“Stop talking!” she snapped. “He left you because you were bitter.”
“He didn’t leave me for you,” I replied. “He left for the version of himself you admired.”
The notary spoke carefully.
“If you accept the inheritance, you also accept all associated debts. And in this case… liabilities exceed assets.”
Vanessa stared blankly. “So if I sign… I take everything?”
“Yes,” I said. “Everything.”
Mrs. Bennett looked at me, shaken. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”
“Because no one listened,” I answered. “Not when I warned you. Not when I saw the numbers didn’t add up.”
Vanessa looked up sharply. “What do you mean?”
I took out a sealed envelope.
Mr. Carter immediately recognized it.
“You brought that too?”
“Yes,” I said. “Because this is what changes everything.”
Vanessa hesitated, then handed it over.
The notary began reading.
“Separation agreement… division of marital assets… signed two weeks before his death…”
Confusion spread across the room.
“He wasn’t closing a deal,” I explained. “He was cutting me out. Trying to leave me with nothing.”
“And?” Vanessa whispered.