Judy added with insistence, “The money must be managed by us, because eight point five million is far too much for her to handle alone.”
Naomi added lightly, “She will hand it over because she still believes we care about her.”
The room felt smaller with every word they spoke, and my heart pounded so loudly that it almost drowned out their voices. I had come here thinking grief would be the hardest thing I would face that day, but I was wrong because betrayal was far heavier than grief itself.
Mason’s voice grew colder as he continued. “Once the signatures are secured, we remove her access and claim she is unstable after the loss, because courts trust family more than individuals.”
At that moment, I stood frozen in the hallway, realizing they were not planning to support me at all. They were planning to take everything Evan left behind while I was still wearing the clothes I chose for his funeral.
Then Mason said something that made my entire body go cold. “If she resists, we claim she cannot manage her mental state, and the system will side with us.”
I wanted to walk in and confront them immediately, but anger would have given them control over my reaction. So instead, I stepped back quietly and made my way into the kitchen, turning on the faucet as if I had just arrived and needed water.
I steadied my breathing, forced my expression into calm, and walked into the dining room as if nothing had happened.
They all looked up at once, and Judy stood quickly with a sympathetic expression. “Oh, sweetheart, how are you holding up today?”
“I am trying,” I said softly, allowing my voice to sound tired and fragile.
Mason gestured toward a chair and said, “You should sit down because we have been worried about you.”
Naomi reached out and squeezed my hand gently. “We are here to support you, just like always.”
I sat down and watched them carefully as they slipped into their roles of comfort with practiced ease.
Mason leaned forward and said, “We need to discuss the estate, because you should not handle this alone.”
Judy nodded and added, “You are grieving, so let us manage the complicated matters for you.”
Naomi leaned in and said, “Evan’s assets are very complex, especially the Manhattan properties, so you could be taken advantage of without guidance.”
I lowered my gaze as if I were considering their words carefully. “Okay,” I said quietly.