Chapter 3: The Signature That Wasn't Mine
Jordan reached into his backpack.
He pulled out a thin black folder and placed it on the dresser.
I stared at it.
"What else have you done?""
Nia shook her head.
"Marcus, please. Just listen to me.""
I didn't look at her.
"Open it.""
Jordan hesitated.
Then he unzipped the folder.
Inside were copies of business registration papers, bank documents, and several pages of legal agreements.
He removed one sheet and handed it to me.
"This is the loan agreement.""
I scanned the first few lines.
The loan amount was $120,000.
The borrower was Jordan's company.
The guarantor was listed as Marcus Reed.
My address.
My date of birth.
My employment details.
Even the name of the company I worked for.
Everything was accurate.
Except one thing.
I had never applied for the loan.
I had never signed the agreement.
And I had never given anyone permission to use my personal information.
I looked up.
"How did you get my details?""
Jordan glanced at Nia.
She looked like she might collapse.
"She gave them to me," he said.
My throat tightened.
"Nia?""
She pressed her hands against her forehead.
"I thought I was helping.""
"Helping?""
"I thought the business would succeed. Jordan promised we'd pay everything back.""
I shook my head.
"You're still not answering my question. How did he get my personal information?""
She finally looked at me.
"Your documents were in the filing cabinet.""
I stared at her.
The filing cabinet.
The one in our home office.
Where I kept copies of my tax returns, identification documents, employment contracts, and financial records.
"You went through my private files?""
"I needed the information for the application.""
"You needed it?""
She started crying again.
"I didn't think it would become this serious.""
I held the document up.
"One hundred and twenty thousand dollars, Nia! What part of this looks unserious to you?""
Jordan stepped forward.
"Marcus, listen. The loan hasn't been fully released.""
I turned toward him.
"What does that mean?""
"The bank approved the application, but they're still processing some of the paperwork.""
I stared at him.
"So you used my identity to apply for a loan, and you're telling me the bank hasn't finished?""
"I thought everything was handled.""
"By whom?""
He looked at Nia.
I let out a bitter laugh.
"Of course.""
Nia approached me.
"Marcus, I can fix this.""
I looked at her.
"How?""
"I'll talk to Jordan. We'll cancel everything.""
"That's not how this works.""
"I'll repay the money.""
"With what?""
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
I walked into the hallway and headed for the home office.
Neither of them followed immediately.
The room smelled faintly of coffee and printer ink. My laptop sat on the desk, exactly where I'd left it that morning.
I opened the filing cabinet.
The folder containing my personal documents was missing.
I searched the second drawer.
Nothing.
Then I noticed a small stack of papers underneath an old laptop.
There was a photocopy of my driver's license.
A copy of my passport.
And a printed email from a financial institution.
I picked it up.
The subject line read:
*Additional Verification Required — Marcus Reed.*
My stomach dropped.
The email had been sent six weeks earlier.
I opened the attachment.
The bank was requesting a live identity verification and a signed confirmation before releasing the funds.
The application had not been completed.
Someone had attempted to move forward using my information.
But the bank had stopped the process.
I heard footsteps behind me.
Nia stood in the doorway.
"Marcus...""
I turned around.
"How long have you known about this?""
She looked at the email.
"About a month.""
"A month?""
"I was trying to sort it out.""
"You knew someone was applying for a hundred-and-twenty-thousand-dollar loan in my name, and you said nothing?""
"I thought we could fix it before you found out.""
I stared at her.
"Before I found out?""
She began crying.
I placed the email on the desk.
"Get Jordan in here.""
"Why?""
"Because I want both of you to answer the same questions.""
She didn't move.
"Nia.""
Finally, she walked away.
A few seconds later, Jordan appeared in the doorway.
He looked at the documents scattered across my desk.
"Look, I understand you're angry.""
I almost smiled.
"You keep saying that as though anger is the biggest problem here.""
Jordan sighed.
"The business was supposed to be profitable by now. We had a few setbacks.""
"Then why didn't you tell the truth?""
"Because I knew you wouldn't help.""
I stood up.
"You've got that right.""
He folded his arms.
"Marcus, I'm not some criminal. I was trying to build something.""
"Then build it with your own money.""
He looked down.
Nia stepped between us.
"Can we please stop treating each other like enemies?""
I turned toward her.
"Enemies? You secretly transferred our savings to him. You gave him my private documents. And now I'm discovering a loan application using my identity.""
She wiped her face.
"I made mistakes.""
"These aren't mistakes, Nia. These are decisions.""
She looked at Jordan.
Then back at me.
And something in her expression changed.
Her tears stopped.
"Fine," she said.
"You want the truth?""
I waited.
She took a breath.
"Jordan and I have been working together for almost a year.""
I felt something cold settle in my chest.
"Working together?""
"On the business.""
"Only the business?""
She looked away.
Jordan immediately spoke.
"Don't do this.""
I turned toward him.
"Don't do what?""
Nia shook her head.
"I didn't want you to find out like this.""
My hands went cold.
"Find out what?""
She stared at the floor.
"Jordan and I started talking again before the first transfer.""
I nodded slowly.
"How long before?""
"Several months.""
"How many months?""
She whispered, "About eleven.""
Eleven months.
Almost an entire year.
While I had believed our marriage was recovering, they had been rebuilding their relationship behind my back.
I looked at Jordan.
"Did you sleep with my wife?""
He looked at Nia.
She looked at him.
That familiar exchange happened again.
Only this time, I didn't need an answer.
"Get out," I said.
Jordan picked up his backpack.
Nia stepped forward.
"Marcus, please.""
I held up my hand.
"Not another word.""
Jordan walked toward the front door.
But before leaving, he stopped.
"There is something else you should know.""
I closed my eyes briefly.
"What now?""
He looked genuinely frightened.
"The loan application isn't the only thing with your name on it.""
I opened my eyes.
"What does that mean?""
He swallowed.
"There's a company registered under your name.""
I stared at him.
"What company?""
"Reed Property Solutions.""
I had never heard of it.
Jordan continued.
"It was registered eight months ago. Nia is listed as the operations manager. I'm the director.""
I looked at my wife.
She didn't deny it.
"Why would you register a company under my name?""
Nia's voice was barely audible.
"Because the bank wouldn't approve the original application without a local guarantor.""
I stared at her.
"So you used my identity to create a company I don't know exists?""
She nodded.
I took a step backward.
For a moment, I couldn't breathe.
Then Jordan delivered the final blow.
"The company has already signed two contracts.""
I looked at him.
"With whom?""
He hesitated.
"One of them is with a property development group.""
"And the other?""
Jordan looked directly at me.
"Your employer.""
The room went completely silent.
My employer.
The company where I had worked for seven years.
The company whose trust I had spent my entire career earning.
I turned toward Nia.
"Tell me that's not true.""
She began shaking her head.
"Marcus, I can explain.""
I looked at the papers on my desk.
Then at the woman wearing the wedding ring I had bought her.
And for the first time, I understood that the betrayal wasn't limited to our marriage.
They had built an entire business around my identity.
And somehow, my own wife had made sure I was the last person to know.
My phone suddenly vibrated.
An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A man's professional voice came through.
"Good afternoon. Am I speaking with Mr. Marcus Reed?""
"Yes. Who is this?""
"My name is Daniel Foster. I'm calling from the corporate compliance department at your company.""
I glanced at Nia.
Daniel continued.
"We need to discuss a serious issue involving a company registered under your name. There's been a complaint, and your name has appeared on several financial documents.""
My grip tightened around the phone.
"What complaint?""
There was a brief pause.
Then he said:
"Mr. Reed, we believe someone may have used your identity to obtain confidential company information. And unfortunately, the evidence suggests that the person had access to your home.""
I slowly looked at Nia.
She had stopped crying.
May you like
Her face was completely expressionless.
And I realized that whatever she had done with Jordan was only part of the story.
