22

23

My mom called me that day saying she couldn't reach Caelan.

I snapped back, "You weren't this worried when your son-in-law went missing for so long!"

My mom was frantic on the other end of the line.

"He ran off with your dad's and my life savings!"

I had no idea about any of this.

I rushed home in a panic,

My parents and Nathan were sitting on the couch, with Molly trembling in fear in my mom's arms.

The house was completely trashed.

"What happened here?"

None of the three said a word.

I grabbed Nathan by the collar, "Talk!"

Nathan said, "Mom didn't have enough money for me to buy a house, right? Caelan said he had a way to double the money quickly. Give him $10,000, and he'd return $20,000 in a week."

"At first, we really could get the money back."

"$10,000 became $20,000, $20,000 became $40,000."

"Mom gave all her money to Caelan, even mortgaged the house."

I felt all the blood rush to my head.

"Then why is the house trashed?"