“Because you shouldn’t have been put through this.”
“Claire, you didn’t slap me.”
I swallowed.
He continued.
“I know Ethan is your husband. I know Diane is his mother. I don’t want you to feel like you have to choose between everyone.”
I walked over and hugged him.
“You are my family, Noah. You don’t have to earn a place at my table.”
He held me tightly.
And I realized that the person who had been treated like a guest in my own home was the only person who had made me feel safe that night.
At noon, Ethan returned.
He entered the townhouse as though nothing had happened.
His jacket was hanging over one arm, and he carried two coffees.
“Morning,” he said.
I didn’t answer.
He placed one coffee on the kitchen counter.
“I got you your usual.”
“I’m not interested.”
He looked at Noah.
“Can we talk privately?”
“No,” I said.
Ethan frowned.
“Claire.”
“Noah stays.”
“This is between husband and wife.”
“Then you should have thought about that before involving my property in a financial application with your mother.”
His expression changed.
He looked at Noah.
Then back at me.
“Have you been talking to someone?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“That’s irrelevant.”
He rubbed his forehead.
“Claire, I can explain everything.”
“Good. Start with the three hundred and twenty thousand dollars.”
His mouth fell slightly open.
For a moment, I thought he might deny knowing anything about it.
Instead, he pulled out a chair.
“Where did you hear that number?”
“From the lender.”
“You contacted them?”
“I own the property. I have every right to know what’s happening with it.”
He leaned back.
“Okay. Fine. I was trying to secure financing for a business opportunity.”
“Using my townhouse.”
“Our townhouse.”
“My name is on the deed.”
“Because you bought it before we got married.”
“Exactly.”
He looked irritated.
“Why are you making that sound like a crime?”
“Because you used my name on a loan application without my permission.”
“I didn’t steal anything.”
“Then why did the lender reject it?”
“Because they were being difficult.”
“Did you forge my signature?”
“No!”
His voice echoed through the room.
Noah flinched.
I looked at Ethan.
“Don’t raise your voice.”
Ethan lowered his tone.
“Claire, listen. I was trying to create something for our future.”
“By risking the home I bought?”
“I had a plan.”
“What plan?”
He hesitated.
“Mom needed help.”
I almost laughed.
“So this was for Diane?”
“She had some debts.”
“How much?”
“That’s not important.”
“Tell me.”
He looked toward the window.
“About two hundred thousand.”
I stared at him.
“Two hundred thousand dollars?”
“Some of it was business debt. Some of it was personal.”
“And you thought the solution was to borrow against my home?”
“I thought we could use the property temporarily. The business would generate enough money to repay everything.”
“What business?”
“DB Lifestyle Holdings.”
I shook my head.
“Your mother’s company?”
“She needed a fresh start.”
“And you were going to give her three hundred and twenty thousand dollars using my house as collateral?”
“Not all of it was going to her.”
“Where was the rest going?”
He didn’t answer.
I stepped closer.
“Ethan, where was the rest going?”
He finally looked at me.
“Some of it was for an investment I was making.”
“What investment?”
He hesitated again.
“Real estate.”
I stared at him.
“You were going to borrow against my house to buy another property?”
“It was an opportunity.”
“Under whose name?”
He said nothing.
“Your name?”
Still nothing.
I felt something inside me harden.
“So let me understand. My house would have been used to secure a loan. Your mother’s debts would have been paid. You would have invested the remaining money in another property. And I would have been responsible if the entire thing collapsed.”
“That’s not how it would have worked.”
“Then explain how it would have worked.”
He stood.
“I’m not going to stand here and let you interrogate me.”
“Sit down.”
“Don’t order me around.”
“Then leave.”
He stared at me.
For a moment, I thought he would shout.
Instead, he looked toward Noah.
“This is because of him, isn’t it?”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“What?”
“You’re letting your brother turn you against me.”
Noah’s face went pale.
I stepped between them.
“Do not involve him.”
“He’s been here for weeks, eating our food, using our utilities, and now suddenly you’re treating me like a criminal.”
“He is my brother.”
“He has his own dorm!”
“He was invited here.”
“And now he’s the reason we’re having this conversation.”
I pointed toward the front door.
“No. Your decisions are the reason we’re having this conversation.”
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“You know what? Maybe Mom was right about you.”
“What did she say?”
He looked at me.
