Chapter 6 - VRS CONSULTING
VRS Consulting existed. That was important. It was not a fake company with an empty mailbox.
Vanessa Reed had formed it six years earlier for real-estate acquisition consulting. Clients. Tax filings.
Employees? One contractor. The $175,000 payment from Carter Development Advisory was invoiced for “site sourcing and strategic acquisition services.”
Which sites? Three. One included our McLean property.
Nine months before proposed sale. So Vanessa had been paid to position acquisition of my house while sleeping with my husband. When did affair start?
Text records later showed emotional relationship around same time. Physical affair seven months. Julian had lied by three months.
Then I asked Maya whether payment was stolen trust money. Not automatically. Trust loaned Julian’s company $420,000.
Once loan proceeds entered company, it could pay legitimate business expenses, assuming loan itself valid. Problem started with conflicted trust loan. Then whether VRS fee fair.
Maybe. Outside review valued services closer to $60,000. So inflated.
Then Vanessa emailed Julian: Once Elena signs, we’re clear. Date two months ago. Julian: She won’t read it.
There. Then another: If Margaret gets to her first, everything stops. Vanessa: Then don’t let Margaret get to her.
There. No ambiguity about information suppression. Then Martin Vale.
Did he know affair? He said no. Did he know VRS owner was Vanessa?
Yes. Did he know she worked for Redwood? Yes.
Did he disclose conflict to me? No. Why?
He considered Julian authorized under limited POA. Then limited POA. Original produced.
My signature. Notary Martin himself? Lawyers can notarize maybe. Let's use independent notary.
Video from law office signing room existed? Security overwritten years ago. But packet cover email from Julian to me: Need signatures on refinance docs. Martin says routine.
Attachment contained 43 pages. POA page included. So I may have signed.
Then issue becomes informed consent, not forgery. But filed direct signature still false. Maya said: “Do not confuse being deceived about scope with not signing.”
Good. I had signed something broad because I trusted husband and lawyer. That was my mistake.
Not legal permission for false direct signatures necessarily. Then court neutral trustee, Rebecca Sloan, ordered forensic accounting. She called me.
“Do you want house retained?” I thought. I had assumed yes.
Then realized I did not know. The house contained parents. Marriage.
Lies. Maybe sale eventually. But not under fraudulent pressure.
“I want choice preserved.” Exactly. Then Julian filed divorce.
He did it before I could. Petition cited separation and irretrievable breakdown. Fine.
Then asked court for temporary occupancy of McLean house. He lived there. I was in Virginia hotel after Savannah.
Could he stay? Neutral trustee allowed temporary occupancy at market-equivalent charge credited in accounting. Good.
Then he told mutual friends I had “weaponized inheritance to make him homeless.” He was still living in house. Narratives move faster than facts.
Then I released nothing publicly. No social media. Then one friend asked: “Is it true you own everything?”
“No.” That answer disappointed her. Reality rarely satisfies gossip.
Then Vanessa took leave from Redwood pending conflict review. Her company investigated acquisition. They withdrew offer.
House no longer under contract. Then Julian lost expected resolution fee. He blamed me.
But fee depended on sale. No sale, no fee. Then one night Margaret said: “Your father would be proud.”
I shook head. “Don’t do that.” She looked surprised.
May you like
“You don’t know what Dad would think.” She apologized. Good.
Even allies can turn dead people into authority. I was done letting anyone speak for people who were not in room.
