what he promised.
He had one client through an old college friend and spent most of his time talking about scaling, headwinds, market timing, and cash flow.
Those words sounded professional enough to cover the fact that I was paying for the house, the power, the groceries, the water, the dog food, and half the household supplies.
Whenever I brought it up, Ryan got quiet.
He would lean back, rub his jaw, and talk about not wanting to add stress to the household.
By household, he meant me.
By stress, he meant accountability.
Cassie was smoother.
She framed everything as care.
“Gerald shouldn’t be climbing that step stool.”
Then my tools were moved.
“Gerald doesn’t need all this clutter in the kitchen.”
Then Patricia’s recipe box vanished into a cabinet I never used.
“Gerald needs a safer routine.”
Then Ryan started answering the front door like he owned the place.
