Chapter 5: The Signature I Never Gave
At 8:03 the following morning, I was standing outside the property management office.
I hadn't slept.
I had spent most of the night photographing the documents, saving the messages, and making copies of everything.
My mother had stayed in the living room.
Calvin had slept in the spare bedroom.
Neither of them spoke to the other.
When I left, Denise was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of untouched coffee.
“Are you going to report him?”” she asked.
“I'm going to find out what happened.””
“Malik, please don't make this worse.””
I stopped beside the door.
“Mom, someone used my signature.””
She looked away.
“I know.””
“Then why are you asking me not to do anything?””
She rubbed her forehead.
“Because I don't know what happens if everything falls apart.””
I looked at her for a long moment.
“Everything already fell apart. You're just seeing it now.””
Then I left.
Marcus Bell was waiting behind the front desk when I arrived.
He was a man in his early sixties with silver hair, rectangular glasses, and the habit of reading every document twice.
“Malik. Good morning.””
“Morning, Marcus.””
He gestured toward his office.
“You sounded concerned on the phone.””
“I need to ask you about a lease modification request.””
His expression changed.
He closed the folder he had been reading.
“Come in.””
I sat across from him and placed the printed email on his desk.
“Did you receive this?””
He adjusted his glasses.
“Yes.””
“Did you approve it?””
“No.””
“Why not?””
Marcus turned his computer toward himself.
“Because the request didn't come from the person listed as the primary tenant.””
I leaned forward.
“Did somebody claim I approved it?””
He clicked through several screens.
“Yes. The email stated that you had agreed to transfer the tenancy to your mother.””
“Did you speak to me?””
“No.””
“Did you verify my signature?””
He looked at the attached document.
“I attempted to contact you.””
I frowned.
“When?””
“Three days ago. The number provided on the request was not the number in your original application.””
I stared at him.
“What number did they provide?””
He read it aloud.
I didn't recognize it.
“That's not mine.””
“I know. That's why I didn't proceed.””
I exhaled.
For the first time that morning, my shoulders relaxed slightly.
Marcus opened another file.
“There's something else you should know.””
“What?””
“The person who submitted the request also asked whether the apartment could be transferred before the next rent cycle.””
I sat still.
“Why?””
“He said your mother would be taking over the lease and that you were planning to move out.””
I looked down.
Calvin hadn't simply been trying to stay in my apartment.
He had been trying to remove me from the arrangement.
Without my knowledge.
Marcus folded his hands.
“Malik, I want to be clear. We haven't changed anything. Your tenancy remains as it was.””
“Thank you.””
“But I need you to understand that we received more than one document.””
He opened a second attachment.
This one was a scanned identification document.
My mother's driver's license.
I recognized it immediately.
“Where did this come from?””
“It was submitted with the request.””
I swallowed.
“Can I get copies of everything?””
“We can provide the records relating to your tenancy. I'll also document that you dispute the signature and did not authorize the requested changes.””
I nodded.
“Please do.””
Marcus leaned back.
“Is everything all right at home?””
I considered lying.
Then I shook my head.
“No.””
He didn't ask for details.
Instead, he printed three pages and handed them to me.
“Keep these safe.””
I put them inside my folder.
Then I asked one more question.
“Marcus, has anyone asked about using this address for business purposes?””
He paused.
“Yes, actually.””
My stomach tightened.
“Who?””
“The same person who submitted the modification request.””
“Calvin?””
Marcus checked the file.
“That's the name he gave.””
I stared at the desk.
“What business?””
Marcus turned the monitor toward me.
A company registration document appeared.
The registered business address was my apartment.
And the business name was:
*Bellstone Property Solutions LLC.*
I looked at Marcus.
“What's this?””
He shrugged.
“I don't know. But the address was included in the documents.””
I took a photograph of the screen with his permission.
Then I left the office.
At 10:41 a.m., I returned home.
The apartment smelled of coffee and fried eggs.
Calvin was standing at the stove.
He was humming.
Actually humming.
As if nothing had happened.
My mother sat at the dining table, scrolling through her phone.
I placed the property management documents on the counter.
“Calvin.””
He didn't turn.
“What's up?””
“Why did you try to change my lease?””
The spatula stopped moving.
Denise looked up.
“Malik, not now.””
I ignored her.
“Why did you submit a document with my signature?””
Calvin turned around.
His expression was almost bored.
“I was trying to help.””
“Help yourself to my apartment?””
He laughed.
“Your mother wanted stability.””
“My mother already has a place to live.””
“She wanted a future.””
“Then why did you try to take mine?””
Denise stood up.
“That's enough!””
I placed the printed email in front of her.
“Read it.””
She picked it up.
Her eyes moved across the page.
Then she looked at Calvin.
“You told me Malik had agreed.””
Calvin turned off the stove.
“He said he was thinking about moving.””
“I said no such thing,” I replied.
Calvin pointed the spatula at me.
“You told Denise you wanted your own life.””
“I already have one.””
“You said you might get a bigger place.””
“I said I might move someday. That doesn't mean you can forge my signature.””
My mother dropped the paper onto the table.
“Calvin, did you sign his name?””
He shook his head.
“I didn't forge anything.””
I took out my phone and opened the scanned document.
“Then explain this.””
He glanced at it.
“Somebody must have copied it from another document.””
“Who?””
“I don't know.””
“You submitted it.””
“I helped with the paperwork!””
“Then why did you tell the property manager I was moving out?””
He threw the spatula into the sink.
“Because you were making it impossible for us to live here!””
I looked at him.
“You mean impossible for you to take over?””
His face reddened.
My mother stepped between us.
“Calvin, I need you to tell me the truth.””
He looked at her.
Then he lowered his voice.
“Denise, I did all this because I wanted us to have something stable.””
She shook her head.
“You told me you had a business.””
“I do.””
“Then why is Malik's apartment listed as your business address?””
Calvin went silent.
I opened the photograph I had taken at the property office.
“Bellstone Property Solutions. Does that sound familiar?””
He stared at the screen.
My mother slowly sat down.
“Calvin?””
He rubbed his face.
“It's a small property investment company.””
“Where are the properties?”” I asked.
He looked at me.
“What?””
“You run a property company. Where are the properties?””
He didn't answer.
I leaned against the counter.
“Or is this another business that exists only on paper?””
Calvin took a step toward me.
“Listen, you little—”
“Don't.””
My mother raised her hand.
“Calvin!””
He stopped.
She looked at him for several seconds.
Then she asked quietly:
“Did you use my credit to start this company?””
Calvin's expression shifted.
He looked toward the bedroom.
Then toward the front door.
And that was when I knew.
He was considering leaving.
Not because he had been asked to.
Because he had run out of answers.
But before he could move, my mother's phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Her face drained of color.
“It's the bank,” she whispered.
She answered.
“Hello?””
A woman's professional voice came through.
“Good morning, Ms. Denise. We're calling regarding the personal loan application associated with your identity.””
My mother looked at me.
“Yes?””
“Before we continue, we need to confirm whether you personally authorized the application.””
She closed her eyes.
“No.””
The woman paused.
“Thank you for confirming. There's one more issue.””
Denise gripped the phone.
“What issue?””
“The application was connected to an additional credit account. A business credit account.””
My mother looked at Calvin.
The woman continued.
“And unfortunately, Ms. Denise, the account has already been used.””
My mother whispered, “For what?””
The answer came slowly.
“An initial credit limit of sixty thousand dollars was approved.””
I stared at Calvin.
He looked down.
Then the woman added:
“Several withdrawals have already been made.””
My mother lowered herself into the chair.
“How much?””
The woman read the figure.
“Forty-seven thousand five hundred dollars.””
Nobody spoke.
Then my mother looked directly at Calvin.
“Where did the money go?””
May you like
He swallowed.
And for the first time since I had met him, he looked genuinely afraid.
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