Chapter 5 - THE COMPANY THEY EXPECTED ME TO FINANCE
DM Family Ventures had no money.
Not really.
The $12,500 Daniel had already transferred from our joint household reserve was nearly everything in the account.
Melissa had contributed $1,000.
Not $10,000.
The financing proposal claiming otherwise was aspirational.
Meaning false.
Daniel stared at the bank statement.
“She told me her money was coming from an investment.”
Rebecca asked:
“What investment?”
Daniel looked ashamed.
“I never asked.”
Of course.
The duplex seller had given DM Family Ventures ten days to prove financing.
Without my canceled $8,500 transfer, the deal was effectively dead.
Melissa called Daniel twenty-seven times that afternoon.
He finally answered on speaker with his attorney present.
“You need to fix this,” she said.
“No.”
Silence.
“What?”
“I’m not using Claire’s money.”
“It’s marital money.”
“Some of it may be. That doesn’t mean I get to secretly move it.”
I looked at him.
Progress.
Late.
Still progress.
Melissa screamed:
“She’s turning you against me again!”
Daniel rubbed his face.
“Melissa, you told me you contributed ten thousand dollars.”
“I will.”
“When?”
“My car sale is pending.”
“What car sale?”
“The BMW.”
“You don’t own a BMW.”
Another silence.
Then:
“I was planning to buy one and flip it.”
I actually covered my face.
Apparently imaginary car profits were financing imaginary real estate.
Daniel continued.
“What happened to Claire’s rent money?”
“That was none of her business.”
“She sent it.”
“I had expenses!”
“What about Tyler’s school refunds?”
Now Melissa became quiet.
“You talked to Tyler?”
“Yes.”
“You had no right to involve my son.”
Daniel laughed.
“You involved him when you used his tuition account to take money.”
She hung up.
Two hours later, Melissa appeared at the guesthouse.
I watched from the kitchen window.
She went inside.
Came back carrying boxes.
For one irrational second, I hoped she was leaving.
Instead, she loaded documents into her car.
Daniel noticed too.
“What is she taking?”
We did not confront her.
Rebecca had already advised us not to interfere with her personal property.
Then Tyler texted me.
Mom says you stole money from Uncle Daniel’s company.
Interesting.
I called him.
“What company?”
“DM Ventures.”
“I canceled a transfer from my household account.”
“She says it was Daniel’s capital.”
“Daniel is sitting beside me.”
Tyler went quiet.
Daniel took the phone.
“Your mother is lying.”
That cost him.
I could hear it.
Then Tyler said:
“She also says Aunt Claire ruined your old construction company.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“No.”
I stared at him.
He handed the phone back after the call.
“What did she mean?”
He hesitated.
Years earlier, when his construction business first collapsed, I personally injected $75,000 into it.
Not as an investment.
Not for equity.
To pay subcontractors and payroll.
Daniel had told Melissa the money came with “conditions.”
“What conditions?”
“That we needed a budget.”
I laughed.
“How abusive.”
“I know.”
“You told her I ruined your company because I wanted to know where seventy-five thousand dollars went?”
“I was angry.”
“And she remembered.”
“Yes.”
Then Daniel opened an old storage box.
Inside were business statements from that period.
He hadn’t reviewed them in years.
One vendor appeared repeatedly.
MERCER FAMILY CONSULTING.
Payments:
$4,500.
$6,000.
$3,200.
Total:
$21,700.
I frowned.
“What is Mercer Family Consulting?”
Daniel went pale.
“My mother had a bookkeeping business.”
“Had?”
“She closed it eight years ago.”
These payments occurred five years ago.
May you like
After the business supposedly closed.
And every payment had been requested by Melissa.
