CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3
Jason’s face drained so fast he looked suddenly older.
“Thompson,” he said, trying to recover. “This is a private family matter.”
Mr. Thompson stepped inside without asking.
“No,” he said. “This is an attempted financial coercion matter. And possibly assault.”
Megan took a step away from the porch railing.
“I didn’t touch anyone,” she said quickly.
“No,” I said, keeping my phone raised. “You just came to watch.”
Mr. Thompson looked at me with the same sad steadiness he had used at the funeral.
“Olivia, your father asked me to come tonight.”
My throat tightened.
“My father?”
He nodded.
“Three months ago, he changed the estate plan.”
Jason blinked.
“What are you talking about?”
Mr. Thompson set his briefcase on the table, right beside Jason’s unsigned papers.
“William knew your marriage had become dangerous. He knew Jason had abandoned you. He knew you were afraid to file for divorce because you thought you had nothing and no one.”
I could not breathe.
My father had known.
All those afternoons when he brought soup to my house and pretended not to notice the unpaid bills on the counter.
All those quiet moments when he said, “You can always come home, Liv.”
He had known.
Mr. Thompson opened the briefcase and removed a sealed envelope.
“Your parents’ estate is not being transferred directly into your marital property,” he said. “It is protected through a trust. Olivia is the sole beneficiary. Jason has no authority over it. No right to sell it. No right to manage it. No right to touch one dollar.”
Jason’s jaw tightened.
“That’s not legal.”
“It is,” Mr. Thompson replied. “Very.”
Megan looked at Jason.
“You said she just had to sign.”
Jason shot her a look meant to silence her, but fear had made her careless.
“You told me the houses would be ours by Monday,” she snapped.
The room went still.
My phone was still recording.
Mr. Thompson slowly turned toward her.
“Thank you, Ms. Reed,” he said. “That was helpful.”
Megan’s mouth parted.
Jason spun on her.
“Shut up.”
I looked at the man I had once begged to love me and saw him clearly at last.
Not powerful.
Not brilliant.
Not misunderstood.
Just greedy.
Just cruel.
Just small.
Mr. Thompson placed the sealed envelope in my hand.
“Your father wanted you to read this when you were ready,” he said. “But first, there is something else you need to know.”
Jason’s eyes narrowed.
May you like
Mr. Thompson looked directly at him.
“William also hired a private investigator.”
