Your Lie Cost You Me Chapter 07
buyers asked to see the house early, before the midday heat set in, and Ian agreed.
He arrived with the couple while Ben and Jean were still asleep. Using the key I had given him, he let them in and began showing them around.
When Ian opened the bedroom door, the noise woke Ben. He took one look at the strangers and quickly pulled the blanket over Jean.
“You’re trespassing! I’m calling the police!”
But Ian didn’t budge. I had already briefed him on the situation..
“Ms. Sloan hired us to sell this house. They’re interested in buying it.”
Ben let out a humorless laugh, grabbed his phone from the nightstand, and dialed 911.
“Now get out! My wife needs to get dressed.”
Ian merely scoffed and led the couple away to see the rest of the house. After that scene, however, the couple were clearly having second thoughts.
Ian immediately gave them his word. “You won’t find another house this well renovated in your price range. It’s completely move-in ready, so you won’t have to spend a cent fixing it up.
“I can promise you this. Even the police showing up won’t stop you from buying this house.”
The couple exchanged a glance, then decided to stay.
By the time the police arrived, tensions were running high. Ben and Jean had taken one side of the living room, while Ian and the couple sat on the other. Neither side was willing to budge.
“Who made the call?”
Ben stood up. “I did. These three barged into my home first thing this morning and invaded our privacy.”
Ian didn’t flinch. He pulled out the deed and the authorization I had signed.
“This house is in Ms. Sloan’s name only, and she authorized our agency to sell it. She also told us that if these two weren’t out by the end of today, we could remove anything they left behind.”
The officers checked the documents, exchanged a glance, and nodded.
“Mr. Cullen, do you have anything to say?”
Ben remained silent.
“Unless you can show us a valid lease, you’ll have to move out today.”
Jean snatched the deed and looked it over again and again. Her face went pale, and her voice began to shake.
“Ben, wasn’t this supposed to be the house you and Noelle would share after the wedding? Why is her name the only one on the deed? Did you leave yours off just to make her feel more secure?
“If you can prove you paid for part of it, then maybe we can-
Ben cut her off, his voice hoarse. “I didn’t. Noelle paid for it in full.”
Jean sank onto the couch without a word. She had never imagined Mom and Dad would buy a multimillion-dollar house outright.
Ben swallowed his pride and tried to negotiate. “Can’t you at least give us some time to pack and move out?”.
Ian refused. “No. Ms. Sloan needs the money right away, and the buyers are ready to move in. If we give you more time, who’s going to cover their losses?”
Ben clenched his jaw and stalked out onto the balcony. I had just left the airport when he called to confront me
“You sent people over first thing this morning to kick us out. Was that really necessary? Jean is pregnant, and she used to be your best friend. Do you really have to put her through all this? I even rented you an apartment a few days ago.”
I scoffed. “Best friend? Not after she slept with my boyfriend. Ben, you can fool everyone else with that amnesia act, but don’t start believing your own lie.”
