My thoughts staggered helplessly.
A fund. A plan.
Something Natalie had never mentioned.
Kyle’s agitation intensified visibly.
“This entire situation is absurd and completely unacceptable!” he shouted, rising halfway from the pew. “She would never have made decisions like this without manipulation!”
Mr. Whitman’s gaze remained steady.
“Ms. Prescott left extensive documentation,” he said calmly, “including formal complaints, recorded statements, digital correspondence, and a certified medical evaluation.”
The silence thickened brutally. Several guests shifted uncomfortably, while others stared forward with expressions suspended between shock and dawning comprehension.
“Those records,” the attorney continued, “detail allegations of sustained domestic abuse, supported by corroborating evidence.”
A woman somewhere behind me inhaled sharply.
Someone else began to cry softly.
Kyle looked around wildly, his eyes searching for allies who refused to meet his gaze.
“This is a lie!” he roared desperately. “She was emotionally unstable, and someone clearly influenced her!”