Chapter 7 - MADISON KNEW
I did not confront my parents first.
I confronted Madison.
She was standing near the side garden crying.
“What did you know?”
“Claire…”
“What did you know?”
She shook her head.
“Not everything.”
“How much?”
“Dad told me Grandpa had changed the company structure.”
“When?”
“After the funeral.”
“And?”
“He said you were supposed to get a larger share.”
My stomach tightened.
“How much larger?”
“He wouldn’t tell me.”
“What did he ask you to do?”
She started crying harder.
That answered more than words.
“Madison.”
“He said Wyatt belonged in the company.”
“What does that have to do with you?”
“Dad thought if you two broke up, Wyatt might…”
She could not finish.
“Might choose you?”
She covered her face.
“I told him it was insane.”
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you let them keep doing it?”
Her hands fell.
“Because they kept saying you were going to take everything.”
I stared.
“Take what?”
“The company.”
“I didn’t even know I owned anything.”
“I know that now.”
She wiped her face.
“Dad said Grandpa was punishing him.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
That was not true.
I could tell.
“Madison.”
Her shoulders dropped.
“There was an audit.”
The word took me back years.
Grandpa’s study.
Bank statements.
Dad shouting.
“What audit?”
“Grandpa found payments.”
“What payments?”
“Company money going into Dad’s private investment partnerships.”
My stomach turned.
“How much?”
“I heard Mom say more than a million.”
The lawn seemed to tilt.
Arthur had not given me control because I was his favorite granddaughter.
May you like
He had done it because he no longer trusted his son.
And Richard had spent eight months making sure I never learned that.
