PART7

For family expenses. No need to tell Joanne until everything is settled.

I read it again.

Then a third time.

I had spent forty-five years believing Brenda didn’t like me because I was quiet.

Now I understood that she had never needed to like me.

She only needed me to stay quiet.

Rebecca waited until I looked up.

“Joanne, there’s something else. The bank’s records show that your husband may have used your personal information to complete additional financial applications.”

I swallowed.

“How many?”

“At least two more that we’re investigating.”

I looked down at the documents.

I wasn’t crying.

I wasn’t shaking.

I was simply tired.

Tired of discovering another secret every time I turned a page.

“Rebecca,” I said, “I want to protect my house.”

She nodded.

“That’s our priority.”

“And I want my name cleared.”

“We’ll work toward that.”

I gathered my purse.

Then I asked the question I had been avoiding.

“What happens to my marriage?”

Rebecca looked at me gently.

“That’s a decision only you can make. But you don’t have to decide today.”

I nodded.

For the first time, I didn’t feel like I needed permission to make it.

When I returned home, Alden’s truck was parked beside the garage.

He was sitting on the porch.

He looked at the folder in my hand.

“Where have you been?”

“Seeing Rebecca.”

He stood.

“Did she tell you about the money?”

I stopped walking.

“What money?”

He looked away.

“Brenda called me.”

I waited.

He rubbed his forehead.

“She said the bank might contact her.”

I slowly climbed the porch steps.

“Then I suppose the bank has some questions for her.”

Alden’s face tightened.

“Joanne, you have to understand something.”

I put the folder on the porch table.

“I’m listening.”

“Brenda was in trouble. Her son was in trouble. I was trying to keep the family together.”

“By borrowing against my property?”

“I thought I could pay it back.”

“And the mower?”

He said nothing.

“The $12,800 mower, Alden. Was that paid for with the loan?”

He looked at me.

“Yes.”

I closed my eyes.

“And you told me we couldn’t afford a water heater.”

“I was going to replace it.”

“When?”

He didn’t answer.

I sat down.

“Alden, did you ever plan to tell me?”

He stared at the yard.

“I don’t know.”

That was the most honest answer he’d given me in years.

Then he said something I hadn’t expected.

“Brenda wants you to sign a statement saying you knew about the loan.”

I looked up.

“What?”

“She says it would help everybody.”

I almost couldn’t believe him.

“She wants me to lie?”

“Just say you agreed to it. That you understood the arrangement.”

I shook my head.

“No.”

“Joanne, please.”

“No.”

He sat beside me.

“She’s my sister.”

“And I’m your wife.”

He looked at me.

For a moment, I thought he might finally understand.

But then he said:

“She’s going to lose everything if you don’t help.”

I stared at him.

“What about me?”

He looked down.

“What?”

“What happens if I lose everything, Alden? What happens if I lose my father’s farmhouse? Where do I go?”

He didn’t answer.

And that silence was the end of something inside me.

I stood up.

“I’m not signing anything.”

Then I walked inside.

THE DAY ALDEN LOST EVERYTHING HE THOUGHT HE OWNED

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on my front door.

It was 7:15.

I put on my robe and walked downstairs.

When I opened the door, Brenda was standing on my porch.

She wasn’t alone.

Her daughter, Linda, stood behind her, holding a large purse and wearing the same expression she always wore when she wanted something.

Brenda didn’t bother saying good morning.

“We need to talk.”

I stepped aside.

“Come in.”

They walked into my kitchen as if they still had a right to it.

Brenda sat at the table.

Linda remained standing.

“Where’s Alden?” Brenda asked.

“He’s outside.”

“Good. This concerns him, too.”

I poured myself coffee.

“Then you can wait until he comes in.”

Brenda slapped a document onto the table.

“This is a statement. All you have to do is sign it.”

I looked at the paper.

It said I had been fully aware of the $186,400 loan and had voluntarily agreed to allow my property to be used as collateral.

It also stated that I had given Alden permission to sign certain financial documents on my behalf.

I looked at Brenda.

“You want me to sign this?”

“It’s the only way to keep the bank from making things worse.”

I slowly pushed the paper back.

“No.”

Her face changed.

“Joanne, don’t be difficult.”

“I’m not being difficult. I’m refusing to sign something that isn’t true.”

She leaned across the table.

“Do you understand what will happen to my family?”

I looked at her.

“Do you understand what you tried to do to mine?”

She scoffed.

“Oh, don’t start with that farmhouse nonsense. You’ve been living here with my brother for forty-five years. You should be grateful he took care of you.”

I put down my coffee.

“Brenda, I worked for thirty-one years. I paid taxes. I maintained this property. I raised a family with your brother. I never asked you for anything.”

“Well, Alden helped our family when we needed him!”

“With money he borrowed using my property.”

She rolled her eyes.

“You weren’t supposed to know.”

There it was.

Not an apology.

Not even an explanation.

Just the truth slipping out before she could stop it.

I looked at Linda.

“Did you know about this, too?”

She stared at the floor.

Brenda answered for her.

“Everybody knew enough.”

I nodded slowly.

“Except me.”

Nobody spoke.

Then I heard the back door open.

Alden walked into the kitchen.

He looked at Brenda.

“What are you doing here?”

“Trying to fix the mess you made.”

He glanced at the document.

“Did she sign?”

“No,” Brenda snapped. “Your wife has decided she’d rather destroy us.”

Alden looked at me.

“Joanne, just sign it. We can deal with the details later.”

I stood up.

“Get out.”

Brenda laughed.

“Excuse me?”

CONTINUE FOR NEXT PART8…