Chapter 3
At sunrise, I called our family attorney, Denise.
She had handled Dad’s estate years earlier, and I trusted her completely.
When I explained everything Tyler had told me, she interrupted before I could finish.
“Don’t confront Jason yet.”
By 8:30 that morning, I had Mom, Tyler, and every financial document I could find sitting inside Denise’s office.
Denise spoke to Mom slowly and carefully.
“Did you knowingly give Jason permission to access or manage any of your accounts?”
Mom frowned.
“No.”
“Did he explain that any of the papers you signed could give him that kind of access?”“No.”
Denise leaned back in her chair.
“Then we’re calling the bank.”
That call changed everything.
Jason had submitted documents requesting access to more than one of Mom’s accounts.
Some of those requests were still being reviewed.
One had already resulted in him being added to an account.
Mom stared at the speakerphone in disbelief.
“Why would he do that?”
I already knew there had to be more to the story.
The answer came that same afternoon.
Jason walked into my house carrying another folder.
I was waiting for him in the kitchen.
He smiled when he saw me.
“Hey. Where’s Mom?”
“Upstairs.”
Then he noticed Denise’s business card sitting on the table.
His smile disappeared.
I pointed toward a chair.
“Sit down.”
He didn’t move.
“What happened?”
“Sit.”
Jason slowly lowered himself into the chair.
I placed copies of the paperwork directly in front of him.
“Explain these.”
His face immediately went pale.
“It’s not what you think.”
“What do I think?”
“I was helping Mom.”
“By getting access to her accounts?”
He rubbed his jaw.
“Come on.”
I stared at him.
“Why, Jason?”
He didn’t answer.
“How much did you need?”
His eyes finally lifted toward mine.
Silence.
“Twenty.”
“Jason.”
“Twenty.”
“Twenty what?”
“Thousand.”
My hands went cold.
“Why?”
He looked toward the stairs.
“My business is in trouble.”
And finally, the entire story came out.
Payments were late.
Two major jobs had fallen through.
He was behind on equipment financing.
He owed money to suppliers.
“Mom has money sitting there,” he said. “I would’ve paid it back.”
“You asked her before, didn’t you?”
Jason looked away.
“Before surgery?”
A voice came from the stairs.
“Yes.”
Mom stood there with one hand gripping the railing.
“You did.”
“Mom,” Jason said.
I moved toward her to help, but she shook her head.
She came downstairs slowly on her own.
When she finally reached the kitchen, she looked directly at him.
“You asked me before the surgery.”
Jason stared down at the table.
“And what did I tell you?”
He didn’t respond.
Mom waited.
“I said no.”
May you like
Jason closed his eyes.
“I was desperate.”
