“Can you call me back?”
“This is urgent.”
I didn’t call him back.
At 4:30, Ashley called.
“Helen, we need to talk.”
“Michael’s having some kind of financial emergency, and we think it might be connected to your court situation.”
“Can you meet us tonight?”
“This is really important.”
I didn’t call her back either.
At 7:00, my doorbell rang.
Through the window, I could see Michael’s car in my driveway, and both him and Ashley standing on my porch.
Michael looked like he hadn’t slept in a week, and Ashley’s perfect composure had cracked around the edges.
I opened the door, but didn’t invite them in.
“Mom, we need to talk,” Michael said immediately.
“Something’s gone wrong with my loans.”
“Every bank, every credit company, they’re all demanding immediate payment.”
“They’re saying I guaranteed debts I never even heard of.”
“That sounds complicated.”
“It’s more than complicated.”
“It’s impossible.”
“They’re saying Dad co-signed loan guarantees for over $400,000.”
“But that can’t be right, can it?”
“Dad never mentioned anything like that to you, did he?”
Robert had co-signed those guarantees three years ago, knowing exactly what would happen if Michael ever came after me legally.
My husband had planned this conversation down to the last detail.
“Your father handled all the financial matters,” I said truthfully.
“I rarely knew what he was doing with investments and business arrangements.”
Ashley stepped forward, her fake smile nowhere in evidence.
“Helen, this is serious.”
“If these loan guarantees are real, we could lose everything.”
“The house.”
“The cars.”
“Everything.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Sorry to hear that.
Ashley’s voice rose an octave.
“Helen, this affects you, too.”
“If Michael loses his house, where do you think you’re going to live when you can’t take care of yourself anymore?”
Interesting.
Yesterday, I was too much of a burden to stay in their guest room for a week.
Today, I was part of their long-term housing plan.
“I think I’ll manage,” I said calmly.
Michael was staring at me with growing confusion.
“Mom, did you hire a lawyer?”
“Because someone filed papers opposing my competency petition, and they seem to know an awful lot about my personal finances.”
“I’m represented by Meridian Legal Services.”
“Meridian Legal Services?”
“Mom, those guys charge five hundred an hour.”
“How are you paying for that kind of legal representation?”
Five hundred an hour sounded reasonable for protecting forty-seven million.
Michael had no idea he was asking exactly the wrong questions.
“I’m managing my affairs just fine, Michael.”
Ashley’s patience finally snapped.
“This is ridiculous.”
“Helen, whatever games you’re playing, they need to stop right now.”
“Michael was trying to help you, and somehow that’s triggered some kind of financial nightmare.”
“You need to fix this.”
“I need to fix this?”
“Yes.”
“Call your lawyer.”
“Withdraw whatever papers you filed, and let’s work together to resolve this situation like adults.”
Like adults.
As if Michael trying to have me declared incompetent was the mature, responsible approach to family problem-solving.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Michael was starting to realize that something fundamental had shifted in our relationship.
“Mom, are you saying you won’t help me with this loan situation?”
“I’m saying that I think you should have thought about the consequences before you decided to have your disabled mother declared mentally incompetent so you could access her bank accounts.”
The words hung in the air like a toxic cloud.
Both Michael and Ashley stared at me in shock, probably because they’d never heard me speak so bluntly about anything.
“That’s not what this was about,” Michael said weakly.
“Really?”
“Then what was it about?”
“It was about protecting you from making bad financial decisions.”
“You’re vulnerable, Mom.”
“People could take advantage of you.”
People could take advantage of me.
The irony was so rich it was almost funny.
“You’re right, Michael.”
“People could definitely take advantage of a disabled elderly woman.”
“It’s good that your father planned ahead for that possibility.”
Ashley was looking between us with growing alarm.
“What do you mean, planned ahead?”
I smiled at her, the kind of smile I’d learned from watching her use it on me.
“I mean that my husband was a very intelligent man who understood exactly what kind of person our son really is.”
And for the first time in three days, I closed the door on their stunned faces and left them standing on my porch.
Tomorrow, they’d learn exactly how intelligent Robert had been.
The next morning brought the most satisfying phone call of my life.
Victoria Hayes sounded positively delighted.
“Mrs. Carter, I have wonderful news.”
“First National Bank moved to foreclose on Michael’s mortgage at 8:00 this morning.”
“His car loans are being called due immediately, and the gambling debt consolidation notices went out to all creditors last night.”
“How much time does he have?”
“Fourteen days to bring all accounts current or face immediate asset seizure.”
“The total amount due is approximately $870,000.”
Eight hundred seventy thousand.
Michael didn’t have it.
He couldn’t possibly raise it in two weeks.
Robert’s trap had been sprung, and it was working exactly as designed.
“There’s more,” Victoria continued.
“Michael’s attorney withdrew from his competency case this morning after discovering the financial conflict of interest.”
“Apparently, trying to have someone declared incompetent while owing them almost a million dollars creates some ethical complications.”
