Chapter 10 - MY MOTHER’S BET
Mom came to my apartment three days later.
Alone.
No makeup.
No jewelry.
No white summer dress.
She looked ten years older.
“You’re going to remove him.”
It was not a question.
“From the company?”
“Yes.”
“I haven’t decided.”
“He’s your father.”
“You remembered that when he forged my signature?”
She winced.
“I did that.”
I stared.
“What?”
“The signature.”
The room went cold.
“Why?”
“Because Richard couldn’t.”
“That makes it better?”
“No.”
She sat down.
“I thought Arthur was humiliating him.”
“Grandpa discovered missing company money.”
“Your father intended to repay it.”
“Did he?”
“No.”
Mom stared at her hands.
“He made bad investments.”
“And Grandpa stopped trusting him.”
“Yes.”
“So you stole my notice.”
Her eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“Why push Wyatt toward Madison?”
She laughed bitterly.
“Because Richard was terrified.”
“That doesn’t answer me.”
“He thought if Wyatt stayed loyal to Madison, he could keep enough executives on his side if you ever discovered the trust.”
I stared at my mother.
“You treated your daughters like voting blocs.”
Her mouth trembled.
“When you say it like that…”
“How else should I say it?”
She cried then.
I did not comfort her.
May you like
Not because I hated her.
Because sometimes comforting someone too quickly lets them escape the shape of what they did.
