Chapter 4 · The Door Changed

Adam frowned. "Cut the crap."

He pulled out a second document.

It was a "Confirmation of Settlement of Historical Financial Transactions."

It said I'd paid the 287,000-dollar down payment for him, and that everything between us had already been settled, transfers, gifts, trips, shared expenses, even cash.

At the bottom were my signature and fingerprint.

I stared at it for half a minute.

Last year, when we were handling the apartment handover and renovation stuff, Adam handed me a pile of paperwork to sign.

That day, I'd just gotten back from my hometown, still had a fever. He kept flipping, I kept signing.

But this one, I swear I've never seen it before.

"When did I sign this?" I demanded.

Adam leaned back on the sofa. "It was in that batch of papers from last year. You seriously don't remember what you signed?"

Mary jumped in, "It's all here in black and white. You say you don't remember, so now it's all our fault?"

Sophia finally looked up. "I really don't care what went on between you two before. But now, Adam and I live here. If the money's already settled and you want to dig up the past, you'd better have some proof."

I looked at her. "Are you even aware of the 287,000 dollars?"

She paused for a moment. "I know you paid some money before."

Her answer was evasive, leaving plenty of room for doubt.

I kept flipping through the papers.

There was even an acknowledgment for 67,000 dollars in cash.

The date on it was November 27th last year.

That was the day James passed away.

I caught the first train back to my hometown that morning and didn't return until the 29th.

I kept every ticket, every cemetery payment, every hotel receipt.

James would never throw away even a 7-dollar wrench receipt.

After he was gone, I picked up that habit too.

They had no clue.

I slid the acknowledgment back into the folder. "Is that all?"

Adam stared at me for a couple seconds, then pulled out another stack of mortgage paperwork.

The address was this seventeenth floor.

[Application date: September 10th.

[Approved amount: 227,000 dollars.

[Status: Approved.

[Scheduled registration: Next Monday at 9 AM.

[September 10th.]

Two days later, he went and got his marriage license with Sophia.

And back then, he was still discussing our October 19th wedding with me.

I looked up. "You went and mortgaged the place this early?"

Adam's voice was cool and detached. "The deed's in my name. I don't need anyone's permission to handle my own apartment."

"Where did the 227,000 dollars go?"

"Moving some money around."

"Who was it for?"

"None of your business."

Sophia chuckled. "What's there to hide?"

She locked eyes with me. "After the money came through, Adam handed me 133,000 dollars. That's what he promised me for security after we got married."

Adam shot her a sharp look.

She didn't stop there.

Now I finally saw the whole picture.

September 10th: he applied for the mortgage.

September 12th: he got his marriage license with Sophia.

October 19th: they were throwing their own wedding reception on the date that was supposed to be mine.

And after Monday, the apartment I put 287,000 dollars down on would be saddled with another 227,000 dollars in debt.

I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture of the receipt.

Adam saw me, but didn't bother stopping me. "Go on, take your picture."

He leaned back in his chair. "So after Monday, you can't say I didn't give you a heads-up."

He really believed that me taking a picture wouldn't make any difference.

Then he slid the settlement agreement back over to me. "Sign it today and I'll transfer the 33,000 dollars right away.

"Go ahead, sue if you want. By the time you finish with your lawsuit, this place will be drowning in debt. Don't expect me to save anything for you."

Mary chimed in, "If you really drag this into court or your workplace, do you even care about your reputation anymore? Take the 33,000 dollars and make it easy for everyone."

I stared down at the receipt.

Monday, 9 AM.

It was Friday afternoon now.

Just two days left.

Adam reached over and snatched the receipt away. "The 33,000 dollars offer only lasts until today. After Monday, go ahead and sue whoever you want."

He thought he'd covered all the bases.

But there was only one question running through my mind.

Two days.

How was I supposed to stop them from mortgaging the apartment before it was too late?

Chapter 4

Adam frowned. "Cut the crap."

He pulled out a second document.

It was a "Confirmation of Settlement of Historical Financial Transactions."

It said I'd paid the 287,000-dollar down payment for him, and that everything between us had already been settled, transfers, gifts, trips, shared expenses, even cash.

At the bottom were my signature and fingerprint.

I stared at it for half a minute.

Last year, when we were handling the apartment handover and renovation stuff, Adam handed me a pile of paperwork to sign.

That day, I'd just gotten back from my hometown, still had a fever. He kept flipping, I kept signing.

But this one, I swear I've never seen it before.

"When did I sign this?" I demanded.

Adam leaned back on the sofa. "It was in that batch of papers from last year. You seriously don't remember what you signed?"

Mary jumped in, "It's all here in black and white. You say you don't remember, so now it's all our fault?"

I looked at her. "Are you even aware of the 287,000 dollars?"

She paused for a moment. "I know you paid some money before."

Her answer was evasive, leaving plenty of room for doubt.

I kept flipping through the papers.

There was even an acknowledgment for 67,000 dollars in cash.

The date on it was November 27th last year.

That was the day James passed away.

I caught the first train back to my hometown that morning and didn't return until the 29th.

I kept every ticket, every cemetery payment, every hotel receipt.

James would never throw away even a 7-dollar wrench receipt.

After he was gone, I picked up that habit too.

They had no clue.

I slid the acknowledgment back into the folder. "Is that all?"

Adam stared at me for a couple seconds, then pulled out another stack of mortgage paperwork.

The address was this seventeenth floor.

[Application date: September 10th.

[Approved amount: 227,000 dollars.

[Status: Approved.

[Scheduled registration: Next Monday at 9 AM.

[September 10th.]

Two days later, he went and got his marriage license with Sophia.

And back then, he was still discussing our October 19th wedding with me.

I looked up. "You went and mortgaged the place this early?"

Adam's voice was cool and detached. "The deed's in my name. I don't need anyone's permission to handle my own apartment."

"Where did the 227,000 dollars go?"

"Moving some money around."

"Who was it for?"

"None of your business."

Sophia chuckled. "What's there to hide?"

She locked eyes with me. "After the money came through, Adam handed me 133,000 dollars. That's what he promised me for security after we got married."

Adam shot her a sharp look.

She didn't stop there.

Now I finally saw the whole picture.

September 10th: he applied for the mortgage.

September 12th: he got his marriage license with Sophia.

October 19th: they were throwing their own wedding reception on the date that was supposed to be mine.

And after Monday, the apartment I put 287,000 dollars down on would be saddled with another 227,000 dollars in debt.

I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture of the receipt.

Adam saw me, but didn't bother stopping me. "Go on, take your picture."

He leaned back in his chair. "So after Monday, you can't say I didn't give you a heads-up."

He really believed that me taking a picture wouldn't make any difference.

Then he slid the settlement agreement back over to me. "Sign it today and I'll transfer the 33,000 dollars right away.

"Go ahead, sue if you want. By the time you finish with your lawsuit, this place will be drowning in debt. Don't expect me to save anything for you."

Mary chimed in, "If you really drag this into court or your workplace, do you even care about your reputation anymore? Take the 33,000 dollars and make it easy for everyone."

I stared down at the receipt.

Monday, 9 AM.

It was Friday afternoon now.

Just two days left.

Adam reached over and snatched the receipt away. "The 33,000 dollars offer only lasts until today. After Monday, go ahead and sue whoever you want."

He thought he'd covered all the bases.

But there was only one question running through my mind.

Two days.

How was I supposed to stop them from mortgaging the apartment before it was too late?