Chapter 7
The Truth Behind Marcus's Debt
I had spent months thinking Marcus was lazy.
That he didn't want to work.
That he preferred video games to responsibility.
But now I knew there was something worse beneath it.
He was desperate.
And desperate people sometimes did terrible things.
That didn't excuse him.
It made him dangerous.
Attorney Rachel Coleman contacted investigators about the forged documents and suspicious loan application.
Within days, detectives began reviewing the financial records.
They contacted the lender.
The county recorder.
And Gerald Price.
Mom filed for divorce.
She also requested temporary orders addressing the house, financial accounts, and custody arrangements for Lily.
For the first time in years, she wasn't asking Marcus to change.
She was protecting herself.
I watched her sign the paperwork.
Her hands shook.
Then she looked at me.
"Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"
I stared.
"Mom."
She smiled sadly.
"I know."
I took her hand.
"You deserve peace."
Her eyes filled.
"So do you."
I nodded.
For a moment, we sat quietly.
Then she whispered, "I wish I had seen it sooner."
I shook my head.
"You see it now."
She began crying.
I hugged her.
And something inside me finally relaxed.
I wasn't carrying this alone anymore.
Meanwhile, my apprenticeship had begun.
The first week was exhausting.
We studied safety procedures.
Electrical codes.
Tools.
Basic installation methods.
And how to work responsibly around dangerous equipment.
I loved every minute.
For the first time, I could see a clear path forward.
A career.
A stable income.
My own apartment.
A future I could build with my hands.
Mr. Harris assigned me to a training supervisor named Andre Mitchell.
Andre was a quiet man in his forties.
He'd been an electrician for nearly twenty years.
He noticed how early I arrived.
How carefully I took notes.
And how I stayed late to practice.
One afternoon, he approached me.
"Malik."
I looked up.
"Yes, sir?"
He nodded toward my workbench.
"You're serious about this."
I smiled.
"Very."
He studied me.
"Why?"
I hesitated.
Then answered honestly.
"Because I don't ever want to feel trapped again."
Andre's expression softened.
He pulled up a chair.
"Family trouble?"
I looked down.
"Something like that."
He nodded.
"You don't have to explain."
For several seconds, we sat quietly.
Then he said, "Let me tell you something."
I looked up.
"Your past can teach you."
He pointed toward my tools.
"But it doesn't get to decide what you're capable of building."
My throat tightened.
I nodded.
"Thank you."
He smiled.
"Now finish that circuit."
I laughed.
"Yes, sir."
That evening, Mom called while I was riding home.
Her voice sounded worried.
"Malik, are you somewhere safe?"
My stomach tightened.
"Yeah. Why?"
She hesitated.
"Marcus came to the house."
I sat upright.
"What?"
"He didn't get inside."
I exhaled.
Mom continued.
"He was shouting from the porch."
My anger rose.
"Was Lily there?"
"No. She was with Mrs. Robinson."
I closed my eyes.
"Thank God."
Mom's voice trembled.
"He kept demanding the original deed."
I stared.
"The deed?"
"Yes."
I felt sick.
He still hadn't given up.
"Did you call the police?"
"Yes."
I nodded.
"Good."
She continued.
"He left before they arrived, but the security camera recorded everything."
I felt relief.
At least we had evidence.
Then Mom said something that made me freeze.
"He claimed Calvin Brooks was coming after him."
My stomach tightened.
"Did he explain?"
"No."
A pause.
"He just kept saying he needed the money."
I looked out the bus window.
The city moved past.
People heading home.
Families eating dinner.
Ordinary lives.
I wondered how many people were hiding chaos behind their front doors.
I swallowed.
"Mom, don't give him anything."
"I won't."
"Promise?"
She took a breath.
"I promise."
The next morning, Detective Olivia Grant contacted Mom.
Investigators had interviewed Gerald.
He admitted that Marcus brought him paperwork claiming Mom wanted to transfer the house.
Gerald insisted he'd believed the documents were legitimate.
But evidence suggested he'd failed to verify the signatures properly.
The investigation continued.
Then detectives uncovered something unexpected.
Calvin Brooks wasn't simply a private lender.
He operated a fraudulent investment scheme.
Marcus had invested money with him.
Then recruited other people.
When the scheme collapsed, Marcus owed money to several investors who believed he'd guaranteed their returns.
Mom stared at the report.
"He was gambling with people's savings."
I nodded.
"And using our money to cover it."
She covered her face.
I felt angry.
But also exhausted.
Every time we uncovered one lie, another appeared.
Then Detective Grant called again.
This time, her voice was urgent.
"Ms. Johnson, we've located Marcus."
Mom looked at me.
"Where?"
"At Calvin Brooks's office."
I felt my stomach tighten.
Grant continued.
"There was an argument."
Mom swallowed.
"Is anyone hurt?"
"No."
I exhaled.
"But Marcus attempted to destroy financial documents."
My heart pounded.
"What happened?"
"He was stopped."
Mom closed her eyes.
Grant continued.
"We have him in custody on charges related to the property fraud investigation."
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Mom began crying.
Not because she wanted Marcus back.
But because the man she'd married had finally become someone she no longer recognized.
I sat beside her.
She leaned against me.
"I'm so tired, Malik."
I wrapped an arm around her.
"I know."
She whispered, "I just wanted a normal family."
My throat tightened.
I looked toward Lily's drawings taped to the refrigerator.
Then back at Mom.
"We still have one."
She looked up.
I smiled gently.
"You, me, and Lily."
Her eyes filled.
"And that's enough."
For the first time in a long time, she smiled.
Then her phone rang.
It was Rachel.
Mom answered.
Rachel's voice was serious.
"Ms. Johnson, I have good news about the house."
Mom sat upright.
"What?"
"The attempted transfer has been rejected."
I felt relief rush through me.
Rachel continued.
"And the lender has suspended the loan application pending the fraud investigation."
Mom covered her mouth.
"Oh, thank God."
I smiled.
But Rachel wasn't finished.
"There's something else."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
She paused.
"We discovered Marcus had been collecting your husband's unemployment benefits while claiming he was working elsewhere."
Mom frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Rachel took a breath.
"It means there may be additional financial records that help explain exactly where the missing household money went."
I looked at Mom.
Her smile faded.
Because one thing was becoming clear.
May you like
Marcus's lies had started long before the day I dropped those groceries.
And we were still discovering how deep they went.
