Chapter 8 - Opening the Folder
I walked back inside the house for a moment and returned to the porch carrying the thick manila folder I had packed the night before. I didn't invite him inside; he didn't deserve to cross my parents’ threshold after the way his family had treated me.
I flipped open the folder and handed him three pages of itemized spreadsheets and bank confirmations.
“Read it,” I said quietly.
Michael’s hands trembled slightly as he looked at the pages.
* Tony’s private school tuition ($15,000 per semester) — Paid by Allison Reed.
* Carol’s medical insurance deductible and specialist copays — Paid by Allison Reed.
* Jessica’s car lease down payment ($4,200) — Paid by Allison Reed.
* Our apartment’s annual rent differential — Subsidized 60% by Allison Reed.
He stared at the figures, his face turning pale. “I... I didn't know about the car lease. Or Jessica’s medical bills. Mom said she was helping Jessica out.”
“Your mother was helping Jessica out using my separate consulting revenue, which she convinced you was household discretionary spending,” I explained. “Whenever I deposited funds into our joint account for groceries and bills, your mother quietly coached you into believing it was your salary doing the heavy lifting. You never bothered to look at the ledger because it felt good to be the provider.”
Michael looked up from the papers, his eyes wide with a mixture of horror and betrayal. “She lied to me.”
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“She lied to both of us,” I replied. “And now that the tap has been turned off, your sister is panicking because she actually has to pay her own bills.”
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