Lost Me, Gained Regret (Jane and Bryant Ferguson) novel Chapter 154

I didn't think Allen had it in him to go so low. I asked with a frown, "Does Allen know the pin?"

"I... I was afraid I'd forget the pin..." Cheryl's face was a portrait of regret, "It's the same as the one for our joint account."

What? Both Christine and I were speechless.

Allen was a sly fox when it came to swindling money, and with the card in his hands, he'd surely be off to drain the account in no time. And it was too late to report the card missing then.

But something else was bugging me more. "Allen hasn't stopped gambling, has he?"

"Hmm..." Cheryl cleaned her tears, her voice hardened with resolve, "He never really quit over the years. So, I never tell him how much you send us each month. I never imagined that bastard would dare to steal my emergency funds!"

"Why don't you just divorce him then? Gambling's a never-ending money hole!" Christine couldn't hide her outrage.

"This time," Cheryl looked up at me, her voice filled with apology, "I will, I must. If I had divorced him years ago, you wouldn't have had to suffer all those hard times."

I couldn't help but think of how my parents had prepared me for the worst before they passed or the struggles of those years, feeling a lump form in my throat.

"That's all in the past now." Sniffling, I spoke, "Aunt Cheryl, let me be clear with you. If you're determined to divorce and you’ve thought it through, I'll figure something out for your treatment costs. After all, you gave me a place to stay when I needed it most. But if you decide not to leave him, gambling is a deep hole dragging you down, and I can't follow you down. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Looking utterly ashamed, Cheryl nodded repeatedly, "Yeah, I understand. Jane, you've given me so much. Consider the treatment costs and that two hundred thousand a loan. I'll pay you back once I'm well."