Chapter 2 - Six Payments
The question remained suspended in the apartment long after Marcus asked it.
Richard recovered first.
He straightened his jacket and gave Marcus a cold look.
“You’re making assumptions about records you don’t understand.”
Evelyn’s face remained visible on Marcus’s phone.
“I understand them,” she said.
Richard looked sharply at the screen.
“Evelyn?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you discussing tenant accounts with him?”
“Because Mr. Reed is the originating payer on six transactions, and he called to verify whether they posted.”
“That doesn’t authorize you to disclose internal information.”
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“Internal information? It’s my money.”
Nia felt dizzy.
“Eleven thousand eight hundred fifty dollars,” she whispered.
Richard ignored her.
He focused on Evelyn.
“End the call.”
“No.”
The word surprised everyone.
Even Evelyn seemed surprised by it.
Richard’s jaw tightened.
“I’m your employer.”
“You’re one of the owners,” Evelyn replied. “And the account shows a zero rent balance through the end of this month.”
Nia reached for the back of a chair.
Marcus immediately moved toward her, then stopped himself.
His anger was still too raw.
“Nia?”
She lifted one hand.
“Don’t.”
He froze.
She looked at Richard.
“You stood in this kitchen last night and told me I owed almost twelve thousand dollars.”
“There are charges beyond base rent.”
“What charges?”
“Administrative expenses. Late penalties. Ownership assessments.”
Evelyn frowned.
“There are no ownership assessments on Unit 8C.”
Richard’s eyes narrowed.
“Evelyn.”
“And late fees cannot total anything close to that amount.”
Nia’s humiliation began turning into something else.
Not relief.
Rage.
She walked to the kitchen table and picked up the cream-colored notice.
“Is this real?”
Richard remained silent.
She held it toward the phone camera.
Evelyn leaned closer to her screen.
“Can you show me the bottom?”
Nia did.
Evelyn’s face changed.
“What?”
“That document number doesn’t match our system.”
Marcus took the notice.
“Meaning?”
“Our official notices are generated automatically through property management software. They contain a fourteen-digit reference code and the management office address.”
Marcus looked down.
“This has eight digits.”
“Yes.”
Nia’s mouth went dry.
Richard finally moved toward the door.
“We’re done here.”
“No,” Nia said.
He stopped.
For the first time since she had met him, Richard Caldwell looked genuinely unsure of himself.
“You don’t walk out after this.”
“Nia, you made an adult choice.”
Marcus lunged one step forward.
Nia grabbed his sleeve.
“No.”
Marcus looked at her.
She shook her head.
“Don’t give him anything he can use.”
Richard’s gaze flickered between them.
“You invited me to stay.”
Nia flinched.
Marcus went rigid.
Richard saw it.
He used it.
“I did not force my way into your apartment. There were no threats of violence. You agreed.”
“You manufactured a debt.”
“That’s your interpretation.”
“You told me I would be evicted.”
“You were financially distressed.”
“Because you lied about my rent.”
Richard smiled faintly.
“You should speak to an attorney before making accusations.”
Marcus raised his phone.
“I think you should.”
Richard’s eyes went to Evelyn.
“You have no authority to provide another document.”
Evelyn’s voice became cautious.
“I have an obligation to preserve accurate records.”
“Not anymore.”
Richard ended the call from his side of the property conferencing system.
Evelyn disappeared.
Richard reached for the door.
Nia did not stop him this time.
Before leaving, he looked at her.
“You may want to think very carefully about how much of last night you want made public.”
The threat was quiet.
Clear.
Then he was gone.
The door closed.
Nia locked it.
Marcus stared at the lock.
For several seconds, they stood without speaking.
Then Marcus said, “Did you sleep with him?”
Nia shut her eyes.
The question hurt because she knew he already understood the answer.
“Marcus.”
“I need you to say it.”
She turned.
His face was devastated.
“Yes.”
He looked away.
“I thought I was going to lose my home.”
“You could’ve called me.”
“I thought I owed twelve thousand dollars.”
“You could’ve called me.”
“You never told me you paid it!”
His eyes snapped back to hers.
“Because you wouldn’t take my help!”
“So you lied to me?”
“I tried to protect you.”
“You secretly paid my landlord and asked him not to tell me.”
Marcus hesitated.
Nia saw the answer.
“You did.”
“I asked him to let you believe the account was stable without making you feel indebted to me.”
She stared.
“Do you hear how insane that sounds now?”
“I didn’t ask him to tell you that you were behind.”
“But you handed him the perfect secret.”
Marcus rubbed both hands over his face.
“I thought I was helping.”
“And I thought I was surviving.”
Their pain collided in the room.
Neither knew where to put it.
Marcus finally sank onto the sofa.
“Why didn’t you tell me what he offered?”
“Because I was ashamed before I even said yes.”
“You should’ve trusted me.”
Nia’s eyes filled.
“And you should’ve trusted me enough to tell me you were paying my rent.”
That silenced him.
Her phone vibrated on the kitchen table.
Unknown number.
Nia almost ignored it.
Then another message arrived.
She picked it up.
The sender identified herself.
EVELYN PRICE.
The message contained a PDF.
A legitimate tenant ledger.
Every month showed PAID.
Below it was one line from Evelyn.
Richard asked me three days ago whether I could reverse your six payments and mark them delinquent. I refused.
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A second message followed.
Nia, I don’t think you’re the first tenant he has done this to.
