Chapter 3
At urgent care, the nurse wrapped my hand and told me the burn was painful but likely to heal without surgery.
My cheek would bruise. My pride already had.
Robert sat in the plastic chair beside the bed and did not make excuses for his family.
That mattered.
"Why did Daniel sign the deed?" I asked.
Robert looked down at his hands.
"Because your money wasn't a gift."
"Daniel told me it was an investment in us."
"It was supposed to be. But Margaret used part of it to save the house. My lawyer insisted the property be transferred to you as collateral. Daniel signed an acknowledgment that he understood."
I laughed once.
It sounded terrible.
"So he watched his mother treat me like a guest in a house he knew was legally mine."
Robert did not answer.
He did not need to.
My phone rang again.
Daniel.
Then Lisa.
Then Daniel again.
I turned it face down.
Robert hesitated.
"There's something else."
I looked at him.
"Of course there is."
He removed another sheet from the envelope.
It was a letter from First Commonwealth Bank dated December 18.
NOTICE OF PENDING EQUITY REFINANCE.
The property address was the Brooks house.
The requested loan was $420,000.
Borrowers: Daniel Brooks and Emily Brooks.
I had never applied for a loan.
I had never signed a loan application.
At the bottom was a closing date.
December 27.
Three days away.
"Robert," I said slowly, "why is my name on this?"
His jaw tightened.
"That's why I came tonight."
"Who filed it?"
He met my eyes.
"Margaret did."
I stared at him.
"She can't refinance my house."
"Not legally."
My phone lit again.
This time it was a text from Daniel.
PLEASE DON'T CALL THE BANK UNTIL I EXPLAIN.
May you like
And that was when I understood the worst part.
He knew about that too.
