Chapter 4 - Vivian’s Offer
Vivian closed the office door behind her.
For a moment, neither woman spoke.
Then Vivian walked toward Emily and calmly removed the false medical statement from her hands.
“You’re making this more frightening than it needs to be,” Vivian said.
“You planned to declare me mentally incapable.”
“We planned to protect the family.”
“You stole from my mother’s foundation.”
Vivian’s face hardened.
“Your mother wasted millions on strangers. Grant is building something that will last.”
“It wasn’t his money.”
“It became his responsibility when he married you.”
Emily almost laughed at the cruelty of the sentence.
Vivian moved closer.
“Listen carefully. The final transfer happens tomorrow night. You will attend the family gathering, smile for the guests, and sign two documents. After that, you can live comfortably without worrying about business.”
“And if I refuse?”
Vivian looked toward the locked office door.
“Then Grant will tell everyone you are unwell. The doctor will support him. The trustees will see a frightened woman making reckless accusations against her husband.”
“You think no one will believe me?”
“I think Grant has spent two years making certain they won’t.”
Emily slipped her phone into her skirt pocket. It had been recording since Vivian entered.
Vivian noticed the movement.
She reached for the phone, but Emily stepped back.
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure someone hears the truth.”
Vivian shouted for Grant.
Emily ran.
She reached the hallway before Grant came up the stairs. He blocked her path, while Vivian seized the phone from behind.
Grant looked at the recording screen.
His expression changed.
He did not yell. That frightened Emily more.
He deleted the recording, checked the cloud folder, and then crushed the phone beneath his shoe.
“You are going to stay in your room,” he said.
Emily stared at the broken device.
Grant leaned closer.
“Tomorrow, you will sign the papers. After that, we can forget this happened.”
He escorted her down the hallway and locked the bedroom door from the outside.
May you like
But Grant did not know Emily had already scheduled the security upload.
He also did not know there was an old landline inside the bedroom closet.
