Chapter 2 - What They Had Already Taken
Three weeks earlier, Vivian had noticed $18,400 missing from an account she rarely used.
It wasn’t one of her primary investment accounts. It was a family emergency account she had opened years ago after her husband, Robert, died. Audrey had limited access because Vivian had once wanted her daughter to be able to pay household expenses if Vivian became hospitalized.
Vivian had nearly dismissed the first withdrawal.
Audrey had always been responsible with money.
Then came another.
Then a payment to Mercer Custom Homes, Damon’s remodeling company.
When Vivian asked Audrey about it over lunch in Buckhead, Audrey had barely touched her chicken salad.
“Damon had a temporary cash-flow problem.”
“You transferred my money.”
“I was going to put it back.”
“Did he know?”
Audrey had looked away.
That answer stayed with Vivian.
Two days later, Vivian changed the account permissions and told Audrey there would be no more money.
Audrey cried.
Damon called that evening.
He didn’t apologize.
He accused Vivian of humiliating her own daughter.
Now, standing in the foyer of Vivian’s Atlanta mansion, Audrey still held her mother’s phone.
Vivian pointed toward it.
“Give it back.”
Audrey swallowed.
“Mom, please. We just need somewhere to stay.”
That was new.
Vivian looked toward the suitcases.
“Where’s your house?”
Damon answered too quickly.
“Renovations.”
Vivian knew their house wasn’t being renovated.
She had driven past it four days earlier.
There had been a foreclosure notice taped inside the front window.
She hadn’t confronted them because she wanted Audrey to tell her voluntarily.
Instead, they had arrived with luggage.
And Damon had punched her when she refused them entry.
Vivian touched the tissue to her mouth again.
“You didn’t come here for a month.”
Audrey’s eyes flicked toward Damon.
It was quick.
But Vivian saw it.
“No,” Vivian said quietly. “You came here because you have nowhere else to go.”
May you like
Damon’s expression hardened.
Vivian suddenly understood the missing money had never been the entire problem.
