Chapter 5 - Protection as a Weapon
Judith made the first move Maren had begged her not to make. She called the bank and stopped Friday's transfer from her retirement account to Hale House payroll. The transfer was legal and voluntary, a bridge she had offered after Nolan promised the new dining room would open by spring. Canceling it protected what remained of her savings, but it also left the restaurant four days from missing insurance premiums. Seth called. "My baby is due in January. Do you understand what you're doing?" Judith did. That was the price. Maren stood, washing the clean mug twice. "You used my crisis to pull your money," she replied. Judith wanted to answer that Nolan had used them, but the accusation landed because it was true. She had been terrified of losing her nest egg before she admitted being terrified for Maren. That night, Nolan emailed the staff that Judith's panic threatened their jobs. By morning, three employees had asked Maren to go home to him. Protection had made her look like the weapon.
