Chapter 9 - THE FAMILY THAT WAS NEVER BROKE
Nathan’s parents lived ninety minutes away.
For six years, I had believed they were barely surviving.
His father supposedly lost his construction business.
His mother supposedly drained her retirement savings.
Every Christmas, I sent them grocery gift cards.
Every birthday, Nathan told me not to expect presents because his parents “couldn’t afford anything.”
Now Rachel was showing me property records that told an entirely different story.
Three years after Nathan entered medical school, his parents purchased a lake house for $620,000.
Cash.
They also owned two rental properties.
And eighteen months ago, Cole Family Holdings was registered under his father’s name.
I felt physically sick.
“They knew.”
Rachel nodded.
“I think so.”
I called Nathan’s mother, Susan.
She answered immediately.
“Emily?”
Her voice sounded nervous.
“Nathan told us what happened.”
Of course he had.
“I have one question.”
“Sweetheart, maybe you should give things a few days—”
“Were you ever broke?”
Silence.
“Emily—”
“Were you?”
Susan began crying.
That was my answer.
Then she whispered, “Nathan told us not to interfere.”
I gripped the phone.
“With what?”
“He said you had both agreed you would support him through school.”
“I agreed because he told me your family had lost everything.”
Susan made a broken sound.
“Our business did struggle.”
“Did you lose the house?”
“No.”
“Your retirement?”
“No.”
“Could you have helped with tuition?”
Another silence.
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes.
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because Nathan said you wanted to do it.”
I almost threw the phone.
“He told us you felt guilty,” Susan continued.
“Guilty about what?”
“That you weren’t sure medicine was right for you.”
The cruelty of it stunned me.
Nathan had told me his parents were helpless.
He had told his parents I willingly abandoned medicine.
He built separate lies for everyone.
Then Susan said something I wasn’t expecting.
“Emily, his father and I only learned about Victoria last month.”
“How?”
“A lawyer called.”
“What lawyer?”
“One representing Charles Harlan.”
Apparently, Charles Harlan wanted Nathan to sign a prenuptial agreement before marrying Victoria.
I stared at the wall.
“Marrying?”
Susan started crying harder.
“I’m sorry.”
Nathan wasn’t simply moving in with Victoria.
He planned to marry her.
“How soon?”
“I don’t know.”
But she did know one more thing.
Nathan’s father had invested money in Project Northstar because Nathan promised it would multiply their savings.
“Where did the $750,000 come from?” I asked.
Susan hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Part of it came from an account Nathan said belonged to both of you.”
I stopped breathing.
“What account?”
“I don’t know.”
Then she said a name.
A bank I had never used.
Within an hour, Rachel and I were sitting with an attorney.
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And by sunset, we discovered that Nathan had opened an account in both our names four years earlier.
My signature was on that paperwork too.
