“Hello?” she said after finally deciding to answer. “Is this Cassidy Thorne?” a calm man voice asked from the other end.
“Who is calling?” she asked while motioning for the boys to stay quiet. “My name is Maxwell Kendrick and I apologize for calling you without an introduction.”
Cassidy stood up so quickly that Mason almost slid off the sofa. “Why are you calling me?” she asked with a defensive tone.
“I was at a bistro earlier and I overheard your ex husband talking loudly about a wedding,” Maxwell said. “He mentioned your name and he spoke about a message he sent you regarding success.”
Cassidy felt a hot wave of humiliation wash over her as she gripped the phone. “Why does that matter to you?” she asked.
“I am the owner of the company where he works and what I heard concerned me deeply,” Maxwell explained. “He was bragging about how he wanted you to walk into the room feeling defeated.”
Cassidy walked toward the kitchen to get away from the boys curious eyes. “Justin loves to brag about things that are not true,” she whispered.
“He also mentioned that his family thinks he sold your house because you were the one who failed financially,” Maxwell continued. “Is that what he told you as well?”
Cassidy leaned against the counter and felt the room begin to spin. “He told me we were in debt and that selling the house was the only way to save our future,” she said.
“He said I did not understand finance and that I should trust him to handle the liquidation.” There was a long pause on the line before Maxwell spoke again with a voice like cold steel.
“Your ex husband was under an internal investigation for embezzling commission funds from Kendrick Logistics.” “He repaid a significant portion of that money very quickly to avoid criminal charges.”
Cassidy felt her breath catch in her throat as she realized exactly where that money had come from. “The house,” she whispered while her eyes filled with fresh tears.
“The sale of your family home likely paid for his theft,” Maxwell said gently. “He did not sell it to save your family and he did not sell it because of your mistakes.”
Cassidy felt like she was back in the nursery she had painted green for the twins before they were born. She remembered Justin standing in the doorway telling her that she was being too emotional about a piece of real estate.