Eleanor advised that any discussion of the financial dispute should occur through legal counsel.
But I agreed to meet Jared in a neutral place, with our attorneys handling all legal matters separately.
We met at a small café in a mountain town.
He arrived early.
When I walked in, he stood.
“Hi, Mom.”
I looked at him.
He seemed thinner.
Older.
“Hello, Jared.”
We sat.
A waitress brought coffee.
He stared at his hands.
“I don’t know where to start.”
“Then start with the truth.”
He nodded slowly.
“I knew Dad had the land.”
“Yes.”
“I knew Richard needed it.”
“Yes.”
“I thought if we could make the deal work, everything would change.”
“What would change?”
He laughed bitterly.
“My whole life.”
I waited.
“Richard promised me a leadership role.
Equity.
Real money.
Not just commissions and consulting fees.”
He looked up.
“I was tired of being the guy everybody thought was successful but who didn’t actually own much.”
