Chapter 4 - THE APARTMENT I WAS PAYING FOR
The Brooklyn apartment cost $8,700 a month.
Daniel had once argued with me for forty minutes about a $300 dining table.
Apparently furniture was only irresponsible when I wanted it.
The lease required twelve months prepaid through corporate guarantee.
Guarantor:
Northstar.
Funding account:
Merebridge Holdings.
And Merebridge received money from Daniel’s employer.
Layers.
Simple enough to hide.
Complicated enough to look legitimate.
Melissa told me:
“Don’t jump from affair to embezzlement.”
“I’m not.”
Good.
Some payments could be valid commission structures.
Some could be reimbursable.
We needed documents.
Then Daniel’s employer made the next move for us.
At 9:12 Monday morning, Daniel called.
Not angry.
Terrified.
“What did you do?”
I was at Melissa’s office.
“Good morning.”
“My company froze my expense account.”
“I didn’t call them.”
“Kayla did.”
I looked at her.
Kayla sat across the room.
She had formally reported concerns to HR that morning.
Good.
Daniel knew.
“You dragged my job into this.”
Kayla said loudly:
“You used my company.”
He heard her.
Silence.
Then:
“You’re together?”
Not the point.
I answered:
“We are both speaking to lawyers.”
He swore.
Then lowered his voice.
“You don’t understand the client arrangements.”
“Then explain them to your employer.”
“I can’t.”
Interesting.
“Why?”
More silence.
Then:
“Because some deals were off-book.”
There.
I sat straighter.
“What does that mean?”
“Relationship management.”
“Using Kayla’s company?”
“Yes.”
“For legitimate clients?”
“Mostly.”
Mostly.
That word never improves financial records.
Then he said:
“I can fix this.”
Of course.
“Daniel, I’m filing for divorce.”
His breathing stopped.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“Over one kiss?”
“No.”
That answer came easily.
“Over seven years of making me question myself while you built another life.”
“I did not build another life.”
I looked at the Brooklyn lease.
“Yes, you did.”
Then Daniel said something strange.
“That apartment isn’t for Kayla.”
Kayla stood.
“What?”
Daniel realized she had heard.
Too late.
“Who is it for?” I asked.
He disconnected.
Five minutes later, Kayla’s phone rang.
She answered.
Listened.
Then her face went white.
“What?”
She ended the call.
“My landlord.”
“What did they want?”
“The apartment lease is being terminated.”
“Why?”
“Ownership transferred.”
“To who?”
She opened the email.
A property entity had purchased the unit from the landlord.
Buyer:
Merebridge Holdings.
Daniel had not just rented Kayla an apartment.
May you like
His company now owned it.
And buried inside the purchase documents was a mortgage guarantee signed by me.
