Chapter 6: The Other Document
I stepped out of the ceremony room into the hallway.
Patricia followed me, pulling the door shut softly behind us.
The officiant's voice continued on the other side, muffled now, moving forward.
"Talk," I said.
"The policy your ex-husband showed you is real," she said.
"Your son is the primary beneficiary.
That part is true."
"But."
"But there's a second document.
A codicil to his estate plan, drafted six weeks ago.
It redirects forty percent of the liquid assets — not the policy, the actual estate — into a holding structure." She pointed to the papers in my hand.
"Ryan is the named administrator of that structure."
I looked down at the papers.
"Administrator.
Not beneficiary."
"Correct.
He can't take the money directly.
But as administrator, he controls how it's distributed.
And the distribution rules in that codicil are—" She paused.
"Flexible.
In ways that favor the administrator's discretion."
"So Ryan controls forty percent of the estate."
"Of the liquid portion.
Yes.
Once the marriage is legal and your ex-husband passes, Ryan would have administrative authority over a significant sum, with very limited oversight requirements."
I looked up at her.
"Does my son know about this codicil?"
"No."
"Does he know about any of it?
The arrangement?
Ryan approaching my ex-husband?"
"Not as far as I can tell."
"Then why did you leave the firm?"
She was quiet for a moment.
"Because when I drafted that codicil, I asked questions about it.
Standard due diligence.
And the answers I got back were—" She stopped.
"I have a son too.
He's twenty-six."
I looked at her for a long moment.
"Can this be stopped?" I asked.
"The codicil.
Can it be challenged?"
"If your ex-husband is willing to revoke it, yes.
Easily.
He's still living.
It's his estate."
"And if he isn't willing?"
"Then it depends on whether the marriage goes forward.
Once your son and Ryan are legally married, Ryan's standing as administrator becomes significantly harder to remove."
From inside the ceremony room, I heard a shift in the officiant's tone.
Moving toward the vows.
"How long do I have?" I said.
Patricia checked her watch.
"Maybe four minutes."
I looked at the door.
Then at the papers.
Then at the door again.
"Where is my ex-husband right now?" I said.
"He was in the hall when I came in.
May you like
Near the entrance."
I was already moving.
