Chapter 6 - The Debt They Forgot Belonged to Me
Monday morning arrived.
No refinance.
No apology breakfast.
No signature.
Instead, Natalie sent Ryan formal notice that all financial communications should go through counsel.
At 8:14, Ryan called anyway.
I answered once.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Following professional advice.”
“You hired a lawyer?”
“Yes.”
“We had one fight.”
“No, Ryan. We had one public explosion that exposed a year of lying.”
Silence.
Then his voice changed.
“Ethan talked.”
“Ethan recorded.”
Another silence.
“What exactly do you think you know?”
I almost admired the question.
Not what did I do?
What can you prove?
“I know about the refinance.”
He exhaled.
“I can explain.”
“I know about Ellie’s money.”
Nothing.
“I know about Suite 418.”
Still nothing.
“And I know about Vanessa.”
He whispered my name.
I ended the call.
At ten, Jonah sent his preliminary business analysis.
Walker Renovations was not merely struggling.
It was nearly insolvent.
Ryan owed suppliers $184,000.
Payroll taxes were behind.
A commercial credit line was within weeks of breaching covenants.
And over two years, almost $97,000 had been paid to a company called DMW Consulting.
“Who owns it?” I asked.
Jonah turned his laptop toward me.
Diane Marie Walker.
Ryan’s mother.
Consulting.
For what?
No contracts existed.
No reports.
No invoices beyond vague phrases like “administrative services.”
Diane had been taking money from her son’s failing company while Ryan borrowed from our daughter.
But the ledger contained an even more important item.
My $150,000 loan.
Still recorded as debt.
With interest, Walker Renovations owed me just over $178,000.
Ryan had apparently forgotten because I never demanded repayment.
I had been trying to keep his company alive.
Again.
Natalie smiled when she saw the signed promissory note.
“This gives you leverage.”
I shook my head.
“I don’t want leverage.”
“What do you want?”
“The truth.”
That afternoon, Ryan drove to Julia’s house.
He stood on the porch holding flowers.
I didn’t open the door.
“Megan.”
Through the glass, I said, “Go home.”
“I want my family.”
“You should’ve considered that before getting an apartment with another woman.”
His face collapsed.
Then he said something strange.
“Vanessa wasn’t supposed to become serious.”
I stared.
“What does that mean?”
He looked toward the driveway.
May you like
Then back at me.
“My mother introduced us.”
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