She was right. With that money properly invested, I would never have to worry about finances again. I could even afford to help David and Jessica if I chose to. The question was whether they deserved that help.
I drove home with the signed transfer documents and a cashier’s check for seven hundred forty-three thousand dollars in my purse. By the time I pulled into my driveway, I had made my decision about the property sale. But first, I wanted to see what David and Jessica had done with their afternoon.
I found them exactly where I had left them. David was back on his laptop, but instead of job searching, he was researching landscaping equipment. Jessica was making lists of business names and logo ideas.
— How did the meeting go? — David asked when I walked in.
— The property is mine, and the money is in my account.
— That’s wonderful! — Jessica exclaimed. — So you can help us get started!
I sat down across from them.
— Actually, I have an opportunity to sell the property for 1.8 million dollars.
Their mouths fell open simultaneously.
— 1.8 million? — David whispered.
— Plus the rental money, it would be about 2.5 million dollars total.
Jessica was practically vibrating with excitement.
— Margaret, this is incredible! We could all be set for life!
— I could be set for life, — I corrected. — This is my inheritance.
— But family… — David started.
— Yes, let’s talk about family, — I interrupted. — David, what did you accomplish this afternoon while I was claiming my inheritance?
He gestured to his laptop.
— I’ve been researching commercial lawnmowers.
— And you have been shopping for equipment for a business that doesn’t exist instead of looking for work that could actually provide income.
— I was planning!
— You were fantasizing. Jessica, what about you?
She showed me her notebook.
— I’ve been working on branding concepts.
— And more fantasizing. — I closed her notebook. — Neither of you spent a single minute this afternoon doing anything that would actually improve your situation.
— We were planning our future! — Jessica protested.
— You were planning to spend my money. There is a difference.
David leaned forward desperately.
— Mom, with 2.5 million dollars, you could afford to invest in our future. It would barely make a dent in your wealth.
— Could I afford it? Yes. Should I invest in people who won’t even look for jobs while living in my house rent-free? Absolutely not.
— You’re being cruel, — Jessica said.
— I’m being practical. And I’ve made a decision about the property sale.
They both held their breath.
— I’m accepting the offer. But there is a condition attached to how that money gets used.
— What condition? — David asked.
I pulled out my phone and showed them the rental listing I had found during my drive home.
— It’s a lovely two-bedroom apartment about twenty minutes from here. Available immediately.
— You want us to rent an apartment? — Jessica’s voice was flat.
— I want you to become independent adults. The lease is in your names, first month’s rent paid by me as a move-out gift.
— And after that?
— After that, you support yourselves like every other married couple in America.
David stared at the apartment listing.
— Mom, we can’t afford this on our own.
— Then you’d better find jobs quickly.
— What if we can’t find work in time to make the rent?
I smiled.
— Then you will learn what real financial pressure feels like. And maybe that will motivate you in ways that my generosity never could.
But I wasn’t finished with my surprises yet. The apartment viewing was scheduled for Thursday morning. I insisted on driving David and Jessica there myself, ostensibly to help them evaluate the space, but really to make sure they couldn’t back out at the last minute.
The apartment was perfect for them. Two bedrooms, a modern kitchen, washer and dryer connections. The rent was fifteen hundred dollars a month, which would require both of them to work but wasn’t impossible to manage.
— It’s nice, — David admitted reluctantly as we walked through the living room.
— The kitchen is bigger than I expected, — Jessica added, though her tone suggested she was looking for reasons to reject it.
The property manager, a woman named Carol, was explaining the lease terms when my phone buzzed with a text message. It was from Thomas Richardson.
Important development. Can you call me immediately?
I excused myself and stepped outside to return his call.
— Margaret, we need to meet today. Something significant has happened with your case.
— What case? I’m not involved in any legal case.
— You are now. Jessica’s former employer filed a criminal complaint against her for embezzlement. The police want to interview you as a witness.
My blood went cold.
— Embezzlement? I thought she was fired for stealing office supplies.
— That was apparently the tip of the iceberg. They’ve discovered she forged purchase orders and invoiced fake vendors for almost fifty thousand dollars over six months.
— Fifty thousand dollars…
No wonder they were so deeply in debt.
— Thomas, what does this mean for me?
— Since Jessica has been living in your house, they will want to verify you weren’t involved. And Margaret, there’s something else.
— What?
— They’ve also opened an investigation into David’s unemployment benefits. Apparently, he’s been claiming to look for work while receiving payments, but there is no record of actual job applications. Benefit fraud.
Both of them were potentially facing criminal charges.
— How bad is this?
— Jessica could be looking at felony charges. David’s situation is less serious, but still problematic. Margaret, you need to distance yourself from their legal problems immediately.
I looked through the window at David and Jessica, who were still discussing the apartment with Carol. They had no idea their past was about to catch up with them.
— I’ll call you back in an hour, — I told Thomas, and went back inside.
— So what do you think? — I asked brightly.
— We’ll take it, — David said. Jessica shot him a surprised look, but he was apparently ready to commit to independence.
— Excellent, — Carol said. — I’ll need first month’s rent, last month’s rent, and a security deposit. Forty-five hundred total.
I pulled out my checkbook.
— I’ll cover the first month’s rent as promised. You two will need to handle the rest.
— The rest? — Jessica’s voice cracked. — We don’t have three thousand dollars.
— Then I guess you’d better figure out how to get it quickly, — I said, continuing to write the check. — The apartment won’t hold itself.
David was panicking.
— Mom, we can’t come up with that kind of money by ourselves.
— Sure you can. You have until tomorrow to make this work.
I handed Carol the check for fifteen hundred dollars.
— This holds the apartment for twenty-four hours, correct?
— Correct. They have until tomorrow at noon to bring the balance, or the apartment goes to the next applicant.
As we drove home, David and Jessica were arguing frantically about where to find three thousand dollars.
— We could sell something! — Jessica suggested.
— Sell what? We don’t own anything valuable!
— We could ask friends for loans.
— What friends? We’ve already borrowed money from everyone we know!
I listened to their desperation with growing satisfaction. This was the real-world pressure they had needed all along.
— There is one option, — I said casually as we pulled into my driveway.
— What option? — David asked eagerly.
— You could get jobs today. Any jobs. Even minimum wage work would get you enough money for the deposit if you could both start immediately.
— Nobody pays on the first day! — Jessica protested.
— Restaurants do. Construction companies do. Cleaning services do. You’ve just been too proud to consider those kinds of jobs.
— Mom, please, just loan us the money and we’ll pay you back.
— With what income? You still haven’t solved the fundamental problem of having jobs.
I parked the car and turned to face them.
— David, Jessica, I need to tell you something important.
— What?
— The police called while we were looking at the apartment.
The color drained from both their faces.
— What did they want? — Jessica whispered.
— They want to interview me about some «irregularities» in your former employment records.
Jessica started crying. David just stared at me in horror.
— How much trouble are we in? — he asked quietly.
— That depends on how honest you’ve been with me about your situations.
— We told you the truth! — Jessica sobbed.
I shook my head sadly.
— Jessica, embezzling fifty thousand dollars is not the same as taking office supplies.
She looked like she might faint.
— And David, claiming unemployment benefits while not actually looking for work is fraud.
— Who told you that? — he demanded.
— People talk, David. This is a small town. — Actually, Thomas had excellent sources at both the police department and the unemployment office, but they didn’t need to know that.
— What happens now? — Jessica asked through her tears.
— Now you decide whether you want to face these problems as independent adults with their own apartment, or as unemployed criminals living with their mother.