Chapter 4: The Loan Nobody Authorized
For three seconds, I couldn't speak.
David had taken out a loan using my company's assets.
Or someone had tried to.
Either way, the consequences could reach far beyond my relationship with Tasha.
My employees trusted me to pay their wages. My suppliers trusted me to honor our agreements. The bank trusted me to manage the business responsibly. And now someone had apparently dragged my company's name into a financial arrangement I knew nothing about.
I turned toward Tasha.
“How much money are we talking about?””
She pressed her palms against her knees.
“I don't know.””
“Don't tell me you don't know. You said David took care of the loan. What exactly did he tell you?””
“He said everything was approved.””
“Approved by whom?””
“He didn't explain.””
I stared at her.
“You handed my business documents to a man you used to date, told him I authorized him to act for me, and didn't ask what he was doing with the information?””
Tasha began crying again.
“I thought he was helping us!””
“Us?”” I repeated.
“You and David?””
“No! You and me!””
Nicole placed her phone on the table.
“Marcus, we need to stay focused. The title company has reported a claim. That doesn't establish that a valid loan exists or that your assets have actually been pledged. We need the lender's name, the application, and whatever documents David submitted.””
I nodded.
“Can you contact them tonight?””
“The title company has an emergency contact. I'll call them now.””
Nicole stepped toward the house, already dialing.
I remained in the backyard with Tasha.
The grill had gone cold. The last guests were gone. Paper plates sat scattered across the buffet table, and a half-empty bottle of lemonade rolled gently in the evening breeze.
Everything looked ordinary.
That was the disturbing part.
A financial disaster could begin in the middle of a perfectly ordinary evening, while the person responsible stood ten feet away crying about how much she loved you.
Tasha reached for my hand.
I moved mine.
“Marcus, please listen to me.””
“I'm listening.””
“I never wanted David to hurt you.””
“But you trusted him with information you knew was private.””
“He said he could help me pay off my debts.””
“And what did he promise you in return?””
She looked down.
“Nothing.””
I waited.
She rubbed her thumb against her ring finger, a nervous habit I'd noticed whenever she was hiding something.
“Tasha.””
“He said that if his investment group helped your business, there could be opportunities for me, too.””
“What opportunities?””
“A management position. Maybe a share of the profits.””
I laughed once, without humor.
“You were negotiating a position in my company with your ex-boyfriend?””
“He said you would eventually agree!””
“Why would I agree to something I didn't know existed?””
She had no answer.
I walked to the edge of the deck and stared at the dark lawn.
For years, I'd thought Tasha wanted me to become more successful because she wanted us to build a better life together.
Now I wondered whether she had wanted access to my success without having to acknowledge how little she understood about the work behind it.
Nicole returned a few minutes later.
“The title company has paused the closing,” she said.
“They received a notice from a lender claiming that Bennett Renovations had applied for a secured credit facility. The lender is reviewing an authorization document.””
“Who is the lender?””
“Peachtree Capital Finance.””
I knew the name.
The company operated as a private commercial lender. I'd seen its advertisements at industry events, but I had never applied for financing through it.
“Did they say how much?””
Nicole checked her notes.
“Four hundred and twenty thousand dollars.””
Tasha covered her mouth.
I looked at her.
“Four hundred and twenty thousand?””
“I didn't know it was that much.””
“Did you know about any loan at all?””
She hesitated.
That hesitation was answer enough.
Nicole noticed it, too.
“Tasha, did David tell you that he had submitted a financing application using Marcus's company information?””
“He said he was putting together a proposal.””
“That isn't what I asked.””
Tasha stood abruptly.
“I didn't sign anything in Marcus's name!””
Nicole remained calm.
“That's an important distinction, but it doesn't answer the question.””
Tasha turned toward me.
“I didn't forge your signature. I swear to God.””
“Did you tell David he had permission to use my company's assets as collateral?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I thought the loan was just a backup plan. He said no money would move without your approval.””
I felt my jaw tighten.
“And you believed him?””
“He said he knew how these things worked.””
“So did I. That's why I never authorized it.””
My phone vibrated.
An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen.
I answered.
“Marcus Bennett?””
“Yes.””
“My name is Robert Hale. I'm calling from Peachtree Capital Finance. We've received information suggesting you may not have authorized a recent commercial credit application.””
“That's correct. I did not authorize it.””
“Do you recognize David Mitchell?””
I looked at Tasha.
“Yes. I know who he is, but I did not appoint him to represent my company.””
“Understood. We've placed the application under review and frozen further processing pending verification. We have not disbursed funds.””
I closed my eyes briefly.
At least the money hadn't moved.
“What documents do you have?””
“We'll send a formal request for confirmation to your company's registered email address. We'll also need a written statement disputing the authorization and supporting records establishing who can act for the company.””
“I'll provide them through my attorney.””
“That's fine. Please preserve any relevant communications. We have an individual who claims to have coordinated the application with someone connected to your company.””
“Who?””
“David Mitchell.””
I looked at Nicole.
She nodded for me to continue.
“Did he submit a signed guarantee?””
“There's a document containing a signature attributed to an authorized company representative. I can't characterize its authenticity over the phone, but that's one of the items under review.””
My stomach tightened.
“Send the document to my attorney through the proper channel.””
“Certainly. Mr. Bennett, until the review is complete, please don't assume the application is valid or that the collateral claim has been established.””
“Understood.””
When I ended the call, the backyard felt colder.
Tasha approached me slowly.
“Marcus, they haven't given him the money, right?””
“No.””
She exhaled in relief.
“Thank God.””
I turned toward her.
“Why are you relieved? You helped him get this far.””
Her expression crumpled.
“I made a terrible mistake.””
“Yes,” I said.
“You did.””
She began to cry again, but this time I felt no urge to comfort her.
Nicole gathered the folder and slipped her phone into her bag.
“I'm going to prepare the response and coordinate with the lender's legal department. Marcus, don't sign anything David sends you. Don't agree to any new arrangement. And don't delete any messages.””
“I won't.””
She looked at Tasha.
“You should preserve your communications as well.””
Tasha nodded weakly.
After Nicole left, I walked inside.
The kitchen still smelled of grilled onions and barbecue sauce. I placed my keys on the counter and stared at the family photographs Tasha had arranged along the wall.
There was one from our trip to Charleston. Another from my brother's wedding. A third showed us standing outside this house on the day we moved in.
Tasha had her arms around my waist in that photograph.
I'd been smiling so hard my cheeks hurt.
She came into the kitchen behind me.
“Are you going to break up with me?””
I didn't answer immediately.
“Do you understand what you've done?””
“I do.””
“No, I don't think you do.””
She wiped her face.
“I could lose you.””
“You could have cost me my company.””
“But you didn't lose it. The lender hasn't given David anything.””
“That doesn't make your decision harmless.””
She stepped closer.
“Tell me what to do. I'll fix it.””
I looked at her for a long moment.
“Give Nicole every message you have with David. Every email, every attachment, every conversation. Don't leave anything out.””
She nodded.
“And until we know what happened, don't access my laptop, my company accounts, or any business documents.””
“Okay.””
“One more thing.””
She looked up.
“Did David tell you why he needed the loan?””
Her lips parted.
For the first time that night, she looked less frightened of losing me than frightened of answering.
“He said he needed to settle an old debt.””
“What old debt?””
She stared at the floor.
Then she whispered, “He said he owed someone a lot of money.””
“Who?””
“I don't know.””
I stepped away from her.
“Find out.””
She grabbed my arm.
“Marcus, please. Don't make me choose between you and him.””
I slowly removed her hand.
“You made that choice when you gave him my information.””
I walked upstairs and closed the bedroom door.
For the first time in four years, I locked it.
And at 11:43 that night, an email arrived from Nicole.
The subject line read: *URGENT — SIGNATURE DISCREPANCY.*
May you like
The first sentence made my blood run cold.
Marcus, the lender has sent us a copy of the personal guarantee, and the signature isn't the only thing that concerns me.
