PART6-My Son Told Me to Stop Coming to His House Because His Wife “Needed Privacy”—So I Left His $612-a-Month SUV Renewal Unsigned
PART 6
Grady suddenly said, “Mom, I can explain.”
Kelsey turned toward him.
“Grady.”
He ignored her.
“I didn’t want to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
He looked exhausted.
“I made a mistake.”
Kelsey whispered, “Don’t.”
“I have to.”
He looked at me.
“About six months ago, I borrowed money.”
“How much?”
“Twenty thousand.”
I stared at him.
“From whom?”
He didn’t answer.
“Grady.”
“Nathan.”
The dealership seemed to disappear around me.
“You borrowed twenty thousand dollars from Nathan Ellis?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He swallowed.
“Debt.”
“What kind of debt?”
He rubbed both hands over his face.
“Business.”
“What business?”
He looked at Kelsey.
She shook her head.
“Don’t.”
I felt a coldness settle inside me.
“What business, Grady?”
He finally answered.
“Online medical equipment.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“It was supposed to be a resale business.”
“And?”
“It failed.”
“How much did you lose?”
He didn’t answer.
“Grady.”
“Eighty-seven thousand.”
I stared at him.
Kelsey started crying.
But my anger wasn’t directed at the money.
It was directed at the lie.
“You lost eighty-seven thousand dollars and never told me?”
“I was going to fix it.”
“With what?”
He looked at the floor.
“With the SUV.”
I understood.
“The buyout.”
He nodded.
“I thought if I bought the SUV under my name and sold it later, I could pay Nathan back.”
I looked at Kelsey.
“And she knew?”
“She knew some of it.”
Kelsey snapped, “I didn’t know about Nathan!”
Grady looked at her.
“You knew I owed someone.”
“I thought it was a bank.”
“You knew I was meeting him.”
“I didn’t know who he was!”
I stepped backward.
For three years I had been paying bills because I believed my son was simply struggling to establish his family.
But this wasn’t ordinary struggling.
This was a hole.
And I had been pouring money into it without realizing how deep it was.
“Why did Nathan’s name get added to my lease?”
Grady looked at Kelsey.
“I don’t know.”
Kelsey shook her head.
“I didn’t add him.”
“Someone did.”
“I know!”
“Then who?”
Neither answered.
My phone buzzed.
A text message.
Unknown number.
Karen, please don’t let them return the SUV. I need you to hear what happened before you make any decisions. —Nathan
I showed them the message.
Grady’s face went white.
Kelsey whispered, “Delete it.”
I stared at her.
“Why?”
She didn’t answer.
Grady stepped closer.
“Mom, don’t contact him.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t know what you’re getting involved in.”
I almost laughed.
“You borrowed money from him.”
“I know.”
“And now you’re warning me about him?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Grady looked at me with something I hadn’t seen in his face since he was a child.
Fear.
“Because Nathan isn’t who I thought he was.”
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