Chapter 6 - The Trust
Marianne stood in the middle of the driveway, shaking with bitter humiliation as her plan unraveled in front of the entire neighborhood. Neighbors were beginning to step out onto their porches, whispering and pointing at the drama.
"Officer, this isn't fair!" Marianne yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Claire. "She's using legal technicalities to throw her own flesh and blood onto the street! We have nowhere else to go! Our old lease expired at midnight!"
Claire looked down at her mother from the porch, her voice cutting through Marianne’s screeching with quiet, deadly authority.
"That is your problem, Marianne. Not mine," Claire said. "And as for your claim about the family estate... you might want to check the public county records."
Marianne blinked, frowning in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"You always thought my late father left you everything when he died eight years ago," Claire revealed softly, a cold smile touching her lips. "You thought you managed to hide his life insurance payout from me."
Marianne froze. The blood drained from her face so fast she looked like a corpse.
"What... what do you mean?" Marianne stammered, her voice suddenly trembling.
"My father knew what kind of woman you were," Claire said, her voice rising so every officer and neighbor could hear every word. "He knew you would spend every penny on gambling, luxury clothes, and enabling Brittany’s lazy lifestyle. So three months before he passed away, he placed his entire life estate and his primary business assets into an irrevocable family trust."
Deputy Miller looked up, nodding slowly as he recognized the legal terminology.
"The trustee of that estate was my father's corporate attorney, Mr. Harrison," Claire continued, her eyes locked onto her mother's panic-stricken face. "And the sole beneficiary of that trust... was me."
Marianne gasped, clutching her throat as if she couldn't breathe. "No... no! He left that money to me! The court papers said—"
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"The court papers you saw were for the liquid checking account," Claire countered sharply. "The real wealth—the two million dollars that bought this house and funded my education—was held in the trust. You didn't give me a dime, Marianne. My father protected me from you from beyond the grave."
👉 Click to continue reading as the police force Marianne off the property.
