Chapter 5 - twenty-seven signatures)
Julian refused to read the default notice.
Instead, he accused Vivian of fraud.
That lasted eleven minutes.
"You tricked me."
"No."
"You concealed the structure."
"No."
"You knew I didn't understand those documents."
Vivian stared at him.
"You own a development company."
"That doesn't make me a finance lawyer."
"You had counsel."
Julian stopped.
Rachel opened her folder.
"Mr. Carter's attorney received copies before execution."
Beatrice looked at Julian.
"You had a lawyer review this?"
Julian's jaw tightened.
Rachel continued.
"His counsel recommended he read the secured note carefully."
Vivian remembered.
Julian's attorney had even called him.
Julian had ended the conversation in under four minutes.
He later told Vivian the man was overly cautious.
Rachel placed a document on the island.
"Twenty-seven signatures and initials."
Richard looked at the pages.
Julian did not.
Rachel pointed.
"Initialed here. Signed here. Initialed here. Signed here."
Beatrice's face began to change.
She had entered the house believing Vivian was a financially useful nuisance her son could discard.
Now she was beginning to understand that the useful nuisance controlled something very important.
"What happens if he's in default?" Richard asked.
Finally.
A sensible question.
Rachel answered.
"Carter Strategic Holdings may accelerate the obligation, enforce the secured interest, or negotiate a cure."
Julian pointed at Vivian.
"She's not taking my company."
Vivian said, "I don't want your company."
"Then what is this?"
"Protection."
"From what?"
"You."
Julian laughed bitterly.
Vivian remained calm.
"You transferred company money to Elena."
Elena stepped forward.
"He paid legitimate invoices."
Rachel opened another folder.
"For which services?"
Elena folded her arms.
"Design consultation."
"For which properties?"
Silence.
Rachel continued.
"Carter Development has no interior design project associated with Ms. Brooks's company."
Julian slammed his fist against the island.
"Enough."
Vivian looked at him.
"Did you pay her twelve thousand four hundred dollars?"
"It's my business."
"No. It's collateral."
Julian's face tightened.
Vivian continued.
"Did you transfer thirty-eight thousand dollars to your parents?"
Beatrice looked at Richard.
Richard looked down.
"Family assistance," Julian said.
"Using money from an unstable company."
"I was going to replace it."
"With the new credit line?"
That did it.
Julian froze.
Beatrice's head snapped toward him.
"What credit line?"
Vivian watched.
So Beatrice knew about some of the money, but not everything.
Interesting.
Julian looked at Vivian.
"How do you know about that?"
"Your application used Carter Development's financial statements."
"Confidential statements."
"Related to collateral my company has a secured interest in."
He turned toward Rachel.
"This is surveillance."
"No," Rachel said. "This is due diligence."
Elena began removing the green robe.
She did it quietly.
Vivian noticed.
"Leave it on the chair."
Elena glared.
Vivian added, "Not the floor."
Elena dropped it on a chair.
Then she crossed her arms over her floral dress.
"What happens to me?"
Rachel looked at her.
"That depends."
"On what?"
"Whether those invoices were fraudulent."
Elena's confidence disappeared.
Julian stepped toward Rachel.
"You don't get to threaten her."
Rachel's voice remained even.
"I explained a fact."
Vivian picked up the divorce papers.
She read the first page.
Julian wanted temporary exclusive occupancy of the residence.
She laughed softly.
"Something funny?"
"You asked the court to give you possession of a house you don't own."
"It's our marital home."
"It is a trust asset."
"I've lived here five years."
"That doesn't create title."
"I paid expenses."
"You paid utilities."
"I paid for repairs."
Vivian looked at him.
"Name one."
Julian opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Beatrice stepped in.
"This is technical nonsense. Husband and wife share property."
Rachel looked at her.
"Not automatically."
Beatrice stared.
Rachel continued.
"The residence was purchased before the marriage through Vivian's separate family trust. Mr. Carter is not a beneficiary."
"So what?" Beatrice said.
Rachel's eyes sharpened.
"So you should probably stop packing the trust's furniture."
Richard immediately dropped the sweater he was holding.
Beatrice looked at the box beside her.
Then at Vivian.
Vivian said, "Put everything back."
Beatrice's mouth fell open.
"You don't order me around."
"In my house, yes."
"This is my son's home."
"No."
"You arrogant little..."
"Beatrice."
Richard's voice surprised everyone.
He rarely interrupted his wife.
"Maybe we should go."
Beatrice spun toward him.
"We are not going anywhere."
Vivian looked at Richard.
"You can."
Beatrice glared.
"Don't talk to him like..."
Vivian raised her voice for the first time.
"Put my belongings back."
The kitchen fell silent.
Vivian did not scream.
She did not need to.
"Every photograph. Every scarf. Every item of clothing. Put it back where you found it."
Beatrice stared.
Vivian continued.
"If anything is missing, I will document it."
Richard began unpacking immediately.
Beatrice looked at Julian.
He seemed unable to help her.
That, more than Vivian's words, defeated her.
Elena moved toward the hallway.
Vivian stopped her.
"Where are you going?"
"Leaving."
"Your bag is upstairs."
Elena stared.
Vivian pointed toward the staircase.
"Get it."
Elena disappeared upstairs without argument.
Julian looked at Vivian.
"This is what you wanted."
"No."
"You wanted to humiliate me."
Vivian nearly smiled at the hypocrisy.
"You brought your mistress into my house wearing my clothes while your parents packed my belongings into garbage bags."
Julian looked away.
"And you're calling what I'm doing humiliation?"
"You could have spoken to me privately."
"So could you."
That landed.
Richard kept returning objects to shelves.
Beatrice stood motionless.
Vivian flipped through Julian's divorce petition.
"You want to end the marriage?"
"Yes."
"Good."
He looked at her.
She placed the papers back down.
"So do I."
For the first time all morning, Julian looked genuinely shocked.
Not because he had expected Vivian to forgive him.
May you like
Because he had expected her to fight for him.
That was the last gift Vivian was ever going to give him.
