Chapter 5 - Marsha Wasn’t Getting Rich
Beth called the next morning.
“You saw the statement?”
“Yes.”
“I think I know what the thirty-eight thousand was for.”
Natalie said nothing.
Beth continued.
“Mom took out a home-equity line two years ago.”
“For what?”
“Chris.”
Natalie sat down slowly.
Chris had expanded his residential remodeling business two years earlier.
New truck.
Larger warehouse.
Two additional crews.
He had told Natalie financing came through the company.
Beth said otherwise.
Marsha had borrowed against the townhouse she owned outright after her husband died.
She had put nearly eighty thousand dollars into Chris’s expansion.
Natalie remembered something Marsha had said at Thanksgiving.
Some mothers actually invest in their children.
Natalie had assumed it was another insult about her own mother living three states away.
Now it sounded different.
“How far behind was she?”
“Far enough that she was scared.”
“So Chris stole from me to save her house.”
“I don’t know that.”
“Beth.”
“I don’t.”
Beth sounded close to tears.
“I knew he owed Mom. I didn’t know he was taking money from you.”
Natalie called the bank again.
They could not discuss Marsha’s account activity.
But Denise confirmed something important.
The disputed transfer had reached Marsha’s account before the freeze.
The bank had restricted remaining funds after Natalie’s fraud claim.
Meaning at least part of the money might already have moved elsewhere.
That night, Marsha called.
Natalie nearly ignored it.
Then answered.
Marsha skipped hello.
“You have no idea what Chris has carried for this family.”
Natalie looked at the blank apartment wall.
“Did you know the money came from my savings?”
A pause.
“You’re married.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“He was trying to keep people from losing everything.”
“By forging my signature?”
Marsha inhaled sharply.
Not shock.
Recognition.
Natalie heard it.
Marsha recovered quickly.
“You’ve always treated money like it gives you moral authority.”
“And you’ve always treated mine like I owe it to you.”
Marsha hung up.
May you like
Five minutes later Beth texted Natalie.
Mom just called me. She’s terrified you’ll find out how many times Chris has done this before.
