Gloria laughed nervously, trying to dismiss the situation as if it were beneath her. “This is ridiculous, we are family, there is no need for theatrics.”
The woman ignored her completely and looked only at me. “I am with the financial protection agency, and I need to confirm whether you wish to proceed and whether you feel safe at this moment.”
No one had asked me that question in years, and hearing it made something inside me settle into certainty.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “Please come in.”
Dylan tried to block the doorway, but the clerk opened his folder and asked calmly, “Can you prove ownership of this property if you are claiming it is yours.”
Dylan had no answer.
Gloria stepped in quickly with forced elegance. “They are married, so everything she owns belongs to him.”
“That is not how the law works,” the woman replied without hesitation. “Especially not when there is evidence of unauthorized accounts, forged signatures, and misappropriated mortgage funds.”
I saw Dylan stiffen behind me. “Lauren, what have you done,” he whispered.
“I protected myself,” I answered.
The woman placed documents on the table, including a credit application with my information and a forged signature that resembled mine but was not authentic.
“This account was opened three months ago,” she explained. “Transactions include cash withdrawals, betting charges, and a partial payment for international travel.”
Gloria lifted her chin defiantly. “She probably spent it herself and now wants to blame my son.”
Without speaking, I took another envelope from the folder and placed it on top of the documents.
Inside were two first class tickets to Maui, both in the names of Gloria Hayes and Dylan Hayes, confirming that they planned to leave together while I remained responsible for everything collapsing behind them.
Dylan looked at me in shock. “I was going to tell you,” he said weakly.
“When,” I asked. “After I ran out of money completely.”
Gloria stepped closer, her tone sharpening again. “He deserved a break, and you always act like a martyr just because you work.”
The woman continued reading. “We also identified repeated transfers to an account under Gloria Hayes that match the mortgage payments Ms. Pierce states she provided monthly.”
I turned slowly toward Dylan. “What did you do with that money,” I asked quietly.
He said nothing.