“Separated isn’t divorced,” Dr. Fischer replied. “There’s no final judgment. The marriage is invalid.”
For the first time, Isabella looked shaken. “Marcus, you said—”
“It’s a technicality,” he snapped.
“No,” Dr. Fischer said calmly. “And because marital status affects the trusts, we need clarity.”
He turned to me. “Your father created the Calderon Family Voting Trust ten years ago. You are the successor trustee and sole beneficiary of the controlling shares.”
The room went silent.
“Isabella,” he continued, “is beneficiary of a separate support trust. It includes a spousal exclusion clause. Any spouse has no claim, and distributions can be limited if coercion is suspected.”
Marcus clenched his jaw. “That’s absurd. She’s my wife.”
“Not legally,” Dr. Fischer said. “And even if she were, it wouldn’t matter.”
“It wasn’t a lie,” I said quietly. “It was a test. And you both failed.”
Marcus accused me of setting him up. I didn’t deny it. The moment I saw his hunger, I’d called Dr. Fischer. I’d documented everything: the flights, the texts, the money transfer Marcus labeled “travel funds.”