Chapter 6 - THE TRUST
I had known Ethan came from money.
I had never known how much.
His grandfather built commercial properties throughout three states.
When he died, the family wealth passed into multiple trusts.
Ethan had always described them as complicated, restricted, and mostly irrelevant.
He had lied.
Rebecca hired a forensic trust attorney named David Chen.
By midnight, David had reviewed enough documents to explain the structure.
“Lily became a beneficiary when Ethan’s older brother died.”
I remembered Thomas Mercer.
He had died in a boating accident four years earlier.
He had no children.
David continued.
“Thomas’s beneficiary share transferred to the next child in Ethan’s family line.”
“Lily.”
“Yes.”
“When does she control it?”
“Normally at twenty-five.”
I looked at Rebecca.
“Then why does Margaret want guardianship now?”
David tapped a paragraph.
“Because while Lily is a minor, the designated guardian can petition for distributions related to housing, education, health, security, travel, and management.”
Rebecca’s face darkened.
“How much discretion?”
“Significant.”
My stomach turned.
“Margaret could access Lily’s money.”
“Not simply take it.”
David paused.
“But a guardian friendly with the trustees could approve millions in expenditures over twelve years.”
“Who are the trustees?”
David looked almost apologetic.
“Margaret.”
I closed my eyes.
“And?”
“Ethan.”
There it was.
The entire machine.
They were not preparing to protect Lily from me.
They were preparing to control her wealth.
Rebecca pulled out the guardianship document again.
“If Hannah remained Lily’s primary parent, could Margaret access these funds?”
“No.”
“If Hannah and Ethan divorced?”
“Potentially less control.”
“If Hannah were declared unstable?”
David nodded slowly.
“Margaret could become guardian.”
I thought about every strange moment over the previous year.
Margaret suddenly insisting Lily spend weekends at her house.
Brooke repeatedly telling people I was overprotective.
Ethan encouraging me to stop working because I seemed stressed.
Family gatherings where someone always seemed to provoke me.
They had been collecting reactions.
Creating witnesses.
Waiting.
My phone buzzed.
A message from Ethan.
LILY IS ASKING FOR YOU.
My heart twisted.
A second message appeared.
COME HOME AND WE CAN FIX THIS.
Rebecca read it.
“Do not respond yet.”
Then another message arrived.
DROP THE ACCUSATIONS ABOUT MY MOTHER AND I WILL ASK THE COURT TO RESTORE NORMAL VISITATION.
David stared at the screen.
“That sounds like leverage.”
Rebecca smiled for the first time all day.
“No.”
May you like
She took a screenshot.
“That sounds like evidence.”
