PART 4
For several minutes, I stood outside my father’s bedroom without knocking.
Five years ago.
The words kept repeating in my head.
Ask Dad what happened five years ago.
I finally knocked.
No answer.
I knocked again.
“Come in.”
Dad was sitting beside the window in his recliner. The television was off.
He looked older than he had the night before.
Not physically.
Something in his expression had changed.
He already knew why I was there.
I closed the door behind me.
“Dad, what happened five years ago?”
He looked at the floor.
“I don’t know what Lauren told you.”
“She told me to ask you.”
His hands tightened around the arms of the chair.
I waited.
Finally, he said, “You shouldn’t have bought this house.”
The words hit me harder than I expected.
“What?”
“You were twenty-six.”
“I know.”
“You had your whole life ahead of you.”
“I was trying to keep you from losing your home.”
“You thought you were.”
I stared at him.
“What does that mean?”
He looked toward the window.
“Your mother and I had already decided to sell.”
I felt my chest tighten.
“You never told me.”
“We were embarrassed.”
“Then why did you let me pay everything?”
“We didn’t know what else to do.”
I shook my head.
“That’s not all, is it?”
Dad closed his eyes.
“No.”
My voice became quieter.
“What happened?”
He took a long breath.
“The house wasn’t going into foreclosure because of the mortgage.”
I froze.
“What?”
“There was another debt.”
“What debt?”
He looked at me.
“Jason.”
I felt cold.
“Jason wasn’t even married to Lauren then.”
“I know.”
“How could he have a debt connected to this house?”
Dad swallowed.
“He borrowed money from me.”
I stared at him.
“How much?”
“Seventy thousand.”
My mouth fell open.
“When?”
“Before you bought the house.”
“Why?”
“He said he had a construction opportunity.”
I remembered every vague story Jason had told over the years.
A development project.
A commercial contract.
A renovation company.
Always something.
“What happened to the money?”
“He lost it.”
“And you used the house as collateral?”
Dad nodded.
“Without telling Mom?”
Another nod.
“Without telling me?”
“I thought I could recover it.”
“But you couldn’t.”
“No.”
I sat down.
“That’s why the mortgage was behind.”
“Partly.”
“What’s the rest?”
Dad looked at me for a long time.
Then he said:
“Jason still owes money.”
“To you?”
“No.”
He looked ashamed.
“To people I don’t know.”
My heart sank.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“How did this become my problem?”
Dad’s eyes filled.
“It wasn’t supposed to.”
I stood.
“Then why is Jason trying to buy my house?”
Dad’s silence answered me.
“Tell me.”
“He believes the property is worth more than the debt.”
I stared at him.
“What debt?”
Dad looked down.
“Jason has been borrowing against future projects. He used Lauren’s name for some of it.”
My stomach turned.
“Lauren knows?”
“Yes.”
“And now they want my house?”
“Jason says selling it will clear everything.”
I laughed once.
There was nothing funny about it.
“So that’s the plan.”
Dad nodded.
“Sell my house for $295,000, use the money to pay Jason’s debts, move Mom and you into some condo, and leave me with nothing.”
“I didn’t want that.”
“But you let it happen.”
He closed his eyes.
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Of losing Lauren.”
That sentence hurt.
More than the money.
More than the contract.
My father had been willing to sacrifice my trust to keep my sister from facing consequences.
I walked toward the door.
“Dad.”
He looked up.
“I need you to answer one more question.”
“What?”
“Did you ever intend to pay me back?”
His eyes filled.
“No.”
I nodded slowly.
At least it was honest.
“I understand.”
I opened the door.
“Maya.”
I stopped.
“I am sorry.”
I didn’t turn around.
“I know.”
But I wasn’t sure I could forgive him yet.
That afternoon, Rebecca called.
“I found something.”
“What?”
“The purchase contract.”
“I already have it.”
“Not that copy.”
I sat down.
“What do you mean?”
“The original version.”
She sent me a scan.
I opened it.
The purchase price was not $295,000.
It was $425,000.
I stared at the number.
“What?”
“That’s the original agreement.”
“Why does my copy say $295,000?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out.”
I scrolled down.
There were signatures.
Jason’s.
Lauren’s.
And another signature.
My father’s.
But not mine.
Rebecca continued.
“They created two versions.”
“Why?”
“The $425,000 agreement appears to be the actual purchase price. The $295,000 version was the document they intended you to sign.”
I felt sick.
“So they were planning to pocket $130,000.”
“Possibly.”
“Where would that money go?”
“Look at the addendum.”
I opened it.
There it was.
A line stating that any difference between the declared purchase amount and “additional settlement expenses” would be distributed to an affiliated entity.
I read the company name.
Desert Horizon Residential Holdings, LLC.
I looked at Rebecca’s message.
“Jason’s company.”
“Yes.”
I whispered, “They’re trying to steal $130,000 from me.”
“That’s what the documents suggest.”
I sat back.
Then another thought occurred to me.
“Rebecca, why would they make the real contract $425,000?”
“Because that’s probably closer to the actual value.”
“And why show me $295,000?”
“Because they wanted you to believe you were doing your parents a favor.”
I closed my eyes.
The manipulation was almost elegant.
They weren’t trying to convince me that the house was worth $295,000.
They were trying to make me feel guilty enough not to care.
Friday morning arrived.
I wore a navy suit.
Not because I needed to.
Because I wanted Lauren to understand something.
I wasn’t walking into that room as her little sister.
I was walking in as the owner of the property.
Rebecca met me outside the title company’s office.
“You ready?”
I nodded.
“Remember,” she said, “don’t accuse anyone unless you have to.”
“I won’t.”
“And don’t sign.”
“I won’t.”
She smiled.
“I know.”
Inside, Lauren was already there.
Jason stood beside her.
He wore a gray suit that looked expensive enough to make him appear successful.
His confidence disappeared when he saw Rebecca.
“Maya,” Lauren said.
I smiled.
“Good morning.”
Her eyes moved to Rebecca.
“Who’s she?”
“My attorney.”
Lauren’s face went white.
Jason’s jaw tightened.
“Why did you bring an attorney?”
“Because it’s a property transaction.”
Lauren looked at Jason.
Jason whispered something to her.
Then he turned toward me.
“Maya, this is unnecessary.”
“Maybe.”
I sat down.
The title officer placed several folders on the table.
“Before we begin, we need clarification regarding the purchase agreement.”
Jason leaned forward.
“Which agreement?”
The title officer looked at him.
“We received two.”
Silence.
I watched Lauren.
She looked at Jason.
Jason looked at the title officer.
“That’s an administrative mistake.”
Rebecca calmly placed a document on the table.
“This is the executed agreement.”
Jason stared at it.
Then he looked at me.
“Where did you get that?”
I smiled.
“That’s an interesting question.”
His face hardened.
“Maya, you’re making a serious mistake.”
“No.”
I leaned back.
“I’m correcting one.”
Lauren suddenly spoke.
“Please.”
I looked at her.
“Please what?”
“Don’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“Humiliate us.”
I felt something inside me ache.
“I didn’t create these documents.”
“We were trying to help Mom and Dad.”
“By selling my house?”
“By getting them somewhere better.”
“You could have asked me.”
“You would’ve said no.”
“Maybe.”
She looked at me.
“You see?”
I shook my head.
“No, Lauren. I see that you decided my answer didn’t matter.”
Jason stood.
“This meeting is going nowhere.”
The title officer stopped him.
“Sir, please remain seated.”
Jason glared.
Rebecca opened another folder.
“I think everyone should see this.”
She placed the county records on the table.
Then the company registration.
Then the two contracts.
Then the payment instructions.
Finally, she placed a letter from the attorney who represented Desert Horizon.
Jason’s face changed.
The letter stated that the purchase could not legally proceed without my authorization.
And beneath it was a warning.
Any attempt to represent otherwise may be referred to law enforcement.
Lauren started crying.
“Maya, please.”
I looked at her.
“I gave you years.”
“I know.”
“I gave you money.”
“I know.”
“I gave you a house.”
“You didn’t give it to us.”
“No.”
I swallowed.
“I protected it for you.”
She wiped her face.
“I know.”
“Then why did you do this?”
She looked at Jason.
He looked away.
Finally, she whispered:
“Because I was tired.”
“Tired of what?”
“Being the one who stayed.”
I said nothing.
She continued….
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