Chapter 7: My Father’s Last Decision
The next morning, we met estate attorney Samuel Price in a conference room at Grace’s office.
Diane arrived with Victor and the same silver-haired attorney.
Samuel held up my father’s letter.
“I wrote this at Thomas Mercer’s request.”
Diane leaned forward.
“My husband was heavily medicated.”
Samuel pressed a button on his laptop.
My father’s face appeared on the wall screen.
He looked tired, but his voice was steady.
“Samuel, I want this recorded because Diane has been moving money without telling the girls.”
Diane stood abruptly.
“Turn that off.”
Her attorney caught her arm.
“Sit down.”
The recording continued.
“Elena believes she is helping Rachel,” Dad said.
“Some money reached Rachel, but Diane put the rest into an investment Victor calls Penny Holdings.”
Victor looked toward the exit.
My father lifted a folder into view.
“I never approved it.
If anything happens to me, my half of the house goes equally to Elena and Rachel.
Diane may live there, but she cannot borrow against it or sell it without both daughters agreeing.”
Rachel covered her mouth.
Diane struck the table with her palm.
“He changed that will under pressure.”
Samuel placed the notarized will beside the laptop.
“You were not present when it was signed.
Two independent witnesses were.”
Diane pointed at me.
“She manipulated him from across the country.”
“I didn’t know this existed,” I said.
“Because he knew you would take it from me!”
“No,” Samuel replied.
“Because he was afraid you would take it from Elena.”
Victor whispered to Diane, “We need to leave.”
Grace locked the conference-room door.
“Nobody is leaving with bank evidence.”
Diane’s attorney closed his case.
“My representation ends now.”
“You can’t walk out,” Diane snapped.
“I can when a client gives me altered documents.”
He placed the supposed loan agreement in front of Grace.
“The signature page came from an old authorization form.
My office found the original this morning.”
Grace aligned the pages.
A tiny tear on both signatures matched perfectly.
“You moved Elena’s real signature onto a new agreement,” she said.
Diane turned to Rachel.
“Tell them Elena agreed to support Penny Holdings.”
Rachel’s hands tightened in her lap.
“She never agreed.”
“I kept your children housed.”
“You used them as props.”
Diane leaned close to her.
“If I lose that house, your children get nothing.”
Rachel took out her phone.
“They already have more than you gave them.”
A recording began to play.
Diane’s voice filled the room: “Keep Elena ashamed.
If she asks questions, tell her the children will suffer.”
Victor shoved back his chair.
“That recording is illegal.”
“It was a voicemail you left me,” Rachel replied.
“You recorded yourself.”
Grace placed another statement on the table.
“Penny Holdings purchased the cabin for $160,000.
Eighty-four thousand six hundred dollars came from Elena’s transfers.
Another $42,000 came from the credit line opened in her name.”
Diane’s face went white.
Victor pointed at her.
“She handled the accounts.”
“You created the company,” Diane said.
“You promised the property would double in value.”
“And you promised your daughter would never stop paying.”
They stared at each other as the partnership collapsed across the table.
Diane reached for me.
“Elena, listen to me.
Withdraw the complaint, and I’ll sign my share of the house over to Iris.”
“Don’t use my daughter’s name.”
“I am offering her security.”
“You offered me the same thing while taking my salary.”
Samuel slid a legal notice toward her.
“This freezes any sale or loan involving the family home.”
Diane read it, then looked at Rachel.
“You did this to me.”
Rachel stood.
“No.
We finally stopped doing it to Elena.”
The officer from the previous night opened the conference-room door.
A second investigator waited behind him.
Grace gathered the documents into an evidence case.
“Diane Mercer and Victor Hale, you need to come with them.”
Diane gripped the back of her chair.
“You will regret humiliating your mother.”
I held her gaze.
“I regret how long I mistook fear for respect.”
As the officer led Victor into the hallway, Grace’s phone rang.
She answered, listened, and looked directly at me.
“Elena, Penny Holdings tried to transfer the cabin ten minutes ago.”
“To whom?” I asked.
May you like
Grace turned the screen around.
The buyer’s name was Rachel Mercer.
