Chapter 8 - Pending
I called the bank.
The $15,000 charge was still pending.
“Keep the account frozen,” I said.
Across the room, Tyler stared at Melanie.
“She told me the venue came from her savings.”
Melanie’s face twisted.
“You had no right to tell him!”
“He asked.”
“You could have lied!”
“That’s your department.”
She screamed my name.
Tyler looked at her as if he had never seen her before.
Then he said, “I need space.”
“You can’t do this at Christmas!”
“Apparently Christmas is when your family does things to people.”
He left.
Mom called next.
“Come home. We’ll discuss this like adults.”
“You forged my signature.”
“You’re overreacting.”
Then her voice softened.
“Your father is sick.”
My body went cold.
“What happened?”
“Chest pain.”
“Where is he?”
A pause.
“He’s upstairs.”
Too long.
“You’re lying.”
“I’m trying to get you home.”
That was it.
“Do not call me again unless it’s through my lawyer.”
I hung up.
Five minutes later, Greg called.
“The landlord responded.”
“What did he say?”
His tone changed.
“Your family hasn’t paid full rent in four months.”
I sat down.
“How far behind?”
“Almost eleven thousand.”
I stared at the frozen Christmas lights outside my hotel window.
May you like
They hadn’t just been spending my money.
They had been using my name to hold their entire life together.
