They Excluded Me From the Family, So I Built a New One novel · Chapter 11 of 24

Chapter 11: Thirty Thousand Dollars

I didn't go alone.

I went to the diner across from the attorney's building at one o'clock, and I went through the front door.

Libby and Kenzie took the booth by the window and ordered pie.

The attorney stood at the counter by the register, reading the menu.

Carl was already in the back corner, with his canvas jacket over the seat and both hands around a cup of black coffee.

He stood when I came in.

He had the heavy, sunburned face of a man who spent his life on docks, and when he looked at me he looked tired.

"Susannah."

"Carl."

"You brought people."

"I brought a pie order," I said. "Sit down."

He sat.

For a minute he said nothing, and the waitress came and went.

"I'll get to it," he said. "My wife made a mistake this morning with her phone."

"She sent a message to the wrong chat."

"Yes."

"And then she tried to delete it."

"You saw it."

"I took a picture."

He nodded slowly.

"I'm not going to tell you she didn't mean it," he said. "She meant it. She's meant it for two years."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I want to make you an offer."

He slid a thick envelope across the table.

I didn't touch it.

"There's thirty thousand dollars in there. It's yours, and I'll add another thirty for Libby's tuition. All you do is sign a letter to the bank saying you knew about the guarantee."

"I didn't know."

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