Chapter 5: The Woman I Married
Linda refused to discuss the company while Daniel was present.
She waited until he left, then followed me into the bedroom.
"Marcus, we need to talk.""
I was transferring from my wheelchair to the bed when she closed the door.
"About what?""
"About us.""
I paused.
"There's an us?""
Her eyes filled.
"Don't say that.""
I finished the transfer and leaned back against the pillows.
Linda sat at the edge of the mattress.
For the first time in months, she looked genuinely frightened.
"That company was supposed to be temporary," she began.
"What company?""
"LM Lifestyle Consulting.""
I stared at her.
"What's that?""
"An account I opened to organize certain household expenses.""
"Why does a household expense company need to exist?""
She rubbed her forehead.
"Because after the accident, I realized I needed financial security.""
I looked at her.
"You had financial security. We had savings, investments, insurance, and a business generating income.""
"Not enough.""
I laughed once.
"Not enough?""
"Marcus, I was terrified.""
"Of what?""
She looked down.
"Of you dying.""
The room became quiet.
I didn't answer immediately.
She continued.
"When you were in the hospital, doctors kept telling me there were no guarantees. I was twenty months away from turning fifty. Jasmine still needed help. I didn't know what would happen to the business if you didn't recover.""
I stared at her.
"So you started moving money?""
"I started protecting myself.""
"With my money.""
"Our money!""
I shook my head.
"That's what you keep saying. But when I ask questions, suddenly I'm not entitled to know where it goes.""
She wiped her cheeks.
"I never thought you'd understand.""
"Try me.""
Linda looked toward the window.
"After your accident, I spoke with an attorney. He explained that if something happened to you, the estate could become complicated. I wanted to make sure Jasmine and I wouldn't be left with nothing.""
I felt a chill.
"Did the attorney tell you to transfer money into your own company?""
"No.""
"Did he tell you to use my signature?""
She looked away.
I leaned forward.
"Linda, answer me.""
She began crying harder.
"I didn't forge anything.""
"Then why does Daniel have a document with a signature I didn't make?""
"I practiced it.""
I went completely still.
She covered her mouth.
The confession hung between us.
"You practiced my signature?""
"Marcus, I was desperate.""
"For what?""
"To make sure I could access the money if something happened.""
I stared at her.
She reached for my hand.
I pulled it away.
"Do you understand what you just admitted?""
"I wasn't trying to hurt you.""
"Then what were you trying to do?""
She looked at me with an expression I couldn't recognize.
"Make sure I wouldn't be trapped.""
I almost laughed.
I was the one who had spent fourteen months trapped in a wheelchair.
Yet somehow, she believed she was the victim.
"What happened to the money?"" I asked.
"Some of it went to expenses.""
"And the rest?""
She hesitated.
"Investments.""
"What investments?""
She didn't answer.
I picked up my phone.
"Daniel will need every account statement and business record.""
Linda stood abruptly.
"You're not involving lawyers in our marriage.""
"You're already involving banks and financial institutions.""
"Marcus, please. We can fix this.""
I looked at her.
"How?""
"We can return whatever needs to be returned.""
"Where is it?""
She looked down.
That was when I understood.
She couldn't return it.
Or she didn't want to.
I spent the next hour reviewing the documents Daniel had sent.
The company, LM Lifestyle Consulting, had been registered eight months after my accident.
It had no visible employees.
No office.
No substantial clients.
Yet it had received more than $140,000 from accounts connected to my household.
I called Daniel.
"Can you trace the payments?""
"I'm working on it.""
"Who has signing authority?""
"Linda is listed as the sole manager.""
"Who owns the company?""
He paused.
"That's what I wanted to discuss.""
I sat straighter.
"What?""
"The company has a second beneficial owner.""
"Who?""
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Jasmine.""
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
The luxury car.
The shopping.
The expensive vacations.
The transfers.
My stepdaughter hadn't simply benefited from the money.
She had been connected to the business receiving it.
I asked Daniel to send everything to my attorney.
Then I made another decision.
I would no longer fund Jasmine's lifestyle.
Her credit card was connected to an account I controlled. Her car insurance was paid through my household account. I had been covering her phone bill, apartment expenses, and even the monthly payment on a luxury apartment she rarely occupied.
I instructed Daniel to identify every discretionary expense and separate legitimate obligations from personal gifts.
I wasn't going to abandon anyone overnight.
But I was finished being treated like an endless source of money.
The following morning, Linda discovered the changes.
She stormed into the kitchen while I was drinking coffee.
"My card was declined!""
I looked up.
"Which card?""
"The black one.""
"That account is being reviewed.""
"Marcus, I was at the salon!""
I set my cup down.
"Then use your own account.""
She stared at me.
"You embarrassed me!""
I almost smiled.
"Imagine how I've felt.""
Jasmine came downstairs wearing a silk robe.
"What's happening?""
"Your stepfather has decided to punish us.""
I corrected her.
"I'm reviewing the finances.""
She grabbed her phone.
"My car payment didn't go through!""
"Your car is registered to the company account. That account is under review.""
She looked furious.
"Are you serious?""
"Completely.""
"Mom, tell him he can't do this!""
Linda turned toward me.
"You promised you'd always take care of us.""
I looked at her.
"I promised to love you. I never promised to let you steal from me.""
Jasmine slammed her phone onto the counter.
"You're unbelievable.""
I remained calm.
"You'll have to start paying your own expenses.""
She laughed.
"With what money?""
I looked directly at her.
"That's a question you should have asked before spending mine.""
She stormed out.
Linda followed her.
I heard their voices from the hallway.
"Mom, you said everything was handled!""
"It was supposed to be!""
"Then fix it!""
I closed my eyes.
A few minutes later, Linda returned.
Her face was pale.
"Marcus, there's something you don't know.""
I looked at her.
"What now?""
She took a breath.
"The company didn't just receive money from our accounts.""
"Where else did it receive money?""
She stared at the floor.
"From your business.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"Explain.""
"Some payments were recorded as consulting fees.""
I slowly placed my coffee cup down.
"Who authorized those payments?""
She didn't answer.
Then she whispered:
"Jasmine helped me.""
I stared at the hallway where my stepdaughter had disappeared.
And for the first time, I wondered whether the accident had given them an opportunity they had been planning to exploit.
But before I could ask another question, my phone rang.
It was my attorney.
"Marcus, I need you to come to my office today.""
"What's wrong?""
His voice became unusually serious.
"We've found something in the corporate records. Something that could affect your ownership of the company.""
I gripped the phone.
"What did you find?""
May you like
He paused.
"Someone has been trying to remove you as the controlling shareholder.""
