The Final $100,000

Andrew's smile disappeared so quickly that I might have missed it if I hadn't spent thirty-two years watching his face.

“What do you need me to explain?”” he asked.

I glanced at Sloane. Her fingers tightened around the stem of her champagne glass, but her expression remained composed. Behind her, Victoria Whitmore continued smiling at a group of guests, apparently confident that the unpleasantness surrounding Margaret had been contained.

I lowered my voice.

“The additional charges submitted under my name. The authorization for the hundred-thousand-dollar transfer. And why you told the wedding coordinator everything had been approved when I never signed those documents.””

Andrew went pale.

Sloane's glass touched the table with a sharp click.

“Richard,” she said, forcing a laugh, “I think there's been some sort of administrative confusion.””

“Then let's clear it up.””

I reached into my jacket and removed a folded copy of the transfer authorization. I had printed it in Elaine's office, along with the invoices and email correspondence.

I placed the papers in Andrew's hands.

He looked down.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then he folded the documents and handed them back to me.

“Dad, we can discuss this privately.””

“Why privately?””

“Because it's complicated.””

“Is that why you forged my signature?””

His eyes darted toward the nearby tables.

“Keep your voice down.””

I stared at him.

My son had just asked me to keep quiet about a financial authorization bearing my forged signature at a wedding I had paid for. Meanwhile, the woman who had deliberately shoved his mother into the mud was standing beside him, waiting for him to make the problem disappear.

I had never felt so far away from my own child.

“Answer the question, Andrew.””

He rubbed the back of his neck.

“I didn't forge anything. I approved the paperwork because Sloane said you had already agreed to the changes.””

“Did you see me sign them?””

“No.””

“Did you ask me?””

He hesitated.

“No.””

“Then why did you approve them?””

“Because everything was moving so fast! There were vendors calling every hour, changes being made, people asking for decisions. I was trying to keep the wedding on schedule.””

“And the transfer?””

His silence answered before his mouth did.

Sloane stepped between us.

“Your son was under enormous pressure. You have no idea what it takes to organize an event of this size.””

“I paid for this event.””

“And we appreciate that.””

“Then why was money being transferred to a company that has nothing to do with the wedding?””

Her expression hardened.

“You shouldn't be looking through confidential documents without understanding the circumstances.””

“Those documents carry my name and authorize the use of my money. I understand exactly whose business they are.””

Andrew glanced toward the head table.

“Dad, please. Can we go somewhere else?””

I considered him for a moment.

Then I nodded.

“Fine. The three of us. Now.””

We walked into a small sitting room adjoining the reception tent. The room had been decorated with cream-colored armchairs and arrangements of white roses. Through the glass doors, I could see the lake darkening beneath the evening sky.

Andrew closed the door behind us.

Sloane immediately turned on him.

“Why did you let him see those documents?””

Andrew stared at her.

“What?””

“You were supposed to handle this.””

“I didn't know he had copies!””

“That's not the point. You said everything was under control.””

I stood beside the window and listened.

Neither of them seemed to remember I was there.

Finally, I spoke.

“What exactly were you planning to do with the hundred thousand dollars?””

Sloane turned toward me.

“It was a temporary arrangement.””

“Explain it.””

She crossed her arms.

“My family has several business interests. There were some timing issues with a private investment. We needed to move funds temporarily, and Andrew thought your final payment would provide the flexibility to do that.””

“My payment to the wedding vendors?””

“It would have been reimbursed.””

“When?””

“Shortly afterward.””

“From what money?””

She stared at me.

“You don't need to interrogate me as if I'm a criminal.””

“Then stop giving me answers that sound like a confession.””

Andrew stepped forward.

“Dad, it wasn't supposed to happen like this.””

“Like what?””

He looked exhausted.

“I thought the money would be moved for a few days. Sloane told me there was an opportunity involving her father's property company. She said we could earn enough to cover the additional expenses and repay everything before you noticed.””

I felt something inside me go still.

“You were going to take a hundred thousand dollars from money designated for the wedding vendors and use it for an investment I never approved?””

“It wasn't stealing,” he said quickly.

“We were going to return it.””

“Without asking me?””

“I knew you'd say no.””

There it was.

Not an apology. Not even an attempt to deny what he had done.

He had simply decided that my refusal would be an obstacle, and obstacles could be removed by deception.

“Andrew,” I said slowly, “do you understand that a transfer authorized under a forged signature can have serious legal consequences?””

He looked down.

“I didn't sign your name.””

“You approved the transfer.””

“Sloane handled the documents.””

Sloane's head snapped toward him.

“Don't you dare put this on me.””

“You told me your father would cover the money!””

“My father has nothing to do with this.””

“You said the investment was guaranteed!””

“Because it was!””

Their voices rose together.

I watched them turn on each other, and a bitter realization settled over me. They had been perfectly united when it came to humiliating Margaret and dismissing my concerns. But the moment their financial arrangement was exposed, neither seemed particularly interested in protecting the other.

“Enough,” I said.

They stopped.

I placed the transfer authorization on the coffee table.

“The final payment will not be released tonight.””

Andrew stared at me.

“You can't do that.””

“I can. The contract requires my approval of the final settlement.””

“But the vendors are expecting payment!””

“Then the legitimate invoices can be paid directly once they're verified.””

Sloane laughed in disbelief.

“You're going to embarrass us over a bookkeeping issue?””

“No. I'm refusing to approve an unauthorized transfer.””

“You're destroying your son's wedding!””

I looked at her.

“No, Sloane. I'm refusing to finance a transaction that you and my son tried to hide from me.””

Her face flushed.

“You have no idea what you're doing.””

“Perhaps. But I know what I saw this afternoon.””

She went silent.

I continued.

“I saw you shove Margaret. I saw you blame her for falling. And I saw my son stand beside you and lie about it.””

Andrew looked away.

“Dad, that's not fair.””

“Fair?””

I stepped closer.

“Your mother sold her grandmother's bracelet so you could attend college. She spent nights beside your hospital bed when you were a child. She worked herself sick helping me keep our business alive. Today, when she needed you to stand beside her, you chose to protect the woman who hurt her.””

Andrew's eyes shone with anger, though I couldn't tell whether it was directed at me or himself.

“You don't understand what it's like to be married to someone like Sloane.””

The words hung in the air.

Sloane stared at him.

I felt my heart sink.

“Then why did you marry her?””

Andrew opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

For the first time, I wondered whether the wedding had been a celebration for him at all, or simply another arrangement he had convinced himself he couldn't afford to question.

Before either of them could speak again, the sitting-room door opened.

Elaine stood in the doorway.

“Mr. Bennett, I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's another matter that requires your attention.””

She looked at Andrew, then at Sloane.

“The person who delivered the envelope has agreed to speak with you. They say the information inside it is incomplete without their testimony.””

Sloane's face drained of color.

Andrew turned toward her.

“You said nobody else knew.””

She didn't answer.

Elaine stepped aside.

A young woman entered the room. She wore a dark-green bridesmaid's dress and carried a small black handbag. I recognized her as one of the women who had stood near Sloane during the photographs.

She looked frightened, but her eyes were steady.

“Mr. Bennett,” she said, “my name is Caroline Whitmore. I'm Sloane's cousin.””

Sloane took a step forward.

“Caroline, what are you doing?””

Caroline ignored her.

“I was the one who sent you the documents.””

Andrew looked between them.

“Why?””

Caroline opened her handbag and removed a second envelope.

“Because there's something you need to know about your son's marriage agreement.””

She placed it on the table.