Jake shook his head.
“Enjoying a house doesn’t mean I agreed to take it from someone else.”
My father reached toward the documents.
The police officer immediately told him to step back.
Dad raised his voice.
“You’re making this sound like some sort of crime!”
Elena remained calm.
“Unauthorized withdrawals, a forged beneficiary consent, inaccurate statements to a lender, and a loan supported by disputed ownership documents are serious matters. They can’t be dismissed as a family misunderstanding.”
My mother began crying.
For most of my life, that had been enough to end any disagreement.
When Mom cried, everyone rushed to comfort her.
When I cried, I was accused of being overly sensitive.
But that evening, nobody moved.
Finally, she spoke.
“We did it for Madison.”
I looked at her.
“She needed help getting started. She had important clients. She needed a nice house to support her image.”
