Chương 2
“Claire paid the down payment,” I said. “She paid to repair the roof. She paid for the kitchen we’re standing beside.”
Nia stared at me.
“How much?”
“One hundred and eighty thousand dollars.”
My uncle let out a low whistle.
Claire closed the envelope halfway, as though she wanted to protect the papers from the room we had become.
“It was my father’s inheritance,” she said.
My mother looked at her.
“We knew you put in something.”
“You knew enough to stop calling her a gold digger,” I said.
The words sounded harsh in my own mouth. My mother stiffened.
“Andre, I never called her that.”
“You said she came after the divorce looking for a payout.”
“She did ask for money.”
“Money I owed her.”
Nobody moved.
Two years earlier, Claire and I had ended a marriage worn down by debt, silence, and my belief that earning a little more someday would excuse the decisions I made now.
We had one child, Ava, who was eight. She spent weekends with me and weekdays with Claire. I paid child support. I told anyone who asked that Claire and I had settled everything fairly.
We had not.
At the divorce, I could not afford to buy out her interest in the house. Claire had agreed to leave the title with me temporarily under a written arrangement. I would repay the amount she put in within eighteen months.
If I failed, I would either refinance or sell.
She had kept Ava in the same school and moved into a small apartment. I had kept the backyard, the big kitchen, and the story that I built this place myself.
The deadline passed six months ago.
I had made no meaningful payment.
Nia looked toward the house.
“You told me Claire wanted to take it from you.”
“I told you what made me look better.”
Claire’s jaw tightened.
“That’s what you told me?”
Nia did not answer her.
I felt the familiar urge to soften everything. Explain that I was under pressure. Point to the good things I had done. Tell Claire this was not how I meant it.
I kept speaking.
“Her lawyer asked for the settlement to be enforced. I agreed to transfer the property instead of fighting over another extension.”
Nia shook her head.
“The house is worth more than one hundred and eighty thousand.”
“There’s a mortgage,” I said. “Claire’s lawyer reviewed the current value, the loan balance, and the unpaid amount. We reached an agreement.”
Claire finally spoke.
“Why wasn’t I told the agreement was complete?”
“Your lawyer tried to call yesterday. You were on a school trip with Ava.”
She took out her phone. The missed call was there.
Then she looked at me again.
“You could have called too.”
“Yes.”
“Instead, you brought me here.”
“Yes.”
I had imagined telling the truth publicly would repair the public lies. I was beginning to understand that I had once again chosen the setting without asking her.
“I wanted them to hear it from me,” I said.
“They could have heard it without making me stand in the middle.”
She was right.
Nia walked to the picnic table and picked up her phone.
“I put money into this house too.”
“Then we’ll account for it,” I said.
“I bought furniture.”
“You can take your furniture.”
“I paid bills.”
“So did I. We’ll review them.”
She looked at the orange envelope.
“Did you transfer it because you still love her?”
The question pulled everyone’s attention toward Claire.
I answered before she had to defend herself.
“I transferred it because I owed her. Don’t make her explain my decision.”
My mother sat down slowly.
Simone came beside Claire.
“Would you like some water?”
“Yes,” Claire said.
I was grateful my sister asked a simple question rather than demanding Claire tell us how she felt.
Nia pointed toward the back door.
“I need to talk to you inside.”
I looked at Claire.
“Can I call you later?”
She nodded, but her expression warned me that the conversation would not be easy.
“I want the complete file,” she said. “And I need to know what happens with the mortgage.”
“Your lawyer has both.”
“And where are you going?”
“There’s a written transition period. I’ll explain it when we talk.”
Claire gathered the papers. Simone walked her to the gate.
The guests began finding reasons to leave. Plates were stacked. Bags were collected. Nobody asked for another burger.
Inside, Nia turned to me.
“You had no right to give away our future without telling me.”
“I should have told you the truth before we got engaged.”
“You should have told me before I paid Malik.”
I stopped.
“What did you pay him?”
“My brother. For the renovation deposit.”
“What renovation?”
“The upstairs addition. The one we discussed.”
“We discussed getting estimates.”
She looked away.
“Nia. How much?”
“Thirty-five thousand.”
My stomach dropped.
“From where?”
“The renovation account.”
I stared at her.
I had opened that account while gathering funds to settle with Claire. Nia knew the money was set aside. I had told her it was for an old obligation.
She had asked to handle household payments while I worked late.
“How did you authorize that transfer?”
“I had access.”
I reached for my phone.
May you like
The deed had exposed one lie.
Now I needed to know how many others were sitting inside my bank records.
