Paying three hundred thousand dollars of debt before being ordered out of the house
“Clare is helping with the restructuring, Mother,” Marcus said. “We are working through the cash flow issues together.”
Arthur stood near the doorway, both of his hands buried deep in his trousers pockets. He did not look at either of us, his gaze fixed on the linoleum floor.
“Business is business,” Arthur mumbled. “Got to keep the lenders happy.”
“Of course,” Evelyn said, adjusting her pearls again. “But a husband needs to feel his home is a sanctuary, not another boardroom. Don’t you agree, Clare?”
“I think a home is built on mutual obligations,” I said, keeping my voice flat.
Evelyn smiled, a thin line that did not reach her eyes. “Indeed. And some obligations are more sacred than others.”
The dinner was quiet, punctuated only by the scrape of silver against porcelain. I watched Marcus pass the serving dishes, his movements smooth and practiced, the same easy charm he used with his clients. I wondered if he had already sat in the office on Main Street, discussing how to divide our life.
