Chapter 3 - The Car in the Driveway
The silver Mercedes had been Charles’s idea.
He called Savannah one afternoon and asked her to visit a dealership with him.
“I’m only looking,” he promised.
At the dealership, Charles sat behind the wheel of a luxury sedan and smiled like a child.
“I worked forty years,” he said. “I never bought myself anything like this.”
Savannah knew that was not true. Her father had owned boats, motorcycles, and several expensive trucks, all sold when the family needed money.
Still, she understood what he wanted.
The monthly payment would have been impossible for Charles, so Savannah purchased the car through her company. It could be used for client transportation when necessary, while Charles would drive it most of the time.
He agreed immediately.
A week later, he began calling it his Mercedes.
At church, he told friends that retirement had been kind to him. At family gatherings, he discussed the vehicle as proof of his financial discipline. Savannah never corrected him.
Before the anniversary, Charles asked her to have the car professionally detailed.
“It needs to look perfect in the driveway,” he said. “People will take pictures.”
Savannah arranged it.
The same week, her accountant, Maya Collins, entered Savannah’s office carrying a folder.
“We need to discuss the personal expenses being paid through your accounts,” Maya said.
Savannah looked away. “They are family obligations.”
“No, they are choices.”
Maya placed several documents on the desk.
Nolan’s rent. The Mercedes expenses. Her parents’ utilities. Insurance policies. Credit-card payments. Home repairs. Streaming services. Phone plans.
Over the previous three years, Savannah had spent more than two hundred and eighty thousand dollars supporting her family.
The number shocked her.
“They needed help,” she whispered.
“Perhaps,” Maya said gently. “But do they know what this is costing you?”
Savannah thought of Nolan calling her cold.
“I don’t think they care.”
May you like
Maya closed the folder.
“Then you need to decide how long you are willing to disappear so they can remain comfortable.”
