Chapter 4: The Price of My Son's Betrayal
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
I held my phone in one hand and the forged property authorization in the other.
Calvin stood across from me, his face drained of color.
Daphne slowly turned toward him.
"What did you just say?""
Calvin rubbed his forehead.
"I said I didn't do it alone.""
"Who else was involved?"" I asked.
He looked at me.
"Mom, please. Let me explain before you make any decisions.""
I placed the phone on the table.
"You had plenty of opportunities to explain. You had an entire engagement party to tell me why my signature was on a document I never signed.""
"That's not fair.""
I stared at him.
"Fair?""
My voice cracked.
"You made me kneel in front of your friends tonight. You watched the woman you're marrying order me to clean her shoe. And now you want to discuss fairness?""
Calvin looked toward the guests.
Most had quietly moved into the dining room. A few were pretending to examine their phones.
Nobody wanted to become part of the scandal.
Daphne suddenly grabbed Calvin's wrist.
"Tell her about the notary.""
He pulled away.
"Stop talking.""
"Don't tell me to stop talking!""
Her voice rose.
"You said everything was arranged!""
I looked between them.
"What notary?""
Daphne took a step backward.
Leon folded his arms.
"Perhaps we should hear the whole story.""
Calvin pointed at him.
"Nobody invited you into our business.""
Leon answered calmly.
"Your business has my name all over it.""
That silenced him.
Leon removed another sheet from his jacket.
"This is a payment confirmation from the notary who witnessed the authorization. The payment came from a business account belonging to Harris Property Holdings.""
I examined the document.
There was a transfer of $2,500.
The recipient was a mobile notary named Marcus Reed.
The payment description read: PROPERTY AUTHORIZATION — GLORIA HARRIS.
My stomach tightened.
"Who is Marcus Reed?""
Calvin looked away.
Daphne answered.
"He's someone we know.""
"How did he get my identification?""
Nobody answered.
I turned toward Calvin.
"Did you give him a copy of my driver's license?""
He swallowed.
"Mom, I had access to your documents because I was helping you organize your estate.""
I remembered.
Six months earlier, Calvin had offered to help me update my insurance paperwork after I complained about confusing letters from the bank.
I had handed him a folder containing copies of my identification, property tax records, and insurance documents.
I had trusted him.
He had used that trust against me.
"Did you forge my signature?""
"Mom—"
"Answer me!""
His shoulders dropped.
"I didn't physically write your name.""
Daphne laughed bitterly.
"Oh, now you're being technical?""
Calvin shot her a furious look.
"You told me she would sign eventually!""
"I told you to get her authorization!""
"You said you had someone who could handle it!""
Leon stepped forward.
"Interesting. So neither of you is denying the document is fraudulent.""
Daphne's mouth closed.
I lowered myself into the armchair.
My knees suddenly felt weak.
The house around me seemed unfamiliar.
The fireplace Robert had built with his own hands. The family photographs. The framed college diploma hanging beside the staircase.
Everything represented decades of work.
And my own child had apparently turned it into a business opportunity.
"Why?"" I asked.
Calvin approached me.
"Mom, the property is worth almost seven hundred thousand dollars. We could have used it to secure financing for a development project.""
"Without asking me?""
"We would have paid you back.""
"With what money?""
He hesitated.
Daphne answered.
"With the profits from the project.""
I looked at her.
"You expected me to risk my home so you could start a business?""
"It wasn't a risk if everything worked.""
Leon gave a humorless laugh.
"That's exactly what she told me before she emptied our savings.""
Daphne turned toward him.
"Shut up!""
He didn't move.
"You're repeating the same pattern.""
Calvin suddenly slammed his palm against the coffee table.
"Enough!""
A champagne flute tipped over.
Its contents spilled across the property documents.
I quickly lifted them.
"Don't touch those!""
Calvin looked at me.
For a moment, I saw the little boy I had raised.
Then he spoke.
"Mom, you're making a mistake. If you take this to the police, you'll destroy my life.""
I stared at him.
"No, Calvin. You made choices that could destroy your life.""
He shook his head.
"You don't understand. I borrowed money to get this project started.""
"How much?""
He looked at Daphne.
She didn't answer.
"How much, Calvin?""
"Two hundred thousand.""
My breath caught.
"Two hundred thousand dollars?""
"It wasn't all my money.""
"Whose was it?""
He looked at the floor.
Leon answered.
"Some of it came from Daphne's accounts. Some came from private lenders.""
Daphne stepped toward him.
"You have no right to discuss that!""
Leon reached into his jacket and removed another sheet.
"I have every right when my name appears on the original financing application.""
Calvin stared at the document.
"What is that?""
"A copy of a loan application submitted using my old business identity.""
Leon placed it on the table.
"Someone claimed I was a financial partner in the development company.""
Daphne's lips parted.
"You said he wouldn't find out.""
The room went silent.
Calvin slowly turned toward her.
"What?""
Daphne looked as if she wanted to swallow the words.
Leon watched her.
"Thank you for confirming what I suspected.""
Calvin grabbed her arm.
"You told me he was dead. You told me there was no connection between him and the company!""
She pulled away.
"Don't touch me!""
I stood.
"Both of you, stop.""
My voice wasn't loud.
But something in it made them fall silent.
I picked up the documents.
Then I looked at my son.
"Tonight, you are leaving my house.""
Calvin blinked.
"What?""
"You heard me.""
"Mom, this is my family!""
I looked around the living room.
"Your family?""
My eyes filled.
"Your father and I built this house. I raised you here. I paid the bills when you couldn't afford your apartment. And you stood in this room and treated me like a servant.""
He stepped closer.
"Where am I supposed to go?""
I looked at Daphne.
"Perhaps you can ask your fiancée.""
Daphne's expression changed.
She looked at Calvin.
But Calvin wasn't looking at her anymore.
He was staring at the documents.
Then my phone vibrated again.
This time, the message came from Bernice.
*GLORIA, PLEASE DON'T LET CALVIN LEAVE WITH THE BLUE FOLDER. IT CONTAINS THE ORIGINAL PAPERS. I JUST FOUND OUT WHAT THEY DID WITH YOUR HOUSE.*
I looked toward the staircase.
May you like
My old filing cabinet was upstairs.
And I suddenly remembered that Calvin had asked me for its key three days earlier.
