“Mariana, I can explain,” Daniel pleaded.
I had been hearing that phrase for years. People always say “I can explain” when they’re caught red-handed and run out of lies.
Paula pointed directly at the line items. For nearly eighteen months, Daniel had been quietly funneling small sums out of a commercial account I used for business operations. He kept the amounts just small enough to avoid triggering automated fraud alerts—$400 here, $800 there, sometimes $1,500 at a time. The memos were disguised as routine vendor fees: Cleaning Service, Maintenance, Office Supplies.
In total, he had stolen over $25,000 from my business.
“I didn’t view it as stealing from you,” Daniel stammered.
I stared at him in utter disbelief. “Then what do you call taking money out of my account without my knowledge?”
“I was supporting my family!”
“With my money!”
“You’re my wife!”
