“Mrs. Brennan means well,” she said gently, “but she has always had difficulty accepting that Colleen made her own adult choices. Since the death, her grief has escalated into possessiveness regarding the children.”
Dorothy watched the older woman speak and thought, not for the first time, that cruelty in elegant packaging fooled far too many people.
When it was Emmett’s turn, he rose without hurry.
He began with the finances.
Joint accounts drained in increments.
Colleen’s inheritance transferred without authorization.
A condo purchased in Vivian’s name.
Then the forged life insurance increase.
Then the text messages.
He read one aloud.
Once the babies are born and everything settles, we’ll be free.
Silence filled the room.
Whitfield objected.
The judge overruled.
Emmett read a second text.
She’ll sign whatever I put in front of her. She always does.
This time even Whitfield did not object fast enough.
Dorothy did not look at Grant. She looked at the judge, who had stopped taking notes and was now studying the evidence with the still attention of a woman recalculating everything she had been told.
Finally, Emmett called Dorothy.
She stood, smoothed her dress, and took the oath.