The next day, after classes and practice, I sat on the couch in my apartment, looking at my phone. The conversation with Dad had nagged me all day. It was time to call Mom and clarify the situation. When they’d divorced, I’d only been seven, so I understood little of what happened, and I’d never questioned Mom. I hadn’t wanted to bring up old pain. But I was an adult, and enough time had passed…
I brought Mom’s number up on my phone and called. She was usually showing houses at night and on weekends, so maybe I’d catch her in the office or at home.
The phone rang a few times and clicked. “Hello? Wren?” She was panting.
“What are you doing?” As my chest constricted, I breathed through it. This could be a tough conversation.
“I’m taking a brisk walk around the park. I had a few hours between clients, and I thought I’d fit some exercise in.”
Good. Then maybe I’d get some answers. “I had dinner with Dad last night.” I glanced toward the door. When would Grace be home? If she came in, I’d take this into my bedroom.
“Oh, how was it?” Her breathing slowed.
“It was…interesting.” I wasn’t sure how to describe it. “He’s got a fucking mansion here, and he said he didn’t sell the house in Cali, so I’m wondering how in the hell he could afford it.” Shit, I’d gotten straight to the point. I clenched my fist in my lap. “He doesn’t work full time, right?”
With a sigh, she said, “You know there’s a trust. He inherited money from your grandparents.”
“Okay, but how much?” No one ever talked about it. Why not? I knew I was in the trust somewhere. I held tight to the phone. “Mom?”
“I-I don’t know exactly. I know it’s in the millions, maybe even tens of millions, but I’m not privy to that information.” She huffed. “I don’t think your fatherhasto work.”
My mouth fell open. No wonder he could afford the place in Scottsdale and keep the home in California. “If…if he spends it all?—”
“Then you’d get nothing.” She clicked her tongue. “But that won’t happen, Wren. Your Aunt Nadine is the executor, and she manages the money. She makes sure he’s kept in check.”
“Mom, tell me why you divorced.” Bracing myself, I said, “I want the truth. I’m not a child anymore.” And I could handle it.
She drew an audible breath. “Honey, I don’t want what I say to damage your relationship with your father.”
“I’ve got news for you. It’s already damaged.” As heat flickered through my chest, I gritted my teeth. “I want to know.”
She scoffed. “Okay, well, this will be hard to hear, but he started drinking and lost his job. He’d been working remotely for Google, as you know, and he thought he could pick up contract work and make more money than what Google paid him.” She paused.
“Okay, and?” I knew all of this. When would she address the unspoken stuff? I shifted on the couch, tucking my legs beside me.
“And he didn’t…well, he wasn’t working like he said he was. Yes, he picked up odd jobs, but he spent a lot of money too.” She breathed in deeply. “I found out he’d gotten some credit cards and a personal loan, and we were drowning in debt.”
My eyes widened. Mom had been destitute after the divorce. Was this why? I barely remembered the house we had lived in with Dad, but it had been comfortably middle class.
“When I found the credit card bills…” She cleared her throat. “Damn it, I don’t think I should tell you this.”
Through my teeth, I said, “Mom, tell me.” I had to know. It was my right to know.
“There were all these charges from websites. At first, I figured they involved his job. But there were so many,” she said. “Then I looked them up. They were payment portals for porn sites.”
I gasped as shock tore through my body. “What?” This was a little gross. I didn’t want to think of my dad…yuck. No wonder she’d never told me. “Like, how much?”
“Over a thousand dollars every month. Sometimes up to two-thousand,” she said. “I was shocked.”
Holy fuck. I gaped, wrapping my head around it. “The only way to spend that much money on porn is to pay to view and interact with live?—”
“I know, Wren. I found him completely disgusting. In my mind, he’d turned outside the marriage for his…needs.” She scoffed. “I won’t say any more about that part of it. The bigger problem was our sinking deeper into debt with no way out. Unless I divorced him.”
With a nod, I pressed my lips together. Looking at porn videos wasn’t a big deal, but knowing your partner was interacting with cam boys or girls? Hell, I didn’t know what I thought about it. But then if your partner did it without your knowledge and racked up thousands of dollars when you were married and sharing finances?Yeah, that’s fucked up.
“Wren, are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m…okay. I’m stunned.” I bit my lower lip. No wonder Mom left him. “Does this explain Nadine’s control of the trust?”
