He looked ten years older than he had at the buffet.
"Millie," he began, "I owe you an apology."
"For what?"
"For believing your father."
I said nothing.
He folded his hands.
"Richard told me you had agreed to help Vanessa and Brandon purchase the company."
I stared at him.
"Purchase it?"
He nodded.
Dad was planning to sell Miller Custom Builds.
Not to an outside buyer.
To Vanessa and Brandon.
They had formed a company to acquire it.
The bank financing was supposed to cover the purchase and initial operating expenses.
But Vanessa and Brandon didn't have sufficient savings or reliable earnings to qualify comfortably on their own.
Dad's company had struggled.
Its financial records were uneven.
And the bank wanted additional assurance that the debt would be repaid.
That's where I came in.
My corporate salary.
My excellent credit.
My savings history.
All the things my family had spent years praising.
**They were attempting to use my financial stability to fund the transfer of Dad's business to Vanessa and Brandon.**
Dad would receive proceeds from the sale.
Vanessa and Brandon would get the company.
Mom would get the satisfaction of seeing her favorite daughter become a business owner.
And I would carry enormous financial risk if the new company couldn't repay the loan.
I felt sick.
"Did you know my signature wasn't real?"
Paul looked genuinely horrified.
"No. Susan told me she had spoken to you personally."
I stared through the window.
Outside, people lounged beside the pool.
The ship was carrying thousands of passengers on vacation.
And somewhere in the same floating city, my family was attempting to gamble with my future.
"What was the meeting Dad mentioned?"
Paul sighed.
"The lender had scheduled a video call to review the transaction. Richard wanted to conduct it from the penthouse. He said you wouldn't be attending the cruise and that the suite would be available."
I shook my head.
"He thought he could just take it."
"Apparently."
"And the reason they didn't want me on board?"
Paul looked away.
"I think they were afraid you would ask questions."
That answer hurt more than I expected.
They hadn't excluded me because I was unpleasant.
They hadn't excluded me because I was too busy.
**They excluded me because my presence threatened their plan.**
Paul reached across the table.
"Your father told us the financing would be a family celebration."
I laughed bitterly.
"Whose family?"
He couldn't answer.
That evening, Vanessa came to my suite.
She knocked so hard I thought the crew might intervene.
I opened the door but left the security latch in place.
"What do you want?"
