The following morning we began protecting my finances immediately. I opened new accounts under my name only while Meredith helped file credit freezes and fraud alerts.
My credit report revealed several surprises including two credit cards I had never opened, a personal loan application, and the mortgage account itself listed with delinquent payments.
Meredith contacted the mortgage servicer and once she mentioned identity theft and legal counsel the tone of the conversation changed quickly. They paused foreclosure actions while reviewing the documentation.
Later that afternoon my parents appeared outside our apartment building. Security refused to let them inside so they waited on the sidewalk.
My mother rushed forward when she saw me. “Allison, please talk to us.”
My father looked tense and tired.
Meredith stayed on speaker through my phone while I spoke. “Any communication should go through my attorney,” she said firmly.
My parents stared in disbelief.
“You hired a lawyer against your own family,” my mother asked tearfully.
“You froze my accounts three days after my wedding,” I replied. “You missed my ceremony to celebrate Kayla and placed your mortgage under my name without telling me.”