Chapter 13 - THE SELLER'S DECISION
The following week, Daniel and Ashley received formal notice from the seller's representative.
Their financing had not been finalized, and the seller required a clear answer about whether they could complete the purchase.
The outcome depended on the contract, the applicable deadlines, and the parties' rights. Susan reminded me that neither the deposit nor the agreement could be assumed to disappear automatically.
I stayed out of the negotiations.
It was not my purchase, and I would not become responsible for it simply because my family had expected me to pay.
Daniel eventually told me that the seller was unwilling to extend the deadline indefinitely.
Ashley was furious.
She accused the lender of being unreasonable and her parents of not helping enough.
But the truth was painfully simple.
They had committed to a property before they could demonstrate that they could afford it.
When the final financing deadline arrived, they could not complete the purchase under the terms they had agreed to.
The sale fell through, and they had to address the contractual consequences with professional advice.
Ashley called me that evening.
“You must be happy now.”
“No,” I said quietly. “I'm sad that you made a decision that ended this way.”
“You could have prevented it.”
“I could have given you money. That does not mean I was obligated to.”
She hung up.
Daniel visited the next day.
He looked embarrassed and defeated.
“We lost the opportunity,” he said.
“I know.”
“I thought if we could get into that house, everything would improve.”
“Sometimes a bigger house only gives you more room to hide the same problems.”
He stared at the floor.
I placed a cup of tea in front of him.
“You are still my son, Daniel. Losing this purchase does not mean you have lost your family. But you need to face your debts and your choices.”
May you like
He nodded slowly.
For the first time, I believed he might actually listen.
