Chapter 5 - Thomas’s Secret
I wanted to be furious at Thomas.
For hiding it.
For protecting Daniel.
For leaving me one more secret after death.
Then Susan found the rest.
Thomas had guaranteed the Westbrook note eighteen months before he died.
But six months later, he revoked the guaranty and paid $90,000 to reduce the balance.
He also wrote Daniel a letter.
We found a copy in the notebook.
I am paying this because failure can teach a person.
Being rescued from every consequence teaches the opposite.
Do not ask your mother for land.
Do not involve her home.
Do not confuse family with financing.
I read that sentence three times.
Do not ask your mother for land.
Daniel had watched me sell fifteen acres for the wedding anyway.
He knew exactly what Thomas wanted.
When I confronted him, he cried.
I did not care yet.
“Dad was angry.”
“He was clear.”
“He didn’t understand how bad things were.”
“He understood enough to write it down.”
Daniel paced my kitchen.
“Tiffany thought if the wedding looked successful, Richard would extend the debt.”
The wedding had not been only a wedding.
It had been a performance for Richard’s investors.
A display that Daniel’s business and personal life looked prosperous.
Three hundred-dollar floral arrangements.
All while vendors waited for payment.
I whispered:
“You used my money to make yourself look solvent.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I wanted you there.”
“You wanted my checkbook there.”
Then my doorbell rang.
Claire Lawson stood outside.
The wedding coordinator.
She looked exhausted.
“I’m sorry to come without calling.”
“What happened?”
“When you canceled the services, vendors started sending me updated balances.”
Claire laid everything on the table.
The unpaid total was $68,300.
Daniel’s and Tiffany’s.
But six invoices listed my card as backup payment.
I never approved that.
Claire looked at Daniel.
“You sent me authorization forms.”
He stared at the floor.
I asked:
“Did you forge those too?”
“No.”
Claire slowly pulled out one email.
“It came from your account.”
Daniel looked confused.
“I didn’t send that.”
Claire turned the laptop toward us.
The message had been sent at 2:13 a.m. from Daniel’s phone.
The night of the rehearsal dinner.
May you like
I remembered exactly who had been holding Daniel’s phone then.
Tiffany.
