Chapter 2
"Felicia. Pack a bag."
David's voice was calm.
That frightened me more than if he'd shouted.
Felicia stared at him.
For a moment, she seemed to believe he was joking.
Then she laughed.
"You're throwing your wife out because your mother doesn't want to pay rent?"
David pointed toward the table.
"I'm asking you to stay somewhere else while we deal with this."
She stepped closer.
"This is my home."
"It's our marital home," he answered. "And I'm not going to argue about property rights in front of Mom. I'm asking you to leave voluntarily tonight."
She folded her arms.
"And if I refuse?"
"Then I'll take Mom somewhere safe, and we'll handle everything through attorneys."
Felicia looked toward me.
Her eyes were full of hatred.
I quickly lowered my head.
David noticed.
"Mom, look at me."
I raised my eyes.
"You don't have to be afraid to look at anyone in this house."
I tried to smile.
But I couldn't.
Felicia grabbed her purse.
"Fine. I'll go."
She pointed at David.
"But don't expect me to come crawling back."
He didn't answer.
She turned toward the stairs.
Then she stopped.
"And Gloria?"
My stomach tightened.
I looked up.
She smiled.
"Enjoy destroying your son's marriage."
I felt tears spill down my cheeks.
David stepped forward.
"That's enough."
Felicia stormed upstairs.
A moment later, a bedroom door slammed.
David stood beside me.
His shoulders were rigid.
Then he turned and crouched.
"Mom."
I couldn't look at him.
"I'm sorry."
He reached for my hands.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"Because I should have told you."
His expression softened.
"Yes, I wish you had."
I began crying harder.
"But you shouldn't have been put in that position."
I looked toward the stairs.
"She said you'd be angry with me."
David closed his eyes.
"What?"
I wiped my cheeks.
"She said you were tired of taking care of me."
He looked as though someone had punched him.
"Mom..."
"She said you only invited me because you felt guilty after your father died."
David shook his head.
"No."
"She said you wanted your life back."
His eyes filled.
He pulled me into his arms.
I hadn't realized how desperately I needed that hug.
I held him as tightly as I could.
He smelled like the same cedarwood cologne he'd worn for years.
For a moment, he wasn't a grown man with a business and a marriage.
He was my little boy.
The one who used to crawl into my lap whenever thunderstorms frightened him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"I should have noticed."
I shook my head.
"You were working."
"That doesn't excuse it."
He pulled back.
"Mom, why did you agree to pay?"
I stared at the table.
"Because I didn't want to become a burden."
His face crumpled.
"You're not a burden."
"I know you love me."
"Then why?"
I swallowed.
"Because sometimes loving someone makes you afraid of needing too much."
He looked down.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then he picked up the three bundles of cash.
"Where did this come from?"
"My savings account."
He frowned.
"Why didn't you use your monthly pension?"
I hesitated.
He noticed.
"Mom?"
I looked toward the stairs.
Then whispered, "Because I already gave her that."
David froze.
"What?"
I swallowed.
"The first three months."
His expression changed.
"You're saying you've already paid Felicia three thousand dollars?"
I nodded.
"And now she wants another three?"
I nodded again.
He stared at the money.
"Why?"
"She said the rent had to be paid three months in advance from now on."
David's face hardened.
"Did she give you receipts?"
I shook my head.
"She said family didn't need receipts."
He looked toward the staircase.
For the first time, I saw something beyond anger in his expression.
Fear.
"What exactly has Felicia been doing with this money?"
I couldn't answer.
Because I didn't know.
She'd always insisted I give her cash.
She said bank transfers were inconvenient.
She said David didn't need to see the payments.
And she said that if I ever questioned the arrangement, she'd find me somewhere cheaper to live.
David stood.
"I'm calling our accountant tomorrow."
I touched his arm.
"Please don't make this worse."
He looked at me gently.
"Mom, I'm not trying to punish anyone. I need to understand what's happened."
I nodded.
Then he asked another question.
"Has she asked you for anything else?"
My stomach tightened.
I looked away.
David noticed immediately.
"Mom?"
I tried to speak.
Nothing came out.
He sat beside me.
"Whatever it is, tell me."
I began trembling.
"She asked me to sign some papers."
His expression changed.
"What papers?"
"She said they were for household expenses."
"Did you sign them?"
I nodded.
His face went pale.
"Where are they?"
"I don't know."
He took a slow breath.
"Do you remember what they said?"
I looked down.
"Something about my retirement account."
David stood so quickly that I flinched.
He noticed and immediately softened his voice.
"I'm sorry, Mom."
I shook my head.
"It's okay."
"No. I don't want you scared of me either."
He sat again.
"Do you remember when you signed those papers?"
"Last month."
"Where?"
"Here. At this table."
He looked at the cash.
Then toward the small security camera mounted above the kitchen entrance.
I followed his gaze.
He'd installed it after a package theft the previous winter.
It recorded the kitchen entrance and part of the dining area.
David stood.
"I need to check something."
He opened an application on his phone.
Then he scrolled backward through the recordings.
I watched his expression change.
First confusion.
Then disbelief.
Then something that looked like heartbreak.
He turned the screen toward me.
"Mom, is this the day?"
I looked.
There I was, sitting at the same table.
Felicia stood beside me.
She held several pages and a pen.
I nodded slowly.
"Yes."
David turned up the volume.
Felicia's recorded voice filled the kitchen.
"Just sign here, Gloria. David already approved everything."
On the screen, I hesitated.
"Shouldn't I ask him first?"
Felicia laughed.
"Do you really want to bother your son with more problems?"
I watched myself lower my head.
Then sign.
David stopped the video.
His hands were shaking.
He looked at me.
"Mom, I never approved anything."
I stared at him.
Then at the recording.
My stomach turned.
Because I suddenly realized Felicia hadn't simply been charging me rent.
May you like
She'd been using my fear of disappointing David to make me sign things I didn't understand.
And the worst document was still missing.
