The Mercer Freight building rose above downtown behind a wall of glass.<\/p>\n
I parked underground and took the elevator to the executive floor.<\/p>\n
Rebecca was already waiting near reception.<\/p>\n
She looked at me once.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want to leave?\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen let's get this over with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel Mercer met us outside the conference room.<\/p>\n
Two attorneys were seated inside, along with someone from human resources.<\/p>\n
Dylan wasn't there.<\/p>\n
That surprised me.<\/p>\n
Daniel opened the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cMara, Rebecca.\u201d<\/p>\n
We took our seats.<\/p>\n
He remained standing for a moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore we begin, I want to make one distinction very clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever happens with Dylan is separate from Mercer Freight's relationship with Northline Design.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca nodded.<\/p>\n
Daniel continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe value your firm's work. Nothing we've seen changes that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of the tension in my shoulders finally released.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel sat down.<\/p>\n
Then he placed a printed letter in front of me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs this your signature?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at it.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you authorize Dylan to communicate these terms on behalf of Northline?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeither did I.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the attorneys wrote something down.<\/p>\n
Daniel placed another document on the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about this proposed financial arrangement?\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had never seen it before this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel glanced toward his attorney.<\/p>\n
Then back at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Dylan understand your role at Northline Design?\u201d<\/p>\n
I gave a small, humorless smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe thinks I work from my bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe isn't exaggerating.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel leaned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat explains several conversations we've had with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe claimed he had helped you secure our account.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca almost laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur first Mercer Freight contract was signed eight months before Dylan joined the company.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe verified that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He picked up another document.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe also represented himself as someone who could influence future work between our companies.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt heat rise in my face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never gave him that authority.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then the attorney spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is another matter concerning the property listed in this proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the document.<\/p>\n
The address was visible near the bottom.<\/p>\n
My childhood home.<\/p>\n
I placed my finger beside it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ownership information is wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel studied me.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you explain?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I want my attorney present before I discuss the property in detail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is reasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n
I glanced at the clock.<\/p>\n
\u201cNora should be here soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n
Then the conference-room door opened.<\/p>\n
Dylan walked in.<\/p>\n
He stopped immediately.<\/p>\n
His eyes moved from me to Rebecca.<\/p>\n
Then to Daniel.<\/p>\n
Then to the documents on the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is she doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel's voice was calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cClose the door, Dylan.\u201d<\/p>\n
My brother looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cMara, seriously?\u201d<\/p>\n
I said nothing.<\/p>\n
He stepped farther into the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou called my boss?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're trying to get me fired because of last night?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel pushed the forged letter toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you submit this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dylan glanced down.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's a preliminary document.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you have authorization from Mara?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe're family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel didn't blink.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn't an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dylan looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knew I was trying to help.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew I was trying to build something for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou posted my belongings beside a trash can.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a joke.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou called me dead weight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're twisting everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca spoke quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one needs to twist anything. The documents speak for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dylan turned toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho are you to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca Shaw,\u201d she said. \u201cCofounder of Northline Design.\u201d<\/p>\n
He frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n
She placed her business card on the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cMara Bennett. Managing partner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dylan stared at the card.<\/p>\n
Then at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said nothing.<\/p>\n
He gave a short laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe does freelance work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca's expression didn't change.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe owns half the company.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went quiet.<\/p>\n
Dylan looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's not what you told me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel's eyebrows rose.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never told you she was not a partner.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said her company was involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dylan turned back toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou've been a partner?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor how long?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree years.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
Not dramatically.<\/p>\n
Just enough for me to see the shock underneath his anger.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn't you tell us?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChristmas, two years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't remember that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were telling Dad about the car you wanted. You interrupted me before I finished.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dylan looked toward Dad's imaginary absence, as though somehow our father might appear and rescue him from the conversation.<\/p>\n
Then he looked back at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you kept this secret?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI stopped trying to explain things to people who weren't listening.\u201d<\/p>\n
His jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn't give you the right to interfere with my career.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel answered before I could.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis meeting isn't about your sister interfering with your career.\u201d<\/p>\n
He tapped the forged letter.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is about whether you represented yourself as having authority you didn't possess.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dylan opened his mouth.<\/p>\n
Nothing came out.<\/p>\n
A knock sounded.<\/p>\n
The door opened.<\/p>\n
Nora Whitfield stepped inside carrying her leather briefcase.<\/p>\n
She looked first at me.<\/p>\n
Then at the documents.<\/p>\n
Then at Dylan.<\/p>\n
Her expression became unreadable.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood afternoon,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Daniel stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Whitfield.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nora nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
She placed the briefcase on the table.<\/p>\n
Dylan stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is she?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at my brother.<\/p>\n
Then at the deed inside Nora's briefcase.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe person who is about to explain exactly whose house you tried to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dylan's face went pale.<\/p>\n
And for the first time since he had carried my belongings into the rain, he looked genuinely uncertain about what he had done.<\/p>\n
The Mercer Freight building rose above downtown behind a wall of glass. I parked underground and took the elevator to the executive floor. Rebecca was already waiting near reception. She … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3896,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sharestory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3900"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3900\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3912,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3900\/revisions\/3912"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}