Chapter 4 - The Financial Motive
By Monday morning, I was sitting in the sleek, glass-walled office of Marcus Vance.
Marcus was the most ruthless family law and civil litigation attorney in all of Massachusetts.
He reviewed the medical reports and the scanned pages of Maya’s sketchbook.
"This is devastating, Arthur, but prosecutors always look for a core motive," Marcus explained.
"Abusers usually have a secondary reason for targeting wealthy dependents."
His words triggered a sudden, sickening realization in my exhausted brain.
After my wife Sarah died, a massive life insurance payout had been placed into a trust for the kids.
Because I was working hundred-hour weeks, I had foolishly added Rebecca as a co-signer to manage the household accounts.
"Marcus, check the children's trust fund," I ordered, my blood running cold.
Marcus immediately opened his laptop and securely logged into the financial portals.
The screen loaded, and the usually stoic lawyer let out a low whistle of disbelief.
"She has been systematically draining it for over fourteen months," he confirmed.
"Nearly three hundred thousand dollars has been wired to offshore accounts and luxury retailers."
She wasn't just locking my children in closets to punish them.
She was doing it to keep them quiet while she robbed them blind.
"Freeze every single account with her name attached to it," I commanded.
"And file a civil lawsuit that will seize every asset she has ever owned."
"Consider it done, Arthur," Marcus smiled like a shark smelling blood in the water.
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Rebecca thought she had outsmarted a grieving widower.
She was about to find out what happens when you awaken a sleeping dragon.
