Standing behind Clint was Sienna. She looked nothing like the confident woman in her profile picture. Her face was pale, and against her chest she held my missing blue folder. “I think this belongs to you,” she said. Clint spun toward her, but Nadine immediately told him not to enter the apartment. Sienna explained that she had found the folder hidden inside a cabinet at Harborview Towers after Clint rushed out. Inside were our tax records, the children’s account statements, and copies of documents bearing signatures that looked like mine.
The worst document was the apartment application. Clint had listed me as financially responsible for part of the lease and attached records from accounts funded largely by my wages. Sienna stared at him in disbelief. He had told her we were already separated, that the children’s savings belonged to him, and that I had agreed to help finance his “temporary transition.” She had believed the luxury apartment came from money Clint had saved himself.
Nadine preserved copies of everything and contacted the credit union. Their review showed the $9,200 deposit and additional withdrawals had been processed using paperwork that appeared to carry my authorization. I formally disputed the signatures and provided evidence of my work schedule and banking history. The account was restricted while the transactions were investigated, and my attorney began separating the finances and addressing the missing money through the proper legal process.
Clint stopped pounding on the door after the building manager warned him security had been called. Sienna left shortly afterward and ended things with him. Over the following months, part of the disputed money was recovered, while the rest became part of the financial issues handled during our separation. I increased the grocery budget immediately, bought Ivy new shoes, and opened protected savings accounts for both children. Clint had told me to perform miracles with rice. The real miracle was discovering that the person keeping our family afloat had never been him.
