16 Dropping the Bomb

Fortunately, I didn’t have excessive expectations from them in any case and so I wasn’t actually upset. Avoiding their gazes, I sat down on the couch whereas I waited for Lawrence to reach.

“So? What actually occurred?” my mom requested.

“I don’t know both, mum. Our lawyer is on the way in which. You bear in mind Lawrence, proper? He’ll be right here in lower than half an hour. So please, save no matter questions that you’ll have for him…” I stated emotionlessly.

I felt chilly and misplaced inside. If I may select, I might select to easily disintegrate and disappear from right here. Their questions made me really feel sick. Their lack of sympathy or emotions made me really feel disgusted. It was apparent that every one they had been nervous about was how a lot cash I might stroll away with from George’s loss of life.

…

Lawrence was true to his phrase and arrived earlier than the half hour mark. After politely reintroducing himself to my dad and mom, he obtained all the way down to enterprise instantly. For his line of labor, I knew that point was cash. George paid Lawrence loads they usually’ve labored collectively for a very long time. If somebody knew the reality about George and his enterprise, then it was Lawrence.

“Let me begin out by explaining the present state of affairs to all of you in order that we’re aligned. Then we will resolve on the right way to proceed additional,” Lawrence stated, getting proper to the purpose.

“Okay…” I mumbled softly.

“Mr. Westford has been having monetary difficulties for the previous yr or so. Because of poor monetary efficiency within the hedge funds that he manages together with investments in actual property, he began misinforming his traders and dedicated some fraudulent actions. The traders have sued for compensation whereas the banks are additionally suing to get the cash that they loaned to him again. The court docket has dominated just lately that Mr. Westford has to pay again fairly a big sum of cash…” Lawrence defined grimly.

…..

“How a lot? George has some huge cash so…” my mom jumped in instantly.

“Effectively, he did have some huge cash however up to now yr due his spending…” Lawrence replied.

“You imply his compulsive playing…not his spending…” I shortly corrected.

“Sure, that too. Let me skip to the top outcome. At his loss of life, Mr. Westford’s wealth is within the adverse zone. In different phrases, even after accounting for his property and all sources of wealth, Mr. Westford is round 700 million {dollars} in debt,” Lawrence concluded.

700 million {dollars} in debt…

“What?! Are you being critical?” I cried out in shock. Did I hear that proper?

George is in that a lot debt even after considering all of his property. Inconceivable. George has so many property. Land, buildings, jets, gold, diamonds, and all the pieces else.

“Sure, Madame. I remorse to tell you that due to his playing, he’s been promoting off his property for some time now to fund his adventures. There isn’t a lot left on the time of his loss of life and after we take into consideration his debt, we land at round 700 million {dollars} for sure,” Lawrence reconfirmed the more severe.

“Inconceivable…this can’t be taking place to us!” my mom yelled loudly earlier than she burst into tears.

I used to be too shocked to react to my mom’s outburst. My total face felt numb, and the numbness was slowly spreading to the remainder of my physique. Am I about to faint?

“In order that bastard killed himself to flee his debt?” my father requested in shock.

“I can’t touch upon that, sir,” Lawrence replied professionally.

“What occurs to the debt now that George is useless?” my father requested as his eyes narrowed suspiciously on the lawyer.

Good query. If George is useless, then…

“I remorse to tell you this however since Mr. Westford has handed away, his debt burden will probably be immediately switch to his dwelling spouse. Madame, that’s you…” Lawrence stated as he appeared pointedly at me.

“Me? I’ve to repay the debt in his place? That’s loopy…” I stated in disbelief.

“Wait. If his property can’t cowl it, then it’s too unhealthy for the banks and traders. They simply gained’t get their a refund; it ought to don’t have anything to do with my daughter…” my father countered.

“That will usually be the case, Sir. Nevertheless, on this case, it isn’t purely Mr. Westford’s debt,” Lawrence replied readily.

“What do you imply?” I requested, not fairly following.

“Madame, you co-signed the paperwork to tackle the debt alongside together with your late husband. The debt is a shared one and now that he’s gone, you’re the one solely chargeable for paying it again,” Lawrence defined professionally and bluntly.

“However I didn’t…” I began denying however then I needed to cease mid-sentence.

“I believe you might recall signing these paperwork. I don’t suppose your signature was solid right here…” Lawrence stated regretfully as he positioned some paperwork onto the espresso desk in between us.

My coronary heart felt prefer it was going to cease beating as I recalled the numerous instances when George got here again dwelling late at night time. He requested me to signal some paperwork for him earlier than I went to mattress. He advised me that they had been crucial for him to put money into one thing with good return. He stated that as a result of we had been married, I needed to signal it too. I used to be so sleepy, and I signed it with out query and with out studying any of the paperwork. He was my husband and I simply trusted him utterly. George was additionally good and respectable within the funding area and so I by no means suspected something in any respect.

“So now I’m 700 million in debt?” I requested, incredulously.

“I’m afraid so, Madame. I can attempt to negotiate with the traders and the banks in court docket, however I doubt the determine goes to vary a lot,” the lawyer defined earlier than pursing his lips tightly collectively.

“That is insane! This isn’t true. It might’t be! You’re tricking us!” my mom shouted loudly as she jumped out of her seat.

“Settle down please…” my father stated sternly.

“My daughter was alleged to get all of her husband’s cash. He’s filthy wealthy so how can this occur?!” my mom wailed like a mad lady as tears rolled down her pink face.

–To be continued…