Chapter 7 - The Text Message
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Maya welcomed me with open arms, a warm blanket, and a strong cup of tea. I sat on her living room couch, staring blankly at the wall as I recounted the absolute nightmare that had just unfolded. Maya was furious, pacing the floor and hurling colorful insults at Luke and his entire toxic family.
At exactly 11:45 PM, my phone buzzed on the coffee table.
It was a text message from Luke. I stared at his name on the screen for a long time before finally opening it.
"I'm sorry things got out of hand. Give Chloe the keys and come apologize to my mother tomorrow. We can put this all behind us."
I let out a harsh, bitter laugh. Apologize? After they publicly humiliated me, destroyed my belongings, and demanded the keys to my property? The absolute delusion of the man was staggering.
I was about to type out a blistering reply when a second notification popped up at the top of my screen. This one was from an automated banking service I used for my primary accounts.
"Ms. Hannah Ross: URGENT. We need to physically verify your signature on a pending loan application for $2,200,000. The property being offered as collateral is listed as your apartment in Atlanta, Georgia. Please contact your branch immediately."
All the blood instantly drained from my face. My hands began to shake so violently that I almost dropped the phone.
Two point two million dollars.
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I had never applied for a loan. I didn't need a loan. And I certainly wouldn't leverage my prized Atlanta apartment as collateral.
The forged bank signature was only the very first clue of the absolute devastation they had planned for my life.
