Chapter 5 - THE HOUSE DANIEL THOUGHT HE OWNED
Our home in Del Mar was worth approximately seven million dollars.
Daniel called it his house too.
The deed disagreed.
Bennett Residential Holdings purchased it three months before our wedding.
Daniel contributed furnishings.
A wine refrigerator.
Two televisions.
A ridiculous sculpture near the pool.
He owned those.
Not the house.
When Rebecca sent formal occupancy notice through the divorce proceeding, Daniel called me.
I answered because Noah was napping.
“You’re throwing me out of my own home.”
“No.”
“I’m asking you to leave a property my company owns.”
“You told me it was ours.”
“It was our home.”
“That is different from legal ownership.”
“You sound like a lawyer.”
“I finally started listening to mine.”
He went quiet.
Then.
“Anna.”
“I was angry.”
“You were embarrassed.”
“Mom made a mistake.”
“She intentionally gave our son peanuts.”
“She didn’t understand.”
“Tessa’s video says otherwise.”
Silence.
“You have the video?”
“Yes.”
His breathing changed.
“Who else has it?”
“The appropriate people.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“No.”
“His name isn’t in the footage.”
“That’s not funny.”
“Neither was Noah turning blue.”
Daniel stopped talking.
Then said quietly.
“You’re destroying my family.”
There it was.
Not.
I almost lost my son.
Not.
I failed him.
My family.
I looked at Noah sleeping against the pillow.
May you like
“Your family almost killed ours.”
Then I ended the call.
