Another text came through, this one from Evelyn, Daniel’s mother.

*Rachel, what is going on? The commercial landlord for the bakery says our lease guarantee was revoked this morning. They are lock-changing the doors on Monday.*

I picked up my phone and opened my banking application.

With three taps, I confirmed that the corporate guarantees I had signed using my private family trust had been officially terminated.

For five years, I had quietly paid the shortfalls on Marcus’s landscaping business and Evelyn’s struggling bakery.

They believed Daniel was the one managing the finances, that his brilliant real estate investments were keeping them afloat.

In reality, Daniel’s investments had failed three years ago, and I had been quietly covering his losses to keep the peace.

I locked my phone and slid it back into my pocket.

I zipped the duffel bag and walked out of the bedroom, carrying my life in a single bag.

As I reached the top of the stairs, I heard Daniel’s phone ring downstairs.

He answered it quickly, his voice shaky.

“Marcus? Not now, man, I have a situation here,” Daniel said.