My father’s signature at the bottom.
I began to read aloud.
“My name is Edward James Anderson. If this statement is being read, it means I was unable to correct matters personally.”
Courtney’s face drained.
My mother whispered, “Stop.”
I kept reading.
“I have discovered that my wife, Patricia Anderson, and my younger daughter, Courtney Anderson, participated in the misallocation of commissions, falsification of company records, and unauthorized transfer of equity interests intended to be divided equally between both daughters.”
Courtney turned to Patricia.
“You said Dad wanted that.”
Patricia hissed, “Not now.”
I read on.
“I have also discovered that my eldest daughter, Madeline, has been deliberately mischaracterized as unstable to justify her exclusion from leadership and inheritance rights. Let the record show: Madeline is the only person in this family who asked the right questions.”
My voice cracked.
Just slightly.
Rebecca’s hand touched my shoulder.
I kept going.
“If I fail to complete the audit, I authorize Madeline to proceed with full review. She has my confidence, my apology, and my blessing.”
My vision blurred.
For years, I had told myself I didn’t care whether Dad had seen me clearly.