Chapter 4
Ryan stared at his mother.
“What are you talking about?”
Diane lifted her chin.
“You heard me.”
“This house is in my name and Emily’s.”
“Now.”
My stomach tightened.
“What does now mean?”
Diane looked toward me.
“It means your husband never told you where the down payment came from.”
I turned toward Ryan.
His face changed.
Oh no.
Not another secret.
“Ryan?”
He rubbed his forehead.
“My grandfather helped.”
“Helped how?”
“He gave us part of it.”
I stared at him.
“You told me you saved that money.”
“I did save some.”
“How much?”
“Emily—”
“How much?”
He swallowed.
“Twenty thousand.”
The down payment had been ninety thousand.
My father gave us twenty-five.
I had believed Ryan supplied the remaining sixty-five.
“You put in twenty?”
“Yes.”
“Dad put in twenty-five.”
“Yes.”
“Where did the other forty-five come from?”
Diane smiled without warmth.
“My father.”
I looked at her.
“You said your father died before Ryan graduated college.”
“He did.”
“Then how?”
“A trust.”
Ryan closed his eyes.
My chest tightened.
“There's a trust.”
“Yes.”
“Of course there is.”
Ryan stepped toward me.
“It's not some huge secret.”
“I’m learning about it while your mother is telling me the house isn’t ours.”
He looked ashamed.
“It was created by Grandpa for Mom and me.”
Diane interrupted.
“For the family.”
Ryan nodded.
“The trustee released money for the down payment.”
“What does that have to do with ownership?”
Diane answered.
“Because the trust was supposed to receive an ownership interest in return.”
I stared at Ryan.
“Did it?”
“No.”
Diane laughed.
“Not properly.”
My stomach dropped.
“What does that mean?”
Ryan looked confused too.
“Mom, Grandpa’s attorney gave me the money as a gift.”
“No.”
“He did.”
“You saw what you wanted to see.”
“You signed the letter.”
“I signed acknowledgment.”
“You approved the gift.”
Diane’s expression hardened.
“I approved money being used for family property.”
Ryan shook his head.
“That isn’t what the documents say.”
“You haven’t seen all the documents.”
Silence.
I stared at her.
“What documents?”
Diane crossed her arms.
“My father’s original trust agreement.”
“Where is it?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
She smiled.
“That is none of your business.”
Ryan looked furious.
“It became my business when you said this house isn’t mine.”
“Your grandfather never intended family money to disappear into a marriage.”
I understood exactly what she meant.
Into me.
The outsider.
I stepped closer.
“So your argument is that because trust money helped buy this house, you control it.”
“No.”
“Then say what you mean.”
She looked at me.
“If you and Ryan divorce, the trust has a claim.”
My lawyer had warned me there might be family money involved.
But I had found no recorded lien except the mysterious home equity line.
“Is that why you knew I spoke to an attorney?”
Diane said nothing.
Ryan turned toward me.
“She knew?”
“She clearly knows a lot.”
He looked at his mother.
“How?”
Diane smiled.
“You two leave documents everywhere.”
My skin prickled.
“You went through our things.”
“I live here.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You invaded our privacy.”
“Don't be dramatic.”
I almost laughed.
That word again.
Noah had gone quiet.
I looked down.
He was still holding Buddy.
His eyes moved between the adults.
I hated that he was hearing this.
“Noah, sweetheart.”
“Yes?”
“Go upstairs and pack pajamas.”
His eyes widened.
“Is Buddy coming?”
“Yes.”
He nodded and hurried upstairs.
Buddy followed.
Diane watched them.
“Running away won't fix anything.”
I turned.
“Neither will staying in a house with you tonight.”
Ryan said quietly, “I’m coming with you.”
I looked at him.
“No.”
His face fell.
“Emily.”
“I need space.”
“What about Noah?”
“He’ll be with me.”
“I’m his father.”
“I know.”
“I want to come.”
“Then you need to understand something.”
I looked him directly in the eyes.
“I am not keeping Noah from you.”
“Okay.”
“But he is scared of your mother.”
Ryan looked toward Diane.
“So am I right now.”
That was the first thing he had said all day that almost made me smile.
Almost.
“But I need you to stay here and deal with this.”
“Deal with what?”
“Your mother.”
“The home equity line.”
“The trust.”
“The fact that she had a secret phone conversation about pushing me out.”
Ryan’s face tightened.
“And Buddy?”
I held up the shelter receipt.
“That too.”
He looked ashamed.
“I’ll cancel it.”
“You will.”
“Tonight.”
“Yes.”
Diane scoffed.
“This is insane.”
Ryan turned.
“No.”
His voice hardened.
“This ends now.”
“What ends?”
“You making decisions in my house.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“You still don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
Diane said nothing.
Ryan stepped closer.
“Did you open the home equity line?”
Silence.
“Mom.”
She looked away.
“That was family money.”
My stomach dropped.
Ryan’s face went white.
“You did?”
“It was temporary.”
“You forged our signatures?”
“I didn't forge anything.”
“How did you open credit against a property you don't own?”
She stared at him.
“Because the trust still had an interest.”
Ryan shook his head.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“You don't understand finance.”
“I understand ownership.”
“Clearly not.”
I interrupted.
“Who signed?”
Diane looked at me.
“The trustee.”
“Who is the trustee?”
No answer.
Ryan suddenly went still.
I noticed.
“Ryan?”
He closed his eyes.
“No.”
“What?”
He looked at his mother.
“Uncle Mark.”
Diane said nothing.
Ryan laughed once.
“You made Uncle Mark trustee?”
“He became successor trustee when Grandpa’s attorney retired.”
“You never told me.”
“You never asked.”
“I didn't know there was something to ask.”
Diane picked up her purse.
“I am done with this conversation.”
Ryan blocked the door again.
“Call Mark.”
“No.”
“Call him.”
“He is traveling.”
“Then I will.”
Ryan pulled out his phone.
He searched.
Then dialed.
Diane’s expression changed.
The call went to voicemail.
Ryan tried again.
Nothing.
I said, “Who is Mark?”
“Mom’s brother.”
I had met him twice.
Quiet.
Wealthy.
Owned several apartment buildings around Illinois.
He rarely attended holidays.
“Does he know about the loan?”
Ryan looked at Diane.
She refused to answer.
I took out my phone.
“I’ll call my lawyer.”
Diane laughed.
“Your lawyer cannot touch a private trust.”
“Maybe not.”
I looked at her.
“But she can explain why someone borrowed forty-eight thousand dollars against my home without my permission.”
That wiped away the smile.
Ryan looked at me.
“Do you have the report?”
“Yes.”
“Can I see it?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Emily.”
“I am leaving.”
Noah returned with his backpack.
Buddy was beside him.
“Ready.”
I took his hand.
Ryan crouched.
“Noah.”
My son looked at him.
“Buddy isn’t going anywhere.”
Noah didn’t answer.
“I canceled the shelter appointment.”
“Already?”
Ryan looked down.
“I will.”
Noah hugged Buddy.
Ryan’s eyes filled.
“I’m sorry.”
My son whispered, “Why didn't you want him?”
Ryan’s face crumpled.
“I did.”
“You paid them.”
“I made a terrible choice.”
“Because Grandma told you?”
Ryan paused.
Then said something important.
“No.”
Noah looked confused.
“I made the choice.”
Ryan continued.
“Grandma asked me.”
“But I agreed.”
“That was my fault.”
I watched my husband take responsibility without hiding behind his mother.
It did not fix anything.
But it mattered.
Noah nodded slightly.
Then Ryan hugged him.
Noah let him.
When they separated, Ryan rubbed Buddy’s head.
“Take care of him.”
Buddy licked his hand.
Ryan almost cried.
I picked up our bags.
Diane watched from the kitchen.
As I opened the door, she said, “If you leave with Noah, I’ll document it.”
I stopped.
Ryan turned sharply.
“What?”
“For custody.”
My blood went cold.
Diane shrugged.
“She is removing your child from the marital home.”
Ryan’s expression became furious.
“Mom, shut up.”
She stared at him.
He had never spoken to her that way.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
He moved between Diane and us.
“Emily is taking Noah to her sister’s for the night.”
“She is not kidnapping him.”
“She is not abandoning the house.”
“And if you write down anything suggesting otherwise, I will tell her attorney exactly why she left.”
Diane looked stunned.
Ryan continued.
“And I will tell them about the shelter.”
“The threat over dinner.”
“The secret loan.”
“And your recording.”
Her face changed.
“You would testify against your mother?”
Ryan looked at Noah.
Then at me.
“If I have to.”
Diane went silent.
I opened the door.
Then Ryan caught my arm gently.
I looked down at his hand.
He released me immediately.
“Sorry.”
“What?”
His voice lowered.
“Be careful.”
“Why?”
He looked at his mother.
Then back at me.
“I don't think that phone call was about just divorce.”
My stomach tightened.
“What do you think?”
“I think Mom is hiding something bigger.”
Diane laughed from the kitchen.
“You are both paranoid.”
Ryan ignored her.
“Take the financial report.”
“Why?”
“Because Uncle Mark once asked me to sign something related to this house.”
My pulse jumped.
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
“What did you sign?”
May you like
Ryan’s face went pale.
“I don't know.”
