Chapter 7: The Call That Changed Everything
I paid the emergency portion of the bill from my phone while Mrs. Adele kept apologizing.
“It’s temporary,” I told her. “We’ll call the company in the morning and sort it out.”
She kept twisting a tissue in her hands.
“Elias said he paid it. He told me not to bother him with paper notices because they confuse me.”
That sentence stayed with me.
The next morning, while Oliver ate cereal, I called the power company with Mrs. Adele beside me.
At first, they would only confirm basic information. Then Mrs. Adele gave permission for me to speak.
The woman on the phone sighed softly.
“Ma’am, there have been several failed payments from an online account. Also, your mailing address was changed for notices.”
Mrs. Adele blinked. “Changed? To where?”
The woman hesitated.
Then she read an address two hours away.
Mrs. Adele’s nephew’s address.
My stomach sank because suddenly this was no longer about a forgotten bill… Continue Reading ⬇️