Chapter 6 - The Legal Strike
The USB drive Chase provided was the nail in Evelyn’s coffin. When Dad handed it over to Detective Miller, the financial crimes division got involved. It turned out Evelyn hadn't just been eyeing my trust; she had already committed wire fraud, siphoning thousands from Dad’s retirement accounts to pay off illegal gambling debts.
A week later, I was discharged from the hospital. I left in a wheelchair, a bulky brace wrapped around my torso to keep my spine perfectly aligned. Coming home was surreal. The kitchen, the site of my near-paralysis, felt like a crime scene. Dad had actually thrown the barstools in the dumpster, unable to look at them.
My grandfather's estate lawyer, a sharp-suited man named Mr. Sterling, came to the house the next day.
"Your grandfather anticipated that wealth could attract bad actors," Sterling told me as we sat in the living room. "The trust is entirely insulated. Evelyn never had a legal leg to stand on, even if she had forced you to sign those papers. The document she typed up was legally worthless without a notary and my signature."
"So she did it for nothing," I said, a bitter laugh escaping me. "She broke my back over a piece of paper that wouldn't have even worked."
"Greed makes people incredibly stupid," Mr. Sterling replied. "We are filing a civil suit on your behalf against Evelyn. We will seize any remaining assets in her name to cover your medical bills and trauma. She will be left with absolutely nothing."
Dad sat next to me, placing a hand over mine. "I should have protected you better," he said softly. "I let her push you around because I didn't want the conflict. I was a coward."
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"You were," I agreed, not letting him off the hook. "But when it mattered most, you didn't let her get away with it. You just have to promise me you'll never let someone treat us like that again."
"Never again," Dad swore, tears shining in his eyes. "It's just you and me now."
