Chapter 7 - THE LIFE UNDER BRIAN’S NAME
The independent audit began the next morning.
It revealed that Brian’s lifestyle was not merely supported by me.
It was almost entirely mine.
His consulting company earned less than one hundred thousand dollars the previous year.
It had spent more than nine hundred thousand.
The difference came through trust distributions, unpaid rent, guaranteed credit, and loans I had repeatedly forgiven.
Melissa described herself online as a luxury entrepreneur.
Her clothing company had sold twelve thousand dollars in merchandise.
It had spent two hundred thousand on travel, photography, private events, and leased vehicles.
Most expenses were paid from my corporate card.
Brian had also placed two friends on the Hayes Manufacturing advisory board.
Neither attended meetings.
Both received monthly fees.
One was the man who laughed loudest when the dog bowl appeared.
I removed them through the proper board process.
Then Claire discovered another document.
Brian had changed the beneficiary information on a life-insurance policy.
The original beneficiary was the Evelyn Hayes Community Foundation.
The new beneficiary was B.M. Lifestyle Ventures.
The change request carried my electronic signature.
Again, I had not signed it.
Brian entered the study while Claire was showing me the form.
He stopped when he saw the page.
“I can explain.”
“I am listening.”
“Melissa found the policy.”
“She said the foundation did not need the money.”
“So you redirected twelve million dollars to yourselves?”
“Only if you died.”
The room became silent.
Brian realized what he had said.
He sat across from me.
“I did not mean it that way.”
“How did you mean it?”
“You always said family comes first.”
“Your mother considered the foundation family.”
“She spent thirty years building it.”
Brian leaned forward.
“You were leaving everything to strangers.”
“I was leaving money to cancer patients, vocational schools, and families of injured workers.”
“You left me less than half.”
“I left you more than most people earn in several lifetimes.”
“It is still my inheritance.”
“No.”
“It is my estate.”
“You inherit what remains after I finish living.”
His face became red.
“Melissa said you were becoming irrational.”
“Melissa’s medical degree comes from where?”
“She notices things.”
“She noticed an insurance policy.”
“She noticed the value of this house.”
“She noticed my digital signature.”
Brian stood.
“You blame her because you never liked her.”
“I disliked how she spoke to restaurant staff.”
“I disliked how she filmed private arguments.”
“I disliked how she replaced your mother’s chair before asking.”
“I did not realize she was helping you forge documents.”
The final word made him flinch.
“Stop calling it forgery.”
“Then tell me what it was.”
Brian looked toward the floor.
May you like
“I thought you would approve.”
“That is not a signature.”
