Chapter 3 - THE GUARDIANSHIP CLAUSE
My mother had left Lily a trust.
I knew that.
What I did not know was how badly my family had wanted control of it.
I was Lily's guardian, but an independent bank controlled the money.
Nora asked for the trust documents.
My attorney, Rachel Kim, met us the next morning.
She read the old agreement for nearly twenty minutes before finding the clause.
"If Lily's surviving parent is deemed temporarily unfit," she said, "an interim family guardian can petition to supervise distributions."
"Who?"
Rachel turned the page.
"Harold Bennett."
My father.
"And if he's unavailable?"
"Elaine Porter."
My aunt.
I stared at the names.
Both had been at the party.
Both had helped stage the scene.
Rachel kept reading.
"Once an interim guardian is appointed, they can approve education, housing, medical, and security expenses."
"Meaning?"
"They still couldn't take the principal. But they could direct millions in spending."
"Dad wanted me declared unfit."
Rachel's face was grim.
"Maybe temporarily."
"That's supposed to make it better?"
"No."
Nora opened another recovered file.
A scanned petition.
PETITION FOR EMERGENCY TEMPORARY GUARDIANSHIP.
Filed draft.
Never submitted.
The date was December 18.
The night of the party.
The supporting statement claimed I had a history of violent outbursts and obsessive behavior after my first wife's death.
It listed witnesses.
Harold Bennett.
Elaine Porter.
Marcus Voss.
Victoria Bennett.
Four people.
Four signatures.
Then Rachel pointed to the last page.
A box had already been checked.
INCIDENT VIDEO ATTACHED.
The video they needed was me walking into the room.
They had tortured my daughter's trust in me so they could film my reaction.
But one thing didn't make sense.
"Why didn't they file it?"
Nora looked at the screen.
"Maybe because you left before they finished the plan."
I shook my head.
"No. I came back. They got the video."
Rachel looked at me.
"Then something stopped them."
That afternoon, we found out what.
May you like
A handwritten note had been attached to the petition.
DO NOT FILE. LILY TALKED.
