Chapter 6 - THE BUYOUT PACKAGE
The first package arrived by email.
A settlement-purchasing company offered to exchange a portion of Eleanor’s future annuity payments for a lump sum.
Gross future payments transferred:
approximately $980,000.
Proposed immediate lump sum:
$604,000.
Eleanor stared at the discount.
Then at the authorization page.
Someone had already entered:
her address,
settlement number,
payment schedule,
and bank details.
No signature yet.
She called Charles.
“What is this?”
“A proposal.”
“How did they get my settlement number?”
Silence.
“Charles.”
“I sent them the documents so we could see what was possible.”
Eleanor felt cold.
“You sent my settlement documents?”
“They’re in our files.”
“My files.”
“We’re married.”
“That is not authorization.”
He became angry.
“I didn’t sign anything.”
True.
No forged signature.
No completed transfer.
May you like
But information had moved.
And now a commercial buyer knew the exact structure of payments intended to support Eleanor for decades.
