Chapter 4 - Uncovering the Audit
Two weeks later, Daniel called me back to his office. A thick folder sat in front of him. “The necklace payment was only the beginning,” he said. I sat down. “How bad?”
“Over the past four years, Ethan transferred more than sixty thousand dollars out of your joint accounts.” My stomach tightened. “Sixty thousand?” “Small amounts. Different dates. Different descriptions. Home repairs. Consulting. Maintenance.” “Where did the money go?” Daniel opened the folder. “To Madison’s business account.”
I frowned. “Madison’s catering company?” “Harvest Table Events.” I nodded. “Ethan told me he occasionally helped her because the company was growing. Caroline talks about that business like it’s a local empire.”
Daniel leaned back. “There is no company anymore.” I stared at him. “What do you mean?” “Harvest Table filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy three years ago.” For a moment, I thought I had misheard him. “But the storefront is still open. I’ve seen the vans.” “Appearance only.” Daniel turned several pages. “Three years ago, Madison catered a large wedding in Aspen. There was a serious foodborne illness outbreak. Dozens of guests were hospitalized.”
May you like
My chest tightened. “She was sued?” “Quietly. Caroline used every connection she had to keep the case out of the press. They reached private settlements.” I stared at the transfers. “The sixty thousand dollars…” “Went toward legal fees, private settlements, and keeping the storefront operating just enough to make the business look alive.”
I sat back. The betrayal landed slowly. My money had not been helping an expanding family business. My husband had been secretly funding his sister’s failed company so his mother could preserve the family’s social reputation.
