Chapter 16 - The Threat in Writing
Sarah and Dana both reviewed the message. We preserved it and followed their guidance on reporting and responding. No one suggested meeting Grant in a parking garage or tricking him into confessing. Real consequences are usually slower, duller, and far more powerful than movie stunts.
Dana had news about the property documents. The filing existed, but the lender's records were inconsistent with parts of the paperwork Grant had presented. She was pursuing formal remedies and examining whether the lien could be challenged. Until the matter was resolved, she warned my parents not to assume the house was safe.
Mom sat through that meeting without saying a word. Afterward, she followed me into the hallway.
“Will you help us?” she asked.
“I already helped you find Dana.”
“I mean financially.”
“No.”
Her face crumpled. “We could lose the house.”
“I know. That's why I'm taking this seriously. But I'm not signing another agreement I didn't choose.”
“You've changed.”
“I have.”
She looked at me for a long time. “I didn't know how much we asked of you.”
I wanted the sentence to be enough. It wasn't.
“You knew I had the money,” I said. “You knew I didn't want to say no. That was enough for you.”
Mom wiped her eyes. “I thought Vanessa needed us more.”
I stared at her. “And what did you think I needed?”
She couldn't answer.
On Friday, a week after the canceled cruise, Vanessa called with news. Grant had contacted her employer and accused her of stealing company information. He had also sent messages to mutual friends claiming she'd sabotaged the engagement for money.
“I don't know what to do,” she said.
“Document it. Get your own counsel. Don't argue online.”
“Do you think he'll ever stop?”
“I don't know,” I said. I refused to promise what I couldn't know.
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That evening, Sarah forwarded a letter from Grant's lawyer. It demanded I reimburse Harborline for alleged losses caused by the canceled charter and retract my statements about unauthorized documents.
At the bottom was a deadline: seventy-two hours.
