Chapter 6 - The Woman Behind the Application
By Saturday morning, I had stopped asking myself whether Preston had made an impulsive mistake.
This was no longer about an entitled son wanting a larger house.
Someone was attempting to create an entire false history around my property.
A history in which I had willingly surrendered control.
Marisol arranged a meeting with a representative from the lending company.
The representative, Naomi Ellis, was a forty-two-year-old loan compliance specialist.
She arrived at Marisol's office carrying a laptop and a thick folder.
"I want to be very clear," Naomi said. "Our company has not approved this loan."
I exhaled.
"Thank goodness."
"We identified inconsistencies during verification. The application has been suspended and referred for internal review."
Marisol nodded.
"What inconsistencies?"
Naomi opened the file.
"Several documents were uploaded under Mrs. Hale's name, but the contact information led to someone else."
"Who?" I asked.
Naomi glanced at her notes.
"Kendra Hale."
I stared at her.
"My daughter-in-law?"
"The application listed her as a family financial coordinator."
I felt a coldness spread through my chest.
Kendra had once worked as an administrative assistant at a real estate office.
She understood property paperwork better than Preston did.
Suddenly, several details made sense.
Her insistence that I should live in the guesthouse.
Her unusual interest in my purchase price.
Her wandering alone through my courtyard.
She hadn't simply admired the villa.
She had been evaluating it.
Naomi continued.
"The application also contained a statement that Mrs. Hale required family assistance with financial decisions."
Marisol leaned forward.
"Was there any medical documentation supporting that statement?"
"Nothing verified."
"And who submitted the request?"
Naomi hesitated.
"I can tell you that the application account was created using an email address associated with Kendra Hale. More detailed records will need to be handled through the proper investigative process."
I looked down.
My son had threatened to call the police on me.
His wife had apparently been preparing financial documents behind my back.
And Richard had encouraged them both.
For what?
A loan?
A house?
Control?
Naomi closed the folder.
"One more thing concerned our compliance team."
I looked up.
"What?"
"Someone requested that all future correspondence be sent to an address different from your residence."
Marisol frowned.
"Which address?"
Naomi read it aloud.
It was a private mailbox rented under the name Hale Family Holdings.
I had never heard of that company.
After the meeting, Marisol researched the publicly available business records.
Hale Family Holdings had been formed six weeks earlier.
Its registered manager was Richard Hale.
Its listed mailing contact was Kendra.
I stared at the documents.
"They created a company?"
"Yes."
"To take my house?"
"We don't yet know everything they intended, but it's important evidence."
My mind raced.
Six weeks earlier, I had still been enjoying my first month of freedom.
I had been painting flowers in my guesthouse.
Planting lemon trees.
Hanging curtains.
Meanwhile, my former husband and daughter-in-law had been building a paper trail around my home.
That evening, I received a call from an unfamiliar number.
A woman spoke softly.
"Mrs. Hale?"
"Yes."
"My name is Rebecca Shaw. I used to work for Richard Hale."
I recognized the name.
Rebecca had been Richard's executive assistant for nearly twelve years.
"Rebecca? Is everything all right?"
She hesitated.
"There's something you need to know about the company Richard created."
My pulse quickened.
"What about it?"
"I saw the paperwork before I resigned."
"Rebecca, what did you see?"
May you like
Her voice dropped.
"Your son isn't the person Richard plans to give that house to."
