Lahat ng Kabanata ng Taking Root: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

The next morning, kitchen smoke woke me.Tyler stood at the stove frying eggs while grease splattered everywhere.My marble countertop was covered in oil."Morning, future sister-in-law."He sounded friendly, but the metal spatula in his hand was scraping directly across my nonstick pan."Tyler, don't use a metal spatula on that pan.""You'll ruin the coating.""Yeah, yeah, sure."He agreed without changing what he was doing.Marcus came out of the study, saw me frowning in the kitchen doorway, and wrapped an arm around my shoulders."Jules, don't be so tense."Tyler isn't a stranger."He's my brother, which makes him your brother too."I said nothing and removed his arm from my shoulders.During breakfast, his mother spoke."Jules, this house gets nice light, but it's a little small."Once Tyler finds a job here and gets a girlfriend, there won't be enough room."My fork paused halfway to my mouth."Mrs. Caldwell, this is supposed to be Marcus's and my home after we

When I returned home that night, I waited in the living room.At nine thirty, Marcus came home from work and jumped when he saw me sitting in the dark."Jules? Why didn't you turn on the lights?""Marcus Caldwell, what is Caldwell Wholesale?"His hand paused for one second as he removed his shoes.Only one second. Then he continued."It's a small company Tyler registered. He does wholesale distribution.""Why are you asking?""A $120,000 business loan was deposited into Caldwell Wholesale."The borrower is me."The collateral is my house."Did you know about it?"The sound of television show that his mother was watching still drifted from the living room.Marcus pulled me into the guest room, shut the door, and leaned against it. His gentle expression turned into a coldness I had never seen."Jules, have you been investigating me?""Answer the question.""I arranged it."He said it as if he had every right."Tyler needed start-up capital. He has no assets, so he could

By the time I reached the county hospital, my father's surgery was over and he had been moved to intensive care.The doctor said his life had been saved, but rehabilitation would become a financial black hole."You should expect at least another forty thousand dollars."Your family needs to prepare for a long recovery."Forty thousand dollars.Added to the sixty thousand for surgery, the total was one hundred thousand.I sat on a plastic chair outside intensive care and buried my face in my hands.My phone rang with a voice message from Marcus."Jules, do you have enough money?"If not, I can help you borrow a little more."I opened the second message."Also, Mom says her back has been hurting badly. When you return, take her to the university hospital."Cover the appointment and imaging fees first."I stared at the screen and laughed.It was the kind of laugh that came when fury had gone beyond words.My father lay in intensive care with tubes in his body, and Marcus wa

Marcus exploded the day the court issued the emergency property order.He called more than twenty times. I answered none of them.Finally, he sent a voice message, each word squeezed through clenched teeth."Julia, you froze my property?"Have you lost your mind?"You think you can beat me in court?"My name is on the deed. The law protects me!"At most, you can recover the loan. You'll never take the house from me!"I forwarded the message to Adrian."He's panicking.""Panic makes people careless," Adrian replied almost immediately."Jules, the next step is crucial."We need him to admit in his own words that he used your identity to obtain the loan without your knowledge."With that recording and the handwriting analysis, the evidentiary chain will be complete.""How do I make him admit it?""Go see him."Act defeated."He responds to submission, not confrontation. The stronger you appear, the more guarded he becomes."But if you cry, ask to settle, and pretend you'

On the day of the hearing, Marcus wore a gray suit and had combed every strand of hair into place.When he saw me at the plaintiff's table beside Adrian, he frowned slightly.He still believed I was bluffing.Then the judge called the hearing to order.Adrian presented the evidence one item at a time.Forensic handwriting report: The signatures on the loan and security agreements were not written by Julia Butterworth and had been forged.Audio recording: Marcus Caldwell personally admitted that he used Julia Butterworth's identity to obtain the loan.Written admission: Marcus Caldwell acknowledged in his own handwriting that Julia had no knowledge of the loan.Bank records: The $120,000 loan proceeds were transferred to Caldwell Wholesale, which was controlled by Tyler Caldwell.Property records: The authorization used to record the second mortgage had also been forged.With every exhibit, more color drained from Marcus's face.His attorney flipped through the documents, swe