Paying three hundred thousand dollars of debt before being ordered out of the house
He dragged another heavy mound of brown oak leaves onto the plastic, his movements deliberate and energetic.
“I was talking to my father this morning about the restructuring,” Marcus said, his voice dropping to a lower, more intimate register. “He thinks we can turn the consulting startup around if we consolidate the remaining liabilities under one clean agreement.”
“James wants to dissolve the partnership,” Marcus muttered, his hands gripping the rake. “He thinks the liabilities are too high. But I told him we are restructuring. I told him we have a plan.”
“Is that why you spent the ninety thousand, Marcus? To buy out his interest or pay off his claims?” I asked, testing him.
He hesitated, his fingers rotating the signet ring. “It was consulting fees. Finding new clients. It takes money to build momentum, Clare.”
“The startup has ninety thousand dollars unaccounted for, Marcus,” I said, holding the edge of the tarp against the wind.
He stopped raking, his eyes scanning the yard before they settled on mine.
“I was desperate, Clare,” he said, taking a step toward me. “I made some terrible choices, but I am trying to fix them.”
