Chapter 37
Chapter 37
I was standing with my back to the light, so he couldn’t make out my expression.
But I could see him clearly. As I stared at the face 1 had loved for so many years, my heart felt empty.
“Tell me, where’s the property deed?” I asked.
“My mom sell the house to cover the debt.”
took it and used it as collateral for a loan,” Dexter expined. “If she can’t pay it back…
“What are you planning to do about it?”
There was a long silence before Dexter finally spoke. ‘Can you…can you give me the 100 thousand dollars I gave you before? I’ll use that to get the deed back.”
His words hit me like a slap. “No way! That money was for Juno‘ school district house!” I shot him down immediately. “Sylvia, that’s my mom! I know she made a mistake, but I can’t just let her get dragged under like this! Those people are loan sharks, and in a few months, the debt will be so high that even selling our house might not cover it.
“What if they threaten her life? What am I supposed to do then? Dexter was nearly in tears, struggling with helplessness.
My chest tightened with a sharp pain. I thought, If it weren’t for the affair… maybe, just maybe, I would’ve agreed to shoulder this burden with him.
‘But there is no ‘what if. The man in front of me has already betrayed me. How can I pay off so much of his debt? I am not an idiot‘
I took a deep breath. “What about Juno?”
“He’s still young. He can go to a nearby school for now, When he starts elementary school, we’ll figure it out. If things get really bad, once I get a promotion and make more money, we can transfer him to another school. It won’t be too late.”
Dexter’s words came out smoothly, one after the other, like he had everything planned.
I closed my eyes, the reality sinking in. The 100 thousand dollars was as good as gone. But I still wanted to push for something. “I can report the deed as lost and get a new one. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Sylvial” He suddenly stepped forward, grabbing my arm. “Please, I’m begging you! I can’t just stand by and watch my mom sink deeper into this.
“As her son, I have to help her! Just give me the 100 thousand dollars for now, and I swear I’ll pay you back as soon as I can!” If promises were enough to fix things, this world wouldn’t have so many broken hearts.
I looked into his eyes, and against my better judgment, I gave in Fine. But you have to give me your salary card. We’ve been married for years, and our finances are still separate. It makes the feel insecure.
“Your mom brought strangers into our home without our permission, and even drugged Martha to keep her quiet… If you don’t agree to this, I just can’t trust you.”
This time, Dexter didn’t hesitate. He nodded. So, just like that, the 100 thousand dollars I had saved up–still warm in my hands–was handed back to him,
16:29 Sun, Feb 16 GU
Chapter 37
I left everything in his hands to deal with. It was about Kimberly reputation, and even though I wanted to get involved, he wouldn’t let me.
Two days later, the property deed was back in my hands.
I looked at Dexter and asked. “What about the 100 thousand dollars?”
“I gave it to them,” he replied.
“And what about the rest of the debt?”
I’ve already contacted a top lawyer in Fairhaven to help my mom. In three months, we’ll only need to pay the principal, no
interest.”
“How much is that?”
*200 thousand dollars.”
I couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh. “Alright, then
“Sylvia, don’t be like that. I didn’t want any of this to happen. My mom just wanted to help us, which is why she took this risk. If you hadn’t insisted on buying a house, she wouldn’t have done any of this.”
1
Suddenly, his anger turned on me. I was stunned. “So now you’re blaming me?”
Before he could answer, his phone rang. Without thinking, Dexter picked it up. A voice on the other end suddenly shouted, “Dad!”
