Chapter 8 - The Hidden Debt and the Failed Business Venture
While Lily was in the operating room, I sat in the cafeteria with my divorce attorney, Clara Vance—a sharp, elegant woman who had spent twenty years tearing down corrupt husbands in the state of Washington.
“He’s in a corner, Sarah,” Clara said, placing a stack of financial documents on the table. “Our forensic accountant spent the night digging into Vanguard Holdings. It wasn't just forty-five thousand dollars from the HSA. David has mortgaged your house a second time.”
I dropped my coffee cup, the dark liquid spilling across the table. “He did what?”
“He forged your signature on a quitclaim deed and took out a second mortgage for two hundred and eighty thousand dollars,” Clara said, her voice grave. “He used the money to pay off the initial debts of his failed real estate venture, but it wasn't enough. He’s currently facing three separate lawsuits from his business partners for fraud and embezzlement.”
“My house,” I whispered, my chest tightening. “The house my parents left me. He stole it.”
“He tried to,” Clara corrected me, her eyes flashing with a fierce, protective determination. “But because the signature on the quitclaim deed is a clear forgery, the mortgage is legally void. We’ve already filed an emergency petition with the state court to freeze all his personal assets and secure your sole ownership of the property.”
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“And what about the medical bills?” I asked, looking toward the ceiling where my daughter was currently undergoing surgery.
“We’re filing an emergency motion for child support and medical expense coverage,” Clara said. “The court will force him to pay every single dime of Lily’s treatment, even if we have to liquidate his retirement accounts to do it.”
