Two relatives forwarded messages Dad had sent months earlier while trying to find people interested in Chloe’s property deal.
In one, Dad had written:
Olivia has enough liquidity now that we can finally put the family money to work.
Marcus saved it.
Meanwhile, Chloe’s real-estate purchase fell apart.
Fortunately, the attorney I paid discovered a financing contingency allowing her to exit because the promised funding had never been legally secured.
She lost approximately $7,500 in expenses.
Most of her earnest money was returned.
I paid the attorney directly, exactly as I had promised.
Chloe never thanked me.
For six weeks, nobody in my family spoke to me.
Then, one rainy Saturday morning, Mom appeared at my condo.
She looked smaller somehow.
“I came alone,” she said.
I let her inside.
For a while, she sat silently on my couch.
Finally she said,
“Your father is embarrassed.”
“I’m sure.”
“He believed you would eventually give in.”
“That was his mistake.”
Mom folded her hands.
“I know you saw me smile that night.”
I waited.
“I was angry with you.”
“For what?”
“For leaving us behind.”
The simplicity of the answer surprised me.
Mom explained that after I sold part of my company, Dad became obsessed with the $3.2 million figure.
He talked about it constantly.
At breakfast.
