after the call, I considered restoring the tuition transfer.
Then Michael phoned.
“Grandma told me what happened.”
“She shouldn’t have involved you.”
“She didn’t. Aunt Beth did.”
“That sounds right.”
He hesitated. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine.”
“I may have overreacted.”
“No, you didn’t.”
His certainty irritated me.
“You warned me about Richard from the beginning,” I said. “I’m sure this is very satisfying.”
Michael went quiet.
“That’s not fair, Mom.”
I knew it wasn’t, but pride kept me from apologizing before he ended the call.
By three that afternoon, I had hurt the one person trying to protect me.
The following morning, I met Helen Pierce, my longtime banker, near Keystone Parkway. She helped me review every transaction from the accounts belonging to me.
The total was not thirty thousand dollars.
It was eighty-four thousand.I looked at Sloane. “I agreed to help based on
