Chapter 4 - THE PALM SPRINGS CONDO
The condo cost $735,000.
The more Rebecca dug, the uglier it became.
Brandon had signed a purchase agreement six weeks earlier.
The earnest-money deposit had come from a checking account I did not recognize.
But the paperwork listed me as a co-buyer.
My income had been used to qualify.
My credit score had been attached.
My employer had been contacted for verification.
And somehow, somebody had convinced a lender that I intended to occupy the property part-time.
I had never even seen it.
Rebecca called the lender.
I called my employer.
Then I called our human-resources director and asked whether anyone had requested employment verification.
She checked.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Three times in the last month.”
My stomach dropped.
“Who authorized it?”
“It came through an automated lender portal.”
“Did anyone speak to somebody directly?”
Another pause.
“Yes.”
“A woman called pretending to be you.”
Hailey.
Again.
By noon, the home-equity transaction had been formally frozen.
The condo lender had opened its own fraud review.
Rebecca had contacted the county recorder’s fraud unit.
And every financial institution connected to my Social Security number had been notified.
I should have felt relieved.
Instead, I felt like I had opened one door and discovered an entire hallway behind it.
At 12:18, Brandon arrived at Rebecca’s office.
He had apparently tracked my car.
He walked into reception without an appointment and demanded to see me.
Rebecca agreed only because the lobby had security cameras.
Brandon came through the conference-room door looking exhausted.
His hair was uncombed.
His shirt was wrinkled.
For the first time in years, he looked less like a man who expected me to solve his problems and more like a man realizing I might stop.
“Char.”
I stayed seated.
He glanced at Rebecca.
“Can we talk privately?”
“No.”
“This is our marriage.”
“This is financial fraud.”
His jaw tightened.
“You think I wanted this?”
I almost laughed.
“You signed the condo contract.”
“My mother said it was an investment.”
“With my identity.”
“I was going to explain.”
“When?”
He looked away.
“After everything was settled.”
I leaned forward.
“Was Skylar’s room part of the settlement?”
His eyes flicked back toward mine.
That was enough.
“You knew.”
“It wasn’t permanent.”
“You knew your mother told our daughter she wasn’t allowed to eat the food I paid for?”
“I didn’t hear that.”
“You heard me being mocked from the hallway.”
“Mom was joking.”
“Skylar was eating noodles alone in the dark.”
Brandon rubbed both hands across his face.
“I’ve been under pressure.”
Rebecca spoke before I could.
“Mr. Mercer, you should consider obtaining counsel.”
He ignored her.
“Char, Mom owes people money.”
The room went still.
“What people?”
He hesitated.
“She made investments.”
“What people, Brandon?”
His eyes met mine.
And for the first time, I saw genuine fear there.
“She borrowed against things she didn’t own.”
Rebecca’s expression changed.
“What things?”
May you like
Brandon whispered.
“Your things.”
