Chapter 3: The Woman Who Was Selling My Mother's Future
For several seconds, I couldn't hear anything except the sound of my own breathing.
"What did you just say?""
Danielle repeated herself.
"The agreement lists Derek Lawson as the buyer.""
"Does Mom know?""
"She says she never agreed to sell.""
I looked at my mother.
She was watching me.
Her hands were folded tightly in her lap.
"Send me the picture," I told Danielle.
"I already did.""
My phone vibrated.
A photograph appeared.
It showed a property purchase agreement.
The address belonged to my grandfather's old cottage.
The proposed purchase price was $190,000.
I read the buyer's name again.
Derek Lawson.
Then I looked at the seller's information.
Evelyn Carter.
At the bottom of the document was a signature.
My mother's signature.
Except something was wrong.
The handwriting looked too smooth.
My mother had a distinctive way of writing her E. She always added a small curl at the bottom.
This signature didn't have it.
"Mom.""
She leaned toward me.
"What is it, baby?""
I showed her the picture.
Her face went pale.
"I've never seen that.""
"Is that your signature?""
"No.""
"Are you sure?""
She looked at me as if the question itself hurt.
"Marcus, I know my own name.""
I immediately regretted asking.
"I'm sorry.""
She took the phone and examined the document.
Then she pointed to the date.
"That's the day Nia came to my house.""
My stomach tightened.
"Which day?""
"October seventeenth.""
I remembered that day.
I had been at work.
Nia had told me she was visiting a friend.
She had come home carrying a shopping bag from an expensive department store.
I had complimented her shoes.
She had kissed my cheek.
And now I was looking at a document that suggested she had been trying to sell my mother's property.
I called Danielle.
"Can you come over?""
"I'm already on my way.""
"Bring the original picture and anything else Mom sent you.""
"I will.""
I ended the call.
My mother reached for my hand.
"Marcus, please don't do anything foolish.""
I looked at her.
"What would be foolish?""
"Destroying your marriage over money.""
I stared at her.
"Mom, this isn't about money anymore.""
She lowered her voice.
"She is still your wife.""
I nodded slowly.
"And you're still my mother.""
She looked away.
Before I could say anything else, the front door opened.
Nia walked in.
She had apparently forgotten something because she went straight toward the hallway without looking at us.
"Where are you going?"" I asked.
She stopped.
"Out.""
"Can we talk?""
"Not now.""
"Then when?""
"When you stop treating me like a criminal.""
I held up the photograph.
"What's this?""
Her eyes landed on the document.
For a moment, her entire face changed.
Then she reached for it.
I pulled my phone away.
"Don't.""
She stared at me.
"Where did you get that?""
"That's an interesting question.""
"Marcus, give me the phone.""
"No.""
She looked toward my mother.
"Evelyn, why are you doing this?""
Mom shook her head.
"I haven't done anything.""
Nia let out a sharp breath.
"You're really going to pretend you don't know?""
I stepped between them.
"Don't put this on her.""
Nia turned toward me.
"That property is sitting there doing nothing. It costs money to maintain. Your mother can't afford it.""
"That's her decision.""
"She needs to be realistic.""
"She's been realistic her entire life.""
Nia laughed bitterly.
"Fine. Then maybe she should explain why she accepted money from me.""
I frowned.
"What money?""
"Exactly.""
She pointed toward my mother.
"I paid her property taxes. I arranged repairs. I helped her with bills. And now suddenly I'm the villain?""
I looked at Evelyn.
"Mom?""
My mother shook her head.
"She paid one tax bill. I repaid her.""
Nia rolled her eyes.
"Oh, please.""
Mom continued.
"I gave her the money in cash.""
Nia's mouth tightened.
"That's not what happened.""
My mother looked directly at her.
"Then why did you tell me you would pay me back for the repairs?""
The room went silent.
Nia's expression shifted.
It wasn't embarrassment.
It was anger.
"Because you were going to lose the property if somebody didn't help you!""
"Who told you that?"" I asked.
Nia turned toward me.
"Your mother was behind on taxes.""
"How much?""
She didn't answer.
"How much, Nia?""
"Maybe three thousand dollars.""
"Did she ask you to pay it?""
"Yes.""
"Did you?""
She crossed her arms.
"Of course.""
Mom spoke softly.
"I paid you back.""
Nia looked at her.
"Not all of it.""
I watched the exchange.
Something didn't fit.
I pulled out my phone and opened the photograph again.
"Why is Derek listed as the buyer?""
Nia went still.
Then she shook her head.
"I have no idea.""
"Why is his financial company listed on the agreement?""
"I don't know.""
"Why is your email address on the authorization documents?""
"Marcus, enough!""
She slapped her hand against the kitchen counter.
A glass rattled.
My mother jumped.
Nia looked at her.
Then she looked at me.
"You want the truth? Fine. I was trying to help.""
"Help whom?""
"Your mother.""
"By selling her property?""
"She was never going to use it!""
"That doesn't make it yours to sell.""
Nia shook her head.
"You don't understand business.""
I looked at her.
"Then explain the business.""
She opened her mouth.
Closed it.
Then grabbed her purse.
"I'm leaving.""
I stepped aside.
"Go ahead.""
She stopped at the door.
"And Marcus? If you involve lawyers, don't expect me to sit quietly while you destroy everything we've built.""
I looked at her.
"Everything we've built?""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
I glanced toward my mother.
Then back at Nia.
"Apparently, you've been trying to build something with Derek too.""
Her face drained.
It was the first time she had reacted to his name.
And that reaction told me more than any document could.
She opened the door and walked out.
I watched her car disappear down the street.
Then I turned to my mother.
"Mom, I need you to tell me everything.""
She nodded.
But before she could speak, the doorbell rang.
Danielle stood outside.
She entered carrying a folder and a large envelope.
Her expression was serious.
"Marcus, we need to look at this together.""
She placed the folder on the coffee table.
Inside were copies of property tax records, letters, and bank statements.
"Where did you get all this?"" I asked.
"Mom gave them to me last night. She wanted me to keep them safe.""
I opened the folder.
The first document was a property tax statement.
The second was an insurance renewal.
The third was a letter from a local title company.
I read the letter.
It stated that someone had requested a preliminary title search on Evelyn Carter's cottage.
The request had been made through Sterling Financial Consulting.
I looked at Danielle.
"Who requested it?""
She pointed to the signature.
Nia Carter.
I leaned back.
My sister sat beside me.
"There's something else.""
She opened the envelope.
Inside was a printed email conversation.
The first message came from Nia.
We need to move quickly. Evelyn is becoming suspicious, and Marcus is starting to ask questions.
The reply came from Derek.
I can handle the title work. But we need the authorization signed before we submit the financing package.
I read the words again.
Then I continued.
Nia's next email said:
She hasn't signed yet. I'll get it done. Marcus doesn't need to know anything until everything is finalized.
Derek responded:
What about the house? You said the house would cover the rest.
My heart seemed to stop.
I looked at Danielle.
"There's more?""
She nodded.
I scrolled.
Nia's reply was only one sentence.
Marcus has no idea how much equity is in that house. Once the second mortgage goes through, we'll have enough to finish everything.
I lowered the phone.
My mother covered her mouth.
Danielle whispered:
"Marcus, I think she was planning to use both properties.""
I stood up.
The room suddenly felt too small.
My wife wasn't simply arguing with my mother.
She wasn't simply hiding money.
She was attempting to access the home my mother had helped me buy and the property my mother had inherited from her father.
And she had been doing it with another man.
I called our attorney.
His name was Robert Hayes.
He had handled our original home purchase and had kept copies of the closing records.
When he answered, I explained what had happened.
He listened without interrupting.
Then he asked me to email the documents.
"Marcus," Robert said, "don't confront your wife with anything else until we've reviewed this.""
"Why?""
"Because if the documents are authentic, there may be a serious issue involving attempted fraud and unauthorized property transactions.""
I swallowed.
"What should I do?""
"First, protect your mother's property. Second, secure your financial accounts. Third, do not sign anything.""
"I understand.""
"And Marcus?""
"Yes?""
"There's something else I noticed in the records.""
"What?""
"The original deed to your house.""
I frowned.
"What about it?""
Robert paused.
"Your mother was not simply a financial contributor.""
I glanced at Danielle.
"What are you saying?""
"According to the original closing documents, Evelyn Carter was listed as a co-owner for a specific percentage of the property.""
I stood completely still.
"That can't be right.""
"It is. She later transferred her interest to you through a separate recorded instrument, but there was a condition attached to that transfer.""
"What condition?""
"Let me pull the complete file. I don't want to give you incomplete information.""
"Robert, just tell me.""
He hesitated.
Then he said:
"Your mother retained a legally documented right that may affect what your wife is trying to do.""
I looked at the mortgage email.
The forged signature.
The eighty-five thousand dollars.
The bank account.
Derek's name.
Suddenly, the entire situation looked different.
"Send me everything," I said.
"I will.""
I ended the call.
Danielle was watching me.
"What did he say?""
I shook my head.
"I'm not sure yet.""
My mother looked frightened.
"Marcus, what right?""
I sat beside her.
"I don't know, Mom. But we're going to find out.""
She reached into her handbag and pulled out an old photograph.
It showed my grandfather standing outside his cottage.
Beside him was a younger version of my mother.
She turned it over.
There was handwriting on the back.
For Evelyn. Never let anyone take what belongs to you.
I stared at the words.
Then my phone vibrated.
A new email had arrived.
It was from Robert.
The subject line read:
*URGENT: ORIGINAL PROPERTY TRANSFER AND RESTRICTION.*
I opened the attachment.
The first page was a copy of the recorded deed.
The second page contained a paragraph highlighted in yellow.
I read it once.
Then again.
And suddenly, I understood why my mother had kept the property documents hidden for so long.
The house wasn't simply a home she had helped me purchase.
It was protected by an agreement that Nia had apparently never known existed.
But the final page contained something even more shocking.
A separate document had been recorded two months earlier.
It was a request to remove the restriction.
And the person who had submitted it had signed her name.
*Nia Carter.*
I looked at my mother.
She was staring at the same document.
Her lips trembled.
Then she whispered something that changed everything.
"Marcus, there's something I never told you about your wife.""
I leaned closer.
"What?""
May you like
Mom took a shaky breath.
"Nia didn't meet your grandfather by accident.""
