Amanda opened her briefcase and pulled out a file. “Actually, the issues appear to be defamation, fabrication of medical documents, attempted interference with estate distribution, and possibly financial misconduct, depending on what our forensic accountant confirms.”
Diane went pale. “Financial misconduct?”
Walter slowly turned toward his wife. “What is she talking about?”
No one answered.
Amanda did. “Over the past eleven months, several transfers were made from the Bennett Family Preservation Account into a consulting company called North Shore Event Holdings. That company is controlled by Claire Bennett.”
Walter stared at his daughter. “You took money from the trust?”
Claire threw up her hands. “I borrowed it. I was going to pay it back.”
“How much?” he asked.
Silence.
“How much?” Robert repeated.
Claire swallowed. “Seventy-two thousand.”
Diane whispered, “Claire…”
Walter sat down heavily. “That trust pays for your mother’s care. It covers the lake house taxes. It helps with the grandchildren’s education.”
Claire pointed at me again. “This is because of her. Ever since Elena came into this family, everything changed. Dad trusts her judgment, Robert listens to her, and suddenly I’m treated like some irresponsible child.”
I spoke then, my voice steady and cold. “You told my daughter her father wasn’t her father.”
Claire looked at me with open resentment. “Because you were always going to win unless something cracked your perfect little image.”
Perfect.
I almost laughed. She had no idea how many nights Robert and I had spent worrying about money in our first apartment, how many extra shifts I worked after Sophie was born, how many arguments we survived simply because we refused to give up. There was nothing perfect about us. We built everything piece by piece.
