Chapter 11 - The House I Never Bought
118 Willow Crest was my parents' house.
The house where I grew up.
The house where Mom still kept my high school photos in the hallway and Dad still stored Christmas decorations in labeled plastic bins.
"Why is my name connected to my parents' house?" I asked.
The attorney hesitated.
"The property was refinanced eleven months ago. You are listed as a guarantor on a secondary note."
My vision narrowed.
"For how much?"
"One hundred and ten thousand dollars."
I sat completely still.
The ICU room seemed to tilt.
"I never signed that."
"Then you need to contact the lender's fraud department immediately."
I called Detective Ruiz first.
She was quiet for several seconds after I told her.
"Do not contact your parents about the house yet. Send me what you have."
"How bad is this?"
"Potentially very serious."
I laughed once, without humor.
"That phrase keeps following me."
By evening, Ruiz had confirmed the refinance documents included a notarized signature in my name.
"Notarized?"
"Yes."
"I wasn't there."
"Do you know a notary named Sandra Mercer?"
I did.
My aunt.
Dad's younger sister.
The betrayal widened like a crack through glass.
I called Aunt Sandra.
She answered cheerfully.
"Claire! How's little Layla?"
The fact that she asked about my daughter almost broke me.
"She's improving. Sandra, did you notarize a refinance document with my name on it last November?"
Silence.
"Who told you that?"
"Did you?"
"Your father said you couldn't get away from work."
"A notary is supposed to watch me sign."
"I know how notarizing works."
"Then why did you stamp it?"
Her voice turned defensive.
"Your father said you approved everything. He had a signature page."
"You never spoke to me."
"Claire, don't drag me into whatever fight you're having with your parents."
"You put your seal on a document I never signed. You're already in it."
She hung up.
Five minutes later, Ruiz texted me.
Do not delete anything. We just got the refinance packet.
Then another message arrived.
The application lists your income at $186,000.
I stared at it.
I made less than half that.
May you like
Someone hadn't just stolen my identity.
They had invented a richer version of me.
