Chapter 5: The Money That Was Never Mine
I didn't remember ending the call with Robert.
I only remembered standing in the kitchen with my phone pressed against my ear, staring at Vanessa as though she had become a stranger.
"Primary borrower?"" I repeated.
Robert's voice remained calm.
"That's what the preliminary paperwork indicates. We need to inspect the original documents before making any conclusions.""
I swallowed.
"How much was borrowed?""
"Two hundred and eighty thousand dollars, plus fees and interest.""
I closed my eyes.
"And the account?""
"The loan appears to have been issued through a private lending company. Your name is attached to the obligation.""
I looked at Vanessa.
She was watching me.
"Was my signature on it?""
"Yes.""
"Did you verify it?""
"We have a copy. We need a forensic comparison.""
I thanked him and ended the call.
For a few seconds, the kitchen was completely silent.
Then Vanessa spoke.
"Marcus...""
I held up my hand.
"Don't.""
She stopped.
I walked to the dining table and pulled out a chair.
"Sit down.""
She obeyed.
I sat across from her.
"Tell me everything you know about that loan.""
"I already told you.""
"No. You told me a story about an investment. I want the facts.""
She twisted a tissue between her fingers.
"Derek said the bank wouldn't approve him because his business was too new. He needed someone with a stronger financial profile.""
"And he chose me.""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because you worked in real estate. You had good credit. You had a stable income.""
I stared at her.
"And because I trusted you.""
She began crying.
"I know.""
"Did you tell him he could use my information?""
She didn't respond.
I leaned forward.
"Vanessa.""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
The word was barely audible.
I sat back.
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
She continued quickly.
"But I never thought he would actually put you on the loan. He told me it was just to demonstrate that he had a financial partner.""
I shook my head.
"You don't get to tell me you never thought something would happen when you helped him do it.""
"I know.""
"Did you receive money?""
She looked at the table.
"Some.""
"How much?""
"Forty thousand dollars.""
I stared at her.
"Forty thousand?""
"It was supposed to cover my initial investment and some expenses.""
"Where is it?""
"I used some of it.""
"For what?""
"Personal expenses.""
I waited.
She looked up.
"Marcus, please don't look at me like that.""
"Like what?""
"Like I'm some terrible person.""
I stood.
"You participated in a financial arrangement using my identity. You accepted money from it. And you let me believe we were building a life together while you were hiding the entire thing.""
Her face crumpled.
"I didn't think it would become this big.""
I walked to the window.
"That's the problem, Vanessa. You keep talking about what you thought.""
I turned back.
"You never seem to think about what happens to me.""
She stood and approached me.
"I was scared.""
"Of what?""
"Of losing you. Of getting into trouble. Of Derek exposing everything.""
I looked at her.
"Exposing what?""
She stopped.
I noticed it immediately.
Another hesitation.
Another missing piece.
"Vanessa, what does Derek have on you?""
She looked away.
"Nothing.""
"Then why would he expose anything?""
She walked back to the table and sat down.
I pulled out the chair opposite her.
"Start talking.""
She took a long breath.
"After the property investment failed, Derek told me the lender was demanding repayment.""
"Who was the lender?""
"Northbridge Capital.""
I made a note.
"Continue.""
"He said he had a buyer for the building. He promised the sale would cover the debt.""
"Did it?""
"Apparently not.""
"Apparently?""
She nodded.
"That's what he told me.""
I rubbed my forehead.
"And what happened to the property?""
"It was transferred to another company.""
"Whose company?""
"I don't know.""
I stared at her.
"Vanessa, you signed an agreement involving hundreds of thousands of dollars, and you don't know who owned the property?""
She covered her face.
"I didn't handle that part.""
I stood and paced toward the living room.
Then something occurred to me.
"Why did Derek contact you four months ago?""
She looked up.
"He said he needed to discuss the outstanding loan.""
"And you started seeing him again.""
"Yes.""
"Was that how the affair began?""
She nodded.
I stopped.
"So he contacted you about the money, and somehow that turned into hotel rooms and expensive dinners?""
She began crying.
"It wasn't supposed to.""
I shook my head.
"You're making it sound like you accidentally ended up in a hotel.""
She looked at me helplessly.
I walked away.
For the next hour, I gathered every financial document I could find.
Mortgage statements.
Tax returns.
Investment records.
Old email printouts.
Anything that might contain information about the building.
At 2:18 p.m., I found something.
A letter from Northbridge Capital addressed to me.
It had been delivered to our house three weeks earlier.
I recognized the envelope.
I had seen it on the kitchen counter.
Vanessa had told me it was junk mail from an old property inquiry.
I opened it.
The letter stated that a payment was overdue.
It also warned that the lender might pursue legal remedies if the account remained unresolved.
I read it twice.
Then I walked into the kitchen.
"Did you open this?""
Vanessa looked at the letter.
Her face changed.
"Marcus...""
"Did you open it?""
"Yes.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
She started crying.
"Because I was trying to handle it.""
"How?""
"Derek said he was going to pay.""
"When?""
"He promised he would.""
"When, Vanessa?""
She looked at me.
"Last month.""
I placed the letter on the table.
"This was delivered three weeks ago.""
"I know.""
"And you hid it.""
She nodded.
I stared at her.
"Did you receive any other letters?""
She didn't answer.
I returned to the study and checked the filing cabinet.
Behind our insurance documents, I found another envelope.
Then another.
Three notices.
All from Northbridge Capital.
The earliest was dated five months earlier.
The most recent contained a warning about possible legal action.
I photographed every page and sent them to Robert.
Then I called Daniel.
He arrived twenty-five minutes later.
When I opened the door, he looked at my face and didn't bother asking how I was.
"Show me.""
We sat in the study.
I explained everything.
Daniel read the documents slowly.
When he reached the final notice, he looked up.
"Brother, this is bigger than an affair.""
"I know.""
"Have you checked your credit?""
"Not yet.""
"Do that immediately.""
I nodded.
Daniel leaned back.
"Did she tell you why Derek came back?""
"Apparently, he needed to discuss the loan.""
Daniel looked toward the hallway.
"Apparently?""
I sighed.
"Every answer comes with another question.""
He placed the documents down.
"Listen to me. Don't let the emotional side distract you from the financial side. You can deal with the marriage later. Right now, you need to protect yourself.""
I nodded.
That evening, Robert called again.
He had obtained additional preliminary records.
"Mr. Reed, there's something unusual about the company listed as the recipient of the property transfer.""
"What?""
"It was incorporated just two weeks before the sale.""
"Who owns it?""
"That's what we're investigating.""
He paused.
"However, the registered business address is connected to a property management company.""
I wrote down the name.
"Who operates it?""
"An individual named Richard Cole.""
My hand stopped.
Cole.
Vanessa's maiden name.
"Is that her father?""
Robert checked his notes.
"That's what the public records suggest.""
I looked through the glass wall of the study.
Vanessa was sitting on the living room couch, staring at her phone.
"Can you send me the records?""
"Yes. But there's another issue.""
"What?""
"The company appears to have received more than one transfer connected to the original investment.""
"How much?""
"Approximately four hundred and fifty thousand dollars in total.""
I gripped the edge of the desk.
"Four hundred and fifty thousand?""
"That's the amount visible in the records we've obtained. We don't yet know the final destination.""
I thanked him and ended the call.
Then I walked into the living room.
Vanessa looked up.
"What happened?""
I held up the document.
"Why is your father connected to the company that received the money?""
She went pale.
For a moment, she looked as though she might faint.
"Marcus...""
"Don't tell me you don't know.""
She stood slowly.
"My father didn't know everything.""
"That's not what I asked.""
She started crying.
I moved closer.
"Did your father receive money from this deal?""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
"How much?""
"One hundred thousand.""
I stared at her.
"Your father received a hundred thousand dollars from a company connected to a loan in my name?""
"He was supposed to invest it.""
"Did he?""
She looked down.
"I don't know.""
I stepped away.
"Call him.""
"Marcus, please—"
"Call him.""
She picked up her phone.
Her fingers shook as she found his number.
The call rang twice.
Then a man's voice answered.
"Hey, sweetheart.""
Vanessa put the phone on speaker.
"Dad, I need to ask you something.""
"What's wrong?""
"Do you remember the investment Derek arranged a few years ago?""
There was a pause.
Then Richard Cole answered.
"Why are you asking about that?""
I leaned toward the phone.
"This is Marcus.""
Silence.
Richard cleared his throat.
"Marcus. I didn't realize you were there.""
"I need to know what happened to the money.""
Another pause.
Then he said, "Your wife should have explained everything.""
I looked at Vanessa.
She was trembling.
"Explained what?""
Richard sighed.
"Son, I didn't know Derek was going to use your name.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Then what did you know?""
Richard didn't answer immediately.
Finally, he said something that changed the entire direction of the conversation.
"I knew Derek was going to use the investment to settle a debt.""
"What debt?""
Richard lowered his voice.
"The money he owed your wife.""
I turned toward Vanessa.
She was crying silently.
"Why did Derek owe my wife money?""
Richard hesitated.
Then he said:
"Because before you proposed, Derek had already taken money from Vanessa. And the document you saw wasn't an investment agreement.""
I looked at the phone.
"What was it?""
May you like
Richard answered in a whisper.
"It was a repayment agreement.""
