
“Then why didn’t he support the family?”
Good question.
Carol had assumed our bills were shared normally.
She did not know I was paying nearly everything.
For the first time, her anger turned toward her son.
Then I asked:
“Why did you laugh yesterday?”
Her face tightened.
“At the pool.”
She looked ashamed.
“I thought he was teasing.”
“You watched him humiliate me.”
“I know.”
“You knew I went back to work after the baby.”
“Yes.”
“You knew he didn’t.”
“Yes.”
“And you laughed.”
She covered her face.
No explanation would help.
Then:
“I’m sorry.”
I believed she was sorry now.
That did not erase it.
Before leaving, Carol handed me a folder.
“I found this in Julian’s study.”
Draft documents.
PROPERTY CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENT.
Our house would not be transferred entirely.
The draft proposed pledging a portion of home equity to the lakeside venture.
Still dangerous.
Still something I never agreed to.
Then I reached page seven.
Expected signer:
Claire Mercer.
Beside my name:
TARGET DATE — MONDAY.
Two days after Julian’s birthday.
He had planned to humiliate me Saturday.
Spend Sunday “repairing” our marriage.
Then put the papers in front of me Monday.
At the bottom, Ethan had written:
IF SHE REFUSES, JULIAN MAY NEED PLAN B.
I stared.
“What is Plan B?”
Carol whispered:
“I don’t know.”
We found out that afternoon.
May you like
Plan B was divorce.
Julian had already consulted a lawyer about whether he could access home equity through a marital-property settlement if I refused to sign.
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