Chapter 7 - WHAT BRENDA WANTED FROM ME
The next morning, I received a formal message from Derek's new attorney.
He wanted a private marital reconciliation meeting.
Rachel laughed when she read it.
“That's adorable.”
“Am I going?”
“Absolutely.”
I looked at her.
She smiled.
“With me.”
We met at a downtown law office.
Derek arrived in a navy suit.
No tie.
No wedding ring visible.
He looked exhausted.
Brenda sat beside him.
Howard sat near the window.
Their attorney, Martin Kessler, looked like a man who had already realized his new clients were worse than advertised.
Rachel and I sat opposite them.
Derek began.
“Chloe, I want to apologize for yesterday.”
“For which part?”
His mouth tightened.
“The brunch.”
“Anything specific?”
“The towel.”
“And?”
“The door.”
“And?”
He glanced at Brenda.
“The misunderstanding with the financial paperwork.”
Rachel wrote something down.
Derek saw it.
“I didn't say fraud.”
“No.”
Rachel replied.
“You said misunderstanding.”
Brenda leaned forward.
“This doesn't need to become ugly.”
“It became ugly when my daughter came home with grease in her hair.”
My father's voice came from behind me.
Derek turned sharply.
I had not told him my parents would attend.
My father and mother entered with another attorney representing the Mercer family trust.
Brenda's face changed.
Howard whispered something to Kessler.
Kessler's eyes narrowed.
Then my father placed a folder on the table.
“I understand you've been discussing my daughter's trust.”
Brenda sat rigidly.
“This is between husband and wife.”
“No.”
My father said.
“You attempted to pledge trust property.”
“That makes it my business.”
Derek looked at me.
“You brought your parents?”
“My mother brought twenty-two relatives to watch you order me onto my knees.”
He had no answer.
Kessler finally spoke.
“Perhaps we can discuss a resolution.”
Rachel nodded.
“Great.”
“Start with identifying who prepared the forged authorization.”
Howard shifted.
Brenda remained still.
Derek looked down.
Kessler cleared his throat.
“My clients dispute the characterization.”
“Then explain why Chloe's signature appears on a document she never signed.”
No answer.
“Explain why Mrs. Whitmore notarized it.”
Brenda spoke.
“It was prepared for Chloe's signature.”
“Then why does your notary statement say she appeared before you?”
“It was administrative convenience.”
Rachel smiled without warmth.
“That's a very interesting phrase for falsifying a notarization.”
Kessler raised a hand.
“Let's keep the discussion constructive.”
My father opened his folder.
“I agree.”
Then he slid a single page across the table.
Howard saw it.
His face went white.
Derek frowned.
“What is that?”
I watched Brenda.
She knew.
It was an old Meridian Industrial Holdings agreement.
My father pointed to a paragraph.
“Whitmore Capital has failed to make lease payments on three Meridian-controlled properties for seven consecutive months.”
Howard looked toward Brenda.
“How did he know?”
My father answered.
“Because my daughter owns thirty-one percent of Meridian.”
Derek stared at me.
“What?”
There it was.
He had not known.
Brenda had.
Howard probably had.
But Derek had married me without knowing the entire plan.
I almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
Brenda closed her eyes.
Derek turned toward her.
“Mom?”
She said nothing.
“What does he mean?”
Still nothing.
“Mom.”
His voice became louder.
“What does he mean Chloe owns thirty-one percent?”
Brenda finally looked at her son.
“It wasn't supposed to matter.”
I leaned back.
And understood something important.
May you like
Derek had been using me.
But Brenda had been using Derek too.
