Chapter 3 - The Trust
Rachel Carter read the documents without saying much.
That made me nervous.
Lawyers usually explained things.
Rachel didn't.
She studied the pages.
Then she looked at me.
"Where did you get these?"
"From my house."
"Did you sign this amendment?"
"No."
"Are you certain?"
"Completely."
She nodded.
"Then we have a problem."
"What kind?"
"Your name was removed from a family trust."
"Why?"
"I don't know yet."
She pointed at another page.
"But this document transferred a significant interest in Brooks Development into Patricia's control."
"How significant?"
"Twenty-five percent."
I stared at her.
"Twenty-five percent of what?"
"The company."
My mouth went dry.
"Daniel never told me I owned anything."
"You may have."
"May have?"
Rachel turned another page.
"Your father-in-law established the trust before his death."
"What did it say?"
"That Daniel and you would each receive equal interests."
"Then why is my name missing?"
"That's what we're going to find out."
She made several phone calls.
By late afternoon, we had an answer.
The amendment had supposedly been signed eight months after my father-in-law's death.
I laughed.
"He couldn't have signed it."
"Correct."
Rachel looked at me.
"Which means either the document was forged or someone used a legal mechanism we haven't identified."
"Who filed it?"
"Patricia."
My hands tightened.
"Of course."
But then Rachel found something even stranger.
The trust hadn't simply removed me.
It had transferred my portion to a company.
A company called BPR Holdings.
"Who owns BPR?"
Rachel searched.
Then stopped.
"That's interesting."
"What?"
"The company is owned by three trusts."
"Whose?"
She looked at me.
"One belongs to Patricia."
"One?"
"The second belongs to Daniel."
My heart sank.
"And the third?"
Rachel hesitated.
"Your children."
I stared at her.
"Emma and Lucas?"
"Yes."
Suddenly the picture changed.
This wasn't simply about controlling me.
It was about controlling the children.
I left Rachel's office with a copy of every document.
On the way home, I called Daniel.
He answered immediately.
"Where are you?"
"I met with an attorney."
Silence.
"What did you do that for?"
"Because I found the trust."
His breathing changed.
"What trust?"
"Don't."
"Claire—"
"Did you know I was supposed to own twenty-five percent of Brooks Development?"
Silence.
That was enough.
"You knew."
"I knew there was a trust."
"Did you know my name was removed?"
"Mom handled it."
"You knew."
"I didn't think it mattered."
I laughed.
"It matters."
"Claire, the company is complicated."
"No. The company is yours, your mother's, and apparently my children's."
"That's not what you think."
"Then explain."
He couldn't.
I ended the call.
When I arrived home, Daniel was sitting on the front steps.
I stopped the car.
He stood.
"Where are the kids?"
"Inside."
"Are they okay?"
"Yes."
He walked toward me.
"Claire, I never wanted this to happen."
"What didn't you want?"
"The family falling apart."
I stared at him.
"Your family started falling apart when your mother hit me."
He lowered his eyes.
"I know."
"Do you?"
He nodded.
"Then tell me the truth."
He hesitated.
Finally he said, "Dad left money."
"How much?"
"I don't know."
"Daniel."
"Millions."
I stared at him.
"How many?"
"Maybe twenty."
My stomach dropped.
"And Patricia controls it?"
"Most of it."
"Why?"
He looked away.
"Because Dad didn't trust her."
"Then why did you?"
"I was trying to keep the peace."
I almost laughed.
"That's what you called it?"
He looked ashamed.
"I was afraid."
"Of your mother?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
He didn't answer.
Then I noticed something.
Daniel wasn't afraid of Patricia because she was controlling.
He was afraid because she had something over him.
"What did you do?"
His eyes met mine.
"Nothing."
"That's not an answer."
He looked down.
"Years ago, Mom asked me to sign some company papers."
"What kind?"
"I didn't read them."
My heart sank.
"Daniel."
"I trusted her."
"What did you sign?"
He whispered:
"Guarantees."
"For what?"
"Loans."
I stared at him.
"How much?"
He swallowed.
"Almost eleven million."
The room seemed to go silent around us.
"And you signed them without reading?"
"I thought they were routine."
"Where did the money go?"
He didn't answer.
I knew.
"Your mother."
He nodded.
"Some of it."
"And the rest?"
He looked toward the house.
"Claire, I think Mom has been moving money for years."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I thought I could fix it."
"You didn't fix anything."
"I know."
I looked at him.
"You're not the man I thought I married."
He closed his eyes.
"I know."
Then my phone buzzed.
Rachel had sent a message.
We found the original trust document.
I opened the attachment.
My name was there.
So was Daniel's.
Then I saw the final beneficiary.
Not Patricia.
Not Daniel.
Not BPR Holdings.
The final beneficiary was Emma and Lucas.
The entire twenty-five-percent interest had been intended to protect our children.
And Patricia had transferred it.
Without our knowledge.
I looked at Daniel.
"Your mother didn't just take my inheritance."
May you like
He looked at the document.
"She took theirs."
