I didn’t get over it. I got curious.
The next morning, I logged into our credit union account on my phone before work. The MAUI account showed a zero balance. On Saturday, the entire balance had been transferred to David’s personal checking account. On the same day, a check for $11,400 went out to Buckeye Kitchen & Bath LLC.
The MAUI account was a joint account. David had every legal right to withdraw from it, and I knew that. Ohio doesn’t care whose paycheck the money came from if both names are on the account.
But I wanted to know exactly what $11,400 had bought.
So that afternoon, on my lunch break, I called Buckeye Kitchen & Bath.
“Hi, this is Rachel Brennan,” I said. “My husband, David, hired you for a kitchen remodel at his mother’s house in Westerville. I’m handling some of the paperwork. Could you email me a copy of the contract?”
The receptionist was cheerful and helpful. “Oh, sure. The Brennan job on Hollyhock Lane? I’ll send it right over.”
Ten minutes later, the contract was in my inbox. It was six pages long. I read it in my car in the dental office parking lot, eating a cold turkey sandwich, and I felt my stomach slowly turn to ice.
The total contract price for the remodel was $36,800. It included custom shaker cabinets, quartz countertops, a farmhouse sink, a tile backsplash, new stainless appliances, recessed lighting, and luxury vinyl plank flooring.
Our $11,400 was just the deposit, about thirty percent. The remaining $25,400 was due in two installments, at cabinet installation and on completion.
On the last page, under “Customer,” there were two signature lines. The first said “Linda Brennan, Property Owner.” It was blank.
The second said “David Brennan, Responsible Party.” It was signed.
I read the paragraph above it three times.
“The Responsible Party agrees to be personally liable for all amounts due under this Agreement, jointly and severally with the Property Owner. In the event of nonpayment, Contractor may pursue collection against the Responsible Party and may file a mechanic’s lien against the Property as permitted by Ohio law.”
David hadn’t just given away our anniversary fund. He’d personally guaranteed another $25,400 his mother would owe, and he’d done it without telling me.
I sat in my car until the end of my lunch break, staring at that signature.
Then I drove to Linda’s house after work. I didn’t tell David. I just wanted to look at this kitchen that was apparently falling apart.
Linda wasn’t home. Her Telluride wasn’t in the driveway. But I still had the spare garage code David gave me years ago for emergencies, so I let myself into the garage to leave a note.
That’s where I saw the sign.
It was leaning against the wall behind her recycling bins, still wrapped in clear plastic: a red and white real estate sign on a metal post. COMING SOON, it said, and under that, Karen Delgado, Delgado Realty Group, with a phone number.
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