Chapter 9 - Florence Had Used Some of the Money to Protect Christopher Again
The unidentified transfers eventually made sense.
Not a luxury affair.
Not gambling.
Something older.
Christopher had quietly started another side business eighteen months earlier.
Small custom cabinetry operation.
Two subcontractors.
Rented shop space.
Florence knew.
I did not.
Why?
Christopher believed I would:
“shut it down before it had a chance.”
Maybe.
Because his earlier business failures made me cautious.
Still, hiding it was:
his choice.
The cabinetry business lost money almost immediately.
Equipment.
Rent.
Material deposits.
One client canceled.
Christopher used:
$14,600
from CCH Reserve.
Then another:
$9,200.
Florence approved:
both.
Why?
“She believed in me.”
Christopher said that during mediation.
I stared.
“You transferred my earnings into an account with your mother, then used that account to fund a business you intentionally hid from me.”
He looked down.
“Yes.”
That was worse than:
helping Mom.
Then:
“Did Florence know I didn’t know?”
“Yes.”
Maya asked:
“Why hide it?”
Christopher answered:
“Because Sabrina makes every financial risk sound like a character flaw.”
That landed.
I did do that sometimes.
Not enough to justify:
deception.
Enough that I needed to hear it.
He continued.
“She would’ve said no.”
I answered:
“Then the answer was no.”
Silence.
That was marriage.
Not:
if spouse says no, move the decision to:
May you like
Mom.
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