The sound made everyone pause.
“Before you sign,” I said calmly, “maybe we should go over the part he never mentioned.”
Vanessa frowned. “What is that? Another attempt to save face?”
“No,” I replied. “It’s the truth.”
Mr. Carter opened the folder. Inside were financial statements, loan agreements, overdue notices, lawsuits, and emails—years of debt and decline, carefully organized.
His expression shifted as he read.
“Miss Reed… there are significant debts here. Multiple banks, private lenders, unpaid credit lines…”
“That’s normal,” she cut in quickly, though her voice wavered. “Successful people use leverage.”
“Some do,” I said. “Others just pretend to be successful.”
I slid documents toward her.
“The penthouse has two mortgages.”
Another.
“The lake house is under pre-seizure.”
Another.
“And the SUV? Not even his. It belonged to a shell company used to take out more credit.”
Silence fell.
Mrs. Bennett crossed herself. Laura let out a dry, almost bitter laugh.
Vanessa flipped through the papers, her hands shaking.
“No… this isn’t real. He promised me that house. He said we’d live there.”
“He promised me a future too,” I said quietly. “While I was covering bills, he was funding your lifestyle.”