Chapter 6 - Gwendolyn’s Plan
The contractor’s estimate included a new kitchen, a pool redesign, and a line for “owner suite content studio.” Chloe’s bedroom was part of a much bigger renovation.
Nina asked me to send the photo without contacting Gwendolyn. We still needed to find out whether Dad had approved the plan.
I went to work, sat through two meetings, and answered questions from my team. Around noon, my business partner, Marcus, leaned into my office.
“You’ve read the same paragraph three times,” he said.
“My family’s trying to borrow money against a house I partly own.”
He pulled up a chair. “Okay. What do you need from me?”
“Five minutes where nobody asks me to solve anything.”
He closed the door and sat quietly. It was the kindest thing anyone had done for me all week.
That afternoon, Dad appeared outside my office. Marcus asked if I wanted him sent away. I let Dad in.
He looked around at the desks and the people working beyond the glass wall. “I didn’t know your company was this big.”
“I invited you to see it last year.”
“I know.”
He sat across from me. For a moment, he seemed ready to say something honest.
Then he put a folder on my desk.
“Sign this, and Gwendolyn says she’ll apologize.”
It was a consent form for the loan.
I stared at him. “She’ll apologize if I give her three hundred thousand dollars in collateral?”
“We can make the payments. The rental income would cover them once the work’s done.”
“So you knew about the rental.”
“We’ve talked about it.”
“Did you know she used my name without asking?”
Dad rubbed his forehead. “She said the lender needed the paperwork started. I told her we had to talk to you before anything was final.”
“But you brought me the form after she kicked me out.”
“I came because I wanted to fix this.”
“Then take it to the lender and tell them the first signature isn’t mine.”
His face fell. “That could cause trouble for Gwendolyn.”
I slid the folder back to him.
He stood, picked it up, and left without another word.
May you like
Ten minutes later, Marcus came in holding his phone.
“Paige,” he said, “there’s a video of your father outside our building. It’s already getting shared.”
