Marlowe shook her head slowly. “No, I don’t think so. Why?” Grandpa exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening as he reached for his phone. “Because six months ago, I co-signed a small loan for your parents, an emergency line of credit through the credit union, specifically meant to help cover unexpected expenses. I told them it was strictly for genuine emergencies, and that they needed to make the payments themselves.”

He scrolled through his phone before turning the screen toward her. “The payment history shows automatic withdrawals every month, nine hundred dollars, timed almost exactly with what you just described paying them for the basement.” Marlowe stared at the numbers, her stomach twisting as the pieces clicked into place. “So the rent I’ve been paying isn’t rent at all. It’s covering a loan you co-signed.”

Grandpa’s expression hardened into something Marlowe had never seen on his face before. “They’ve been using your paycheck to pay off a debt I helped them secure, while telling you it was rent for a roof over your head. That’s not family helping family. That’s fraud, dressed up as parenting.” He pushed off the counter and walked toward the swinging door, Marlowe following close behind, her heart pounding harder with every step back into the dining room.

The room fell silent again as Grandpa reentered, phone still in hand. He set it on the table in front of her father, the loan statement clearly visible on the screen. “Explain this,” he said, his voice quiet but unmistakably final. Her father’s face drained of color as he scanned the numbers, glancing helplessly toward her mother, who suddenly found the tablecloth fascinating.

“We were going to pay you back,” her father stammered, though the words rang hollow even as he said them. Grandpa shook his head slowly. “You already have been paid back, every month, by your own daughter, who thought she was buying herself a roof instead of erasing your debt.” He turned to Marlowe, his voice softening. “Pack a bag tonight. You’re staying with me, and tomorrow we’re sorting out exactly how much of your money needs to come back to you.”