Chapter 4 · When Love Comes With a Price Tag

At three in the morning, I opened my credit card bill.

Every month, the payment was supposed to come out of my savings account, but that account had been empty for ages.

So who was paying it?

[Linked payment account: last four digits 3387.] It was Henry's card.

I leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

It had been eight years. I'd been living as if I were a stranger in my own home, handing all my money over to my parents, then guiltlessly enjoying everything Henry quietly provided.

The next morning, I found Henry in the kitchen making breakfast for Lucas.

"Mom! Did you go to Grandpa's yesterday? Is he okay?" Lucas ran over and hugged my leg.

"Grandpa had surgery and he's recovering," I replied, giving his head a gentle pat.

Henry slid the fried eggs onto a plate without looking at me.

"Henry," I called out.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"That folder... were you sorting through all those payments because you want a divorce?"

He paused for a moment, holding the plate. Then he set it down on the table. "I never said I wanted a divorce."

"Then what do you mean?"

"I mean, it's time you woke up."

He handed Lucas a glass of milk. "You gave your dad more than 13 million dollars. Do you know where that money went?"

"Mom said it was all lost in business."

Henry gave a short laugh. It wasn't a funny laugh, but one of resignation. "Do you believe that?"

I didn't answer.

"Your brother's Porsche cost 500 thousand dollars. His condo in Southgate Estates is worth 2 million dollars. You've seen all the luxury stuff his wife wears. And did you ever ask how much it cost to renovate your dad's villa three years ago?"

"No, I never asked."

"Then maybe you should." He grabbed his car keys. "I'm taking Lucas to school. Take your time and decide if you want to find out the truth. Let me know tonight."

The door closed behind him.

*****

At ten in the morning, I took a half-day off work.

I sat down in my study and turned on my computer.

First, I checked on Dad's construction materials business.

His company had been dissolved three years ago. The records were clear: it was shut down in April 2021, and had already been losing money before that.

So where did all the money I kept sending every year after that end up?

I looked up Eric's name next.

It turned out that Eric owned a company called Xander Capital Consulting Company. The company had an authorized capital of 1.7 million dollars, but not a cent had been paid in.

Eric Brown is listed as the registered agent. It was established in June 2021.

Two months after Dad's company was shut down, Eric set up this investment firm.

Coincidence? I didn't think so.

I kept digging. The company had no business records, no employee insurance and no tax filings.

It was nothing but an empty shell.

I pulled out my phone and called Mom.

"Nina, your dad woke up today. He's in pretty good spirits, but—" Mom started.

"Mom, how much money did Eric put into his investment company?" I cut her off.

There was a three-second silence on the other end. "What investment company?"

"Xander Capital Consulting Company. I checked. Its registered capital is 1.7 million dollars, but there's no actual paid-in capital. Yet he's driving a Porsche and living in a luxury apartment. That money didn't fall out of the sky."

"Nina, you shouldn't meddle in your brother's affairs."

"13 million dollars, Mom. Nearly everything I earned in nine years went straight to you and Dad. Now Dad's in the hospital, and you can't scrape together 170 thousand dollars. I deserve to know where all that money went."

Mom started crying on the other end. "How did you get like this? Your dad's still lying in the hospital."

"Let's talk about it after Dad's out of the hospital."

I hung up.

*****

Three days later, Dad was moved from the ICU to a regular room.

I didn't fly back. I called every day to check in, but Mom's attitude was getting noticeably colder.

"Your dad says he wants to see you," Mom said.

"I'll come this weekend," I replied.

On Friday night, Henry came home from work holding a file folder.

"This is for you," he said, dropping it onto the dining table.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Info on your brother's properties. I asked a friend to dig it up for me."

I opened it. There were four entries printed out on A4 paper.

[One condo in Southgate Estates, registered in August 2021.]

[One condo in Riverside Manor, registered in March 2022.]

[Two commercial units downtown back home, registered in November 2022.]

"Four properties," I said, staring at the figures on the page.

"A condo in Southgate Estates is worth 2 million dollars. One in Riverside Manor is 1.6 million dollars, and the two commercial units together are 1 million dollars," Henry said, sitting across from me. "That's nearly 5 million dollars in real estate.

"And that's not counting the car, his daily spending, or all those designer bags and jewelry his wife shows off."

"That's enough." I set the papers down. "I'm going back tomorrow."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

I met his gaze for a moment. He never once said, "I told you so," not after everything came to light.

"No, I'll go by myself."

"Nina."

"Yeah?"

"You need to decide. Do you want your money back, or an explanation?"

I got up and started clearing the dishes. "I want both."

Chapter 4

At three in the morning, I opened my credit card bill.

Every month, the payment was supposed to come out of my savings account, but that account had been empty for ages.

So who was paying it?

[Linked payment account: last four digits 3387.] It was Henry's card.

I leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

It had been eight years. I'd been living as if I were a stranger in my own home, handing all my money over to my parents, then guiltlessly enjoying everything Henry quietly provided.

The next morning, I found Henry in the kitchen making breakfast for Lucas.

"Mom! Did you go to Grandpa's yesterday? Is he okay?" Lucas ran over and hugged my leg.

"Grandpa had surgery and he's recovering," I replied, giving his head a gentle pat.

Henry slid the fried eggs onto a plate without looking at me.

"Henry," I called out.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"That folder... were you sorting through all those payments because you want a divorce?"

He paused for a moment, holding the plate. Then he set it down on the table. "I never said I wanted a divorce."

"Then what do you mean?"

"I mean, it's time you woke up."

He handed Lucas a glass of milk. "You gave your dad more than 13 million dollars. Do you know where that money went?"

"Mom said it was all lost in business."

Henry gave a short laugh. It wasn't a funny laugh, but one of resignation. "Do you believe that?"

I didn't answer.

"No, I never asked."

"Then maybe you should." He grabbed his car keys. "I'm taking Lucas to school. Take your time and decide if you want to find out the truth. Let me know tonight."

The door closed behind him.

*****

At ten in the morning, I took a half-day off work.

I sat down in my study and turned on my computer.

First, I checked on Dad's construction materials business.

His company had been dissolved three years ago. The records were clear: it was shut down in April 2021, and had already been losing money before that.

So where did all the money I kept sending every year after that end up?

I looked up Eric's name next.

It turned out that Eric owned a company called Xander Capital Consulting Company. The company had an authorized capital of 1.7 million dollars, but not a cent had been paid in.

Eric Brown is listed as the registered agent. It was established in June 2021.

Two months after Dad's company was shut down, Eric set up this investment firm.

Coincidence? I didn't think so.

I kept digging. The company had no business records, no employee insurance and no tax filings.

It was nothing but an empty shell.

I pulled out my phone and called Mom.

"Nina, your dad woke up today. He's in pretty good spirits, but—" Mom started.

"Mom, how much money did Eric put into his investment company?" I cut her off.

There was a three-second silence on the other end. "What investment company?"

"Nina, you shouldn't meddle in your brother's affairs."

Mom started crying on the other end. "How did you get like this? Your dad's still lying in the hospital."

"Let's talk about it after Dad's out of the hospital."

I hung up.

*****

Three days later, Dad was moved from the ICU to a regular room.

I didn't fly back. I called every day to check in, but Mom's attitude was getting noticeably colder.

"Your dad says he wants to see you," Mom said.

"I'll come this weekend," I replied.

On Friday night, Henry came home from work holding a file folder.

"This is for you," he said, dropping it onto the dining table.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Info on your brother's properties. I asked a friend to dig it up for me."

I opened it. There were four entries printed out on A4 paper.

[One condo in Southgate Estates, registered in August 2021.]

[One condo in Riverside Manor, registered in March 2022.]

[Two commercial units downtown back home, registered in November 2022.]

"Four properties," I said, staring at the figures on the page.

"And that's not counting the car, his daily spending, or all those designer bags and jewelry his wife shows off."

"That's enough." I set the papers down. "I'm going back tomorrow."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

I met his gaze for a moment. He never once said, "I told you so," not after everything came to light.

"No, I'll go by myself."

"Nina."

"Yeah?"

"You need to decide. Do you want your money back, or an explanation?"

I got up and started clearing the dishes. "I want both."