The name on the screen made my stomach drop: Charles Whitman’s attorney.
Kevin saw it too. His entire posture shifted instantly—straightening, confident again, almost smug.
“Put it on speaker,” he said.
I don’t know why I did. Maybe I was too numb. Maybe something in me already knew the story wasn’t over.
“Ms. Hayes?” the voice on the line said. Calm. Professional. “This is Robert Collins, attorney for the estate of Charles Whitman. Am I calling at a bad time?”
Kevin jumped in. “This is Kevin Brooks, his nephew. I assume you’re calling about the inheritance transfer.”
There was a pause.
“Actually,” the lawyer said carefully, “I was trying to reach your wife.”
My grip tightened around the phone. Kevin frowned.
“There must be a mistake,” he said.
“There isn’t,” Mr. Collins replied. “Ms. Hayes, your late great-uncle Charles named you as the primary beneficiary of his estate six years ago. We’ve been trying to confirm your details.”
I felt like the floor tilted.
“My great-uncle… Charles?”
Kevin laughed, sharp and disbelieving. “That’s impossible. He was my uncle.”
Papers shuffled faintly on the other end.
“Yes,” the attorney said, “and through marriage, you would know him that way. But by blood, he was connected to Ms. Hayes’s maternal family. The inheritance was left to her directly.”
The room went completely still.
Kevin’s expression shifted—confusion, irritation, then something close to panic.
“That doesn’t make sense,” he said. “He told me I was the only one who understood him.”
“Personal feelings do not determine legal decisions,” Mr. Collins replied.
I leaned against the table, suddenly lightheaded. “I haven’t seen him in years,” I said.
“You wrote to him once,” the lawyer said. “After your wedding. He kept your letter.”
A memory surfaced—an older man by a pond, feeding fish while I sat nearby as a child.
Kevin’s voice cut in, tense now. “So how much is the estate?”
“We will not discuss Ms. Hayes’s financial matters with you,” Mr. Collins said firmly.
“I’m her husband,” Kevin snapped.
I looked at the signed separation papers between us.
“No,” I said, my voice steady now. “You’re not.”
Kevin turned toward me so fast it startled me.
“There is one more concern,” the lawyer continued. “We’ve been informed someone may have presented himself as the heir in recent discussions. We’d appreciate clarification.”
I slowly looked at Kevin.
He didn’t deny it.