Only disappointment.
The deepest kind.
The kind that arrives when you finally stop making excuses for someone.
Margaret stepped toward me.
“Sofia.”
I didn’t look at her.
“You wanted me to quit.”
She started crying.
“I wanted to protect my son.”
“You wanted to protect him from consequences.”
“He made mistakes.”
“No.”
I looked at her.
“He made choices.”
She wiped her face.
“You don’t understand what it means to be a mother.”
“And you don’t understand what it means to be a wife.”
The room became silent.
I picked up my laptop.
Then I opened my banking app.
Nathan watched me.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking the mortgage.”
His face changed.
“Why?”
“Because if you used the house as collateral, I want to know exactly what is attached to it.”
He stepped forward.
“Sofia, wait.”
I ignored him.
I called the bank.
After verifying my identity, I asked for every loan and lien associated with the property.
