However, Brielle wasn’t growing up; she was drowning in a lifestyle she couldn’t afford and had developed a dangerous gambling habit. She owed a fortune to some very predatory lenders and had spent months weaving a web of lies to cover up the massive financial holes she had dug.
Cornered by a debt nearing half a million dollars, she decided to use the only valuable asset she could access as collateral: our family mansion. The property was held in a trust where Brielle was listed as a co-owner alongside my parents, giving her the opening she needed.
She thought she could move the paperwork quietly, temporarily transferring the deed to a corporation to get quick cash before anyone noticed. The company she chose to facilitate this desperate transaction was Zenith Systems, which was my company.
When the notification hit my desk, I initially thought it was a clerical error until I saw Brielle’s forged signatures and the frantic nature of the documents. I could have exposed her right then or blocked the transfer, but I chose to wait because I still harbored a small hope that my parents loved me.