Chapter 7 - Borrowed Walls
Anton had tried to borrow seven hundred fifty thousand dollars against a property he did not own.
My property.
The application described us as joint owners.
A copy of the deed had been attached.
It had been altered.
I sat perfectly still while the accountant, Owen Bell, explained what he had found.
“The lender hasn’t funded the loan,” he said. “There are unresolved title questions.”
“Meaning someone actually checked.”
“Yes.”
For the first time all day, I wanted to thank a stranger.
Mendoza contacted the lender with the genuine ownership records and notice of the dispute.
The application stopped moving.
But the intended use of the loan made my stomach tighten.
Working capital.
That sounded respectable.
Necessary.
Almost boring.
Owen traced the attached disbursement instructions with his finger.
“Four hundred thousand would have gone to Vantage Advisory.”
Valerie’s company.
“And the rest?”
“Some to overdue vendors. Some to a personal line of credit in Anton’s name.”
He had been trying to cover old holes by digging a new one beneath my home.
“Did Valerie know?” I asked.
“We can’t establish that yet.”
I appreciated the answer.
I was tired of people telling me whatever would make the story easier.
At the company, an emergency board meeting was scheduled.
My original investment agreement gave me the majority voting interest.
For four years, I had allowed Anton to manage daily operations.
He had mistaken a choice for a surrender.
Now he was trying to turn the mistake into a legal fact.
That evening, he came to the hotel.
The front desk called before sending anyone up.
I met him in the lobby.
Public place.
Cameras.
No ambiguity.
He looked tired.
For a moment, he looked like the man who used to fall asleep beside me while we watched terrible movies.
“Can we just talk?” he asked.
“We are.”
“I made mistakes.”
“Which ones?”
He rubbed his forehead.
“Don’t do that.”
“Name one.”
He looked around.
“Things got complicated.”
“You forged my signature.”
His eyes snapped back to mine.
“Keep your voice down.”
I hadn’t raised it.
“You tried to borrow against my house.”
“I was going to pay it back.”
“That wasn’t the question.”
He leaned close.
“If that loan doesn’t close, the company could collapse.”
“Then you should have thought about that before paying Valerie.”
His face hardened.
“You’re going to destroy forty-three jobs.”
“No. You put forty-three jobs at risk.”
He stepped away.
Then, almost casually, he said, “You should check your email.”
May you like
A company-wide message had just gone out.
It announced my resignation as an owner.
