Chapter 5 - The Signature That Could Destroy Him
I felt the blood drain from my face.
“What did you sign?”
Jared didn't answer.
“Jared!”
His voice trembled.
“Some financial paperwork.”
I gripped the edge of Margaret's desk.
“What kind of paperwork?”
“Dad's old business records. Richard said we needed to correct something.”
Margaret immediately held out her hand.
“Put him on speaker.”
I did.
“Jared,” she said calmly, “this is Margaret Collins, your father's attorney.”
A pause.
“Hello?”
“I need you to describe exactly what you signed.”
Jared hesitated.
“Richard said it was a temporary security agreement.”
My stomach turned.
“Security for what?” Margaret asked.
“The penthouse expenses.”
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
The penthouse.
Everything came back to the penthouse.
Jared continued.
“Vanessa said we could borrow against the property until we figured out how to pay the maintenance fees.”
Margaret's expression hardened.
“Did you sign a loan agreement?”
“I think so.”
“Who is the lender?”
Another pause.
“Eastbrook Financial.”
I looked at Margaret.
Her face went pale.
Eastbrook.
The company connected to Richard's previous dealings with Thomas.
“Jared,” Margaret said firmly, “do not sign anything else.”
He sounded frightened.
“Why?”
“Because I need to review those documents immediately.”
Richard's voice suddenly came through the phone.
“Who's that?”
Jared stammered.
“Dad's attorney.”
The phone rustled.
Then Richard spoke.
“Margaret Collins. Still making trouble?”
Margaret's expression didn't change.
“Richard, I suggest you stop giving legal advice to my client's family.”
He laughed.
“Your client is dead.”
“My client is Leah Bennett.”
Silence.
Then Richard said coldly,
“This doesn't concern you.”
Margaret leaned forward.
“If Jared has signed documents he doesn't understand, it concerns us very much.”
Richard ended the call.
I stared at my phone.
My son had signed something.
Something connected to the man Thomas had warned me about.
And I had no idea how serious the consequences might be.
Margaret immediately asked Emily to help me contact Jared.
We requested copies of every document he had signed.
At first, Vanessa refused.
She called me controlling.
Accused me of interfering.
Said I was trying to ruin her marriage.
Then Margaret sent a formal letter requesting the records.
Suddenly, the documents appeared.
I sat in Margaret's office the following morning while she reviewed them.
Page after page.
Signature after signature.
Finally, she looked up.
“Leah, Jared has made a very serious mistake.”
My stomach tightened.
“How serious?”
“He pledged the penthouse as collateral for a private loan.”
I stared.
“How much?”
“Eight hundred thousand dollars.”
The room seemed to spin.
“Eight hundred thousand?”
Margaret nodded.
“The loan has a short repayment period and substantial fees.”
I covered my mouth.
“Why would he need that much?”
She turned another page.
“Some of the funds were apparently intended for investment in Richard's development company.”
I felt sick.
Richard wasn't just helping Jared pay bills.
He was using my son to finance another deal.
I stared at the documents.
“Can it be undone?”
“Possibly. We need to examine the disclosures, representations, and whether there was fraud or undue influence.”
I swallowed.
“What happens if Jared can't repay?”
“The lender may try to enforce its security interest.”
I closed my eyes.
The penthouse.
Thomas's gift.
My son's inheritance.
All of it was at risk.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to ask Jared how he could be so foolish.
But then I remembered him sitting silently while Vanessa threw me out.
My son had spent years allowing other people to make his decisions.
Now he was paying the price.
Margaret continued.
“Richard may also be trying to pressure you.”
I looked up.
“How?”
“If Jared becomes desperate, he may beg you to sell the cabin.”
I thought about the visit.
The demand for an inspection.
The sudden interest in my property.
It all fit.
Richard wanted Jared trapped.
He wanted Vanessa frightened.
He wanted me pressured.
And he wanted the land.
I felt a cold anger settle inside me.
“Then he can forget it.”
Margaret nodded.
“Good.”
That afternoon, Jared arrived at the cabin alone.
He looked terrible.
His suit was wrinkled.
His eyes were red.
He stood on the porch holding a folder.
“Mom?”
I opened the door.
For a moment, we simply looked at each other.
Then he whispered,
“I messed up.”
I stepped aside.
“Come in.”
He walked into the living room.
This time, he didn't stare at the expensive furniture.
He barely noticed the fireplace.
He sat on the couch and covered his face.
“Vanessa says everything will be fine.”
I sat across from him.
“Do you believe her?”
He shook his head.
Tears slipped between his fingers.
“I don't know anymore.”
My heart hurt.
No matter how angry I was, he was still my son.
The little boy who used to fall asleep on Thomas's chest.
The teenager who begged me to teach him how to drive.
The young man who cried when his father was diagnosed.
But he was also the adult who had watched his wife throw me out.
Both truths existed.
“Jared,” I said quietly, “why did you sign?”
He stared at the floor.
“Because I was scared.”
“Of what?”
“Losing the penthouse.”
I waited.
He continued.
“Vanessa kept saying everyone would think we were failures.”
I shook my head.
“A home isn't supposed to be a trophy.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
He began crying harder.
“Dad always made everything look easy.”
I swallowed.
“He worked hard, Jared.”
“I know.”
“He also planned.”
Jared looked up.
“And I didn't.”
I nodded.
“No.”
For several minutes, we sat in silence.
Then he whispered,
“Can you help me?”
My heart twisted.
I knew what he wanted.
Money.
A rescue.
Another sacrifice.
I looked at him.
“I'll help you understand your options.”
Hope appeared in his eyes.
“But I won't sell my home.”
His face fell.
“Mom—”
“No.”
I leaned forward.
“I love you. But loving you doesn't mean destroying my own future to protect you from every bad decision.”
He stared at me.
For the first time, he seemed to understand.
Then he said something I hadn't expected.
“Vanessa told Richard about the notebook.”
My entire body went cold.
“What notebook?”
Jared looked confused.
“The one Dad left you.”
I stared at him.
“How did she know about that?”
He swallowed.
“She said she saw you carrying it when we came here.”
My heart pounded.
Jared continued.
“Richard said there might be documents inside that belong to him.”
I stood.
“Jared, did you tell him where I keep it?”
He looked away.
And I knew the answer before he spoke.
“Yes.”
I turned toward the bedroom.
The door was open.
I remembered leaving it closed.
I walked quickly down the hallway.
May you like
The bedside drawer was empty.
Thomas's leather notebook was gone.
