The idea clearly stuck with Bradley because he began pressuring me to let him manage my accounts and sign various legal documents for his convenience. He told me that he wanted to simplify my assets so I would not have to worry about paperwork as I got older.
I pretended not to notice his intentions until I ended up in the hospital with a severe case of pneumonia six months before that fateful phone call. I was weak and heavily medicated when Bradley came to visit me and slipped some papers into my hands while acting very affectionate.
“Mom, this is just an authorization for the insurance company so please just sign here,” he whispered as I trusted him and put my name on the lines he pointed out. When I eventually left the hospital, he became cold and distant as he only asked me about keys and bank details instead of my health.
After he hung up the phone on that Wednesday, I went into my study and opened the safe hidden behind a large portrait of George. I looked at the documents inside and remembered the advice my tax lawyer gave me ten years ago after I became a widow.