Diane covered her mouth.
“He shouldn’t have heard that.”
“He shouldn’t have been put in that situation.”
“No,” she whispered.
For once, she didn’t argue.
I let them inside.
Then I made Jason open every account.
I saw the mortgage, the credit cards, and the savings.
We weren’t about to lose our home, but we had to act immediately.
The worst part wasn’t the numbers.
It was seeing how many small lies had built the problem.
“From now on, every household payment comes from an account we both see,” I said. “No hidden transfers. No financial decisions that affect this family without both of us knowing.”
Jason nodded.
“And if we’re ever in trouble again, I hear about it before your mother does.”
“You will.”
“That’s not a promise I’m asking for, Jason. That’s the condition.”
“I understand.”
The next morning, I called the counselor myself.
Jason and I rescheduled the appointment.
