Chapter 16 - THE CREDIT CARDSGavin confronted Monica after Tyler went to bed.
Beatrice was asleep.
He placed the statements on the dining table.
Monica stopped halfway into the room.
“What’s that?”
“You tell me.”
She looked at the papers.
Her face drained.
“Gavin.”
“Thirty-three thousand in credit-card debt.”
“I can explain.”
“Twenty-three thousand from Mom’s care account that I cannot verify.”
“I reimbursed household expenses.”
“What household expenses?”
“Food. Gas. Supplies.”
“Twenty-three thousand dollars?”
Her jaw tightened.
“Caregiving costs more than invoices.”
“CareWell says you canceled them seven weeks ago.”
Silence.
“Why?”
“I could do it myself.”
“Why?”
“To save money.”
“Then where did the saved money go?”
Monica looked away.
“Investments.”
“What?”
“I made some bad decisions.”
Gavin stared.
“How bad?”
She sat.
Her shoulders collapsed.
“I thought I could make it back.”
“With my mother’s care money?”
“I was going to replace it.”
His voice went dangerously quiet.
“You took money meant to keep my mother safe.”
“I borrowed it.”
“No.”
“Gavin—”
“No.”
She started crying.
“I panicked.”
“About what?”
“Our life.”
“What does that mean?”
“I lost money. Then cards piled up. I thought if I invested again—”
“You reduced Mom’s aides.”
“I was here!”
“You were not enough.”
Her face changed.
“I did everything!”
“Rachel found her dehydrated.”
“She hates drinking!”
“She lost seven pounds.”
“She refuses food!”
“Mom says she missed meals.”
Monica stood.
“She can barely communicate!”
“She communicates enough.”
Monica looked toward Beatrice’s room.
Something dark crossed her face.
Gavin saw.
For the first time, he saw what Tyler had been describing.
Not exhaustion.
Resentment.
“Do you hate her?”
Monica stared.
“No.”
“You looked toward her room like you do.”
“She destroyed our life.”
The words came out before Monica could stop them.
Silence.
Gavin felt the room change.
Monica’s hand covered her mouth.
“I didn’t mean—”
“Yes, you did.”
“She came here and everything stopped.”
“She had a stroke.”
“And suddenly nothing mattered except Beatrice.”
“That isn’t her fault.”
“I know!”
“Do you?”
Monica cried harder.
“I was drowning.”
“You could have told me.”
“I did!”
“You told me you were tired.”
“I said I couldn’t do it.”
“And I said we would hire more help.”
“You never handled anything!”
That hit.
Because it was true.
Monica continued.
“You went to work. You came home and asked how she was. I handled appointments, diapers, meals, therapy, everything.”
Gavin absorbed it.
His failure existed.
But so did hers.
“You were allowed to hate caregiving.”
Monica stared.
“You were allowed to be angry with me.”
He pointed toward Beatrice’s room.
“You were not allowed to make her pay for it.”
Monica looked away.
May you like
And Gavin understood that the financial deception was only part of the story.
The rest had happened in moments no bank statement could show.
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