Chapter 8 - SELINA LEFT ETHAN THE SAME WEEK I LEFT JULIAN
Selina called me from a hotel.
“I moved out.”
I was not surprised.
“What happened?”
“I asked Ethan about the missing money.”
“And?”
“He told me wives shouldn’t involve themselves in business.”
I almost laughed.
Apparently the brothers shared a script.
Selina continued.
“Then I found the watch receipts.”
Ethan owned four luxury watches.
Total purchase price:
$86,000.
The Range Rover down payment:
$22,000.
A private investment account:
$41,000.
None matched his disclosed income.
We did not declare him guilty.
The forensic accountants did the work.
Within days, they found unauthorized distributions from Mercer Lakeside Ventures.
$173,400.
Mostly to Ethan-controlled accounts.
He called them “partner advances.”
Julian claimed he never approved them.
Ethan produced text messages suggesting otherwise.
One from Julian:
TAKE WHAT YOU NEED FOR NOW. WE’LL TRUE IT UP AFTER FINANCING.
Messy.
Very messy.
This was exactly why secret family businesses were dangerous.
Then Selina told me something that changed how I saw her.
“I knew about the Range Rover.”
“Okay.”
“I also knew Ethan couldn’t afford it.”
“Why didn’t you ask?”
She looked ashamed.
“Because I liked it.”
That honesty made me respect her more.
She had enjoyed the lifestyle.
She ignored questions because the answers might ruin it.
Not as bad as Ethan’s behavior.
But not innocent either.
“I think we both let men turn us into versions of ourselves we didn’t like,” she said.
Maybe.
Then:
“Julian used me to hurt you, and I enjoyed being the woman he called beautiful.”
That hurt.
She did not soften it.
“I’m sorry.”
I nodded.
“Thank you.”
We were not suddenly best friends.
But we stopped being enemies who had never chosen the fight.
Then the accountants found another transfer.
$52,000 from Lakeside.
Recipient:
JM Consulting.
Julian Mercer.
My husband.
He had accused Ethan of taking money.
He had been taking money too.
Julian called it compensation for project development.
No written agreement.
No board approval.
Just brothers moving money whenever they felt entitled.
Then my attorney discovered the most important fact:
The lakeside property itself was worth far less than they believed.
The brothers had paid $1.1 million for land independently appraised at roughly $720,000.
Why?
Because the seller was connected to the broker.
The broker?
A man named Douglas Price.
Carol’s younger brother.
May you like
Julian and Ethan’s uncle.
The “family investment” had been enriching another family member from the beginning.
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