You never had much idea of what your parents did in their business—something to do with stocks and shares and investments—but six months ago, they started having very serious conversations with smartly-dressed visitors, and staying up all night excavating their paperwork. One day, you came home to find the house crawling with investigators in suits.
Your parents tearfully assured you that they did it for you, to give you the best start in life; maybe that's true, or maybe they were simply rationalizing. Either way, they sold the house, their former friends melted away, and the three of you moved to a small rented apartment in a less-than-desirable district of Fenburg. The money for the Gallatin College fees came from a trust set up by your great-grandmother, and could not be touched by the financiers.