Chapter 6 - The Other Lawsuit
“What is it?”
Patricia asked the question.
Daniel did not answer.
He folded the paper.
His father took it from him.
Daniel tried to stop him.
Too late.
The lawsuit had nothing to do with me.
It had been filed by Daniel’s employer.
Harrison Medical Systems.
The company alleged unauthorized expense reimbursements, misuse of corporate funds, and falsified vendor invoices.
The total under investigation was $63,400.
I stared at him.
“You stole from your company too?”
“I didn’t steal anything.”
His father read further.
“They’ve suspended you.”
Daniel grabbed the pages.
“It’s temporary.”
The process server was already leaving.
Around us, the remnants of Lily’s beautiful baptism party had become background scenery to a complete collapse.
Chloe looked sick.
“You told me you got promoted.”
Daniel snapped at her.
“Not now.”
“You told me your company gave you a bonus.”
“Chloe.”
“The apartment.”
She stopped.
Her eyes widened.
“The money for the apartment wasn’t yours.”
He said nothing.
I thought of the hidden LLC.
The forged loan.
The joint savings.
The corporate investigation.
Suddenly the $15,000 I knew about looked like only one corner of a much larger problem.
My attorney called.
I stepped away and answered.
“Claire.”
“Tell me you’re not alone with him.”
“I’m not.”
“Good.”
Her voice became serious.
“I pulled the property records.”
My stomach tightened.
“What did you find?”
“The home-equity loan is real.”
“I know.”
“There’s more.”
Of course there was.
Daniel never committed one betrayal when five were available.
Claire continued.
“The lender received a notarized spousal consent bearing your signature.”
“I never signed it.”
“I figured.”
“Then how was it notarized?”
“I’m working on that.”
I looked at Daniel.
He was arguing quietly with his father.
Claire lowered her voice.
“Jennifer, do not go back to the house tonight.”
“Why?”
“Because financial fraud can make people unpredictable when they realize they’ve been exposed.”
I looked toward Lily.
She was asleep against my mother’s chest.
“I’ll go to my parents.”
“Good.”
“And Claire?”
“Yes?”
“Daniel just got served by his employer.”
There was a pause.
“For what?”
I told her.
Claire exhaled.
“That changes things.”
“How?”
“Because if company money went through Carter Consulting, we may be dealing with commingled funds.”
I had learned enough legal vocabulary in four months to understand the danger.
“If stolen money passed through our accounts—”
“We need to trace everything before anyone tries to claim you benefited.”
My heart started beating harder.
I had thought my biggest problem was divorcing a cheating husband.
Now I might have to prove I had not participated in his financial crimes.
Claire gave me one final instruction.
“Take Lily.”
“Take your identification.”
“Take nothing else tonight.”
“And Jennifer?”
“Yes?”
“Change every password you have.”
I ended the call.
When I turned back, Daniel was staring at me.
The anger had disappeared again.
He looked almost desperate.
“Don’t go to your parents.”
I picked up Lily’s bag.
“Why?”
He glanced at his mother.
Then Chloe.
Then me.
“Because there’s something at the house I need to show you.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“You need to see it before your lawyer does.”
That sentence stopped me.
“What?”
Daniel swallowed.
“A safe.”
I stared at him.
“What safe?”
He looked down.
May you like
“The one behind my office wall.”
And suddenly I remembered the months of renovations he had insisted were necessary before Lily was born.
