Chapter 6 - ELEVEN FAMILIES
Genesis’s scheme was not born with me.
I was simply the latest target.
The encrypted ledger tracked assets belonging to spouses, widows, elderly relatives, and business partners connected to the Carter family.
Small transfers first.
Then larger.
Property titles.
Trust distributions.
Loan guarantees.
Always under the language of management.
Protection.
Consolidation.
Tax planning.
The total exceeded twenty-three million dollars.
Richard looked physically sick.
“How did I not know?”
Dana answered bluntly.
“Because you chose not to know.”
He accepted that.
Genesis had managed household finances for decades.
Richard signed where she told him.
Asked few questions.
Benefited from wealth.
Avoided conflict.
Silence is often financed.
The eleven families began receiving notices from investigators.
Some had suspected.
Most had not.
One elderly widow cried when she learned Genesis had transferred a vacation home into a Carter-affiliated trust.
Another man admitted he signed blank forms because “Genesis always handled these things.”
Martin Vale appeared everywhere.
Attorney.
Witness.
Notary coordinator.
Problem solver.
He was arrested on fraud-related charges.
Jackson’s business records were subpoenaed.
There we found payments from Genesis.
Much larger than fifteen thousand.
$300,000 over four years.
Jackson had called them “family support.”
He knew enough to hide them from tax reporting.
That weakened his innocence claim.
He still denied knowing the source.
Maybe true.
Still reckless.
Then Richard gave a deposition.
Five hours.
No evasions.
He admitted years of deference.
Admitted Genesis controlled access to financial information.
Admitted he had watched her belittle me and done nothing.
When Dana asked why, he said:
“Cowardice.”
One word.
No decoration.
Then prosecutors announced charges against Genesis.
Fraud.
Forgery.
Identity theft.
Elder exploitation.
Conspiracy.
Money laundering.
She pleaded not guilty.
Jackson faced separate charges related to financial concealment and the assault.
He pleaded not guilty too.
Our marriage was effectively over.
I filed for divorce.
Jackson contested property.
He demanded half the appreciation of my apartment.
The same apartment his mother tried to steal.
Then Priya found one more file on Genesis’s laptop.
A folder called RICHARD EXIT.
Inside were draft divorce papers.
A competency evaluation.
A property transfer.
Genesis had been preparing to do to her husband exactly what she did to me.
Richard stared at the screen.
“She was going to take everything.”
I looked at him.
“No.”
May you like
He frowned.
“She was going to try.”
