“Of course.”
I knew he was lying.
When Jared was a little boy, he always paused before lying.
He still did.
“Then you know what he wanted you to understand.”
“Mom, this isn’t about Dad.”
“Everything about this is about your father.”
Vanessa’s voice sounded in the background.
“Ask her if she’ll at least cover the first six months.”
I closed my eyes.
Then I spoke very clearly.
“A luxury penthouse is not an emergency, Jared.
And I am no longer your emergency fund.”
I ended the call.
My hands were trembling.
But beneath the fear was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in years.
Relief.
Chapter Three: The Man Who Had Prepared Everything
The first person who visited me at Hawthorne Ridge was a woman named Miriam Cole.
She arrived the following morning in a green pickup truck with muddy tires, a toolbox, and a golden retriever sitting proudly in the passenger seat.
