Chapter 8 - The Stripping of the Parasite
Stuart grabbed the manila folder from the table, his fingers trembling wildly as he ripped it open, scanning the official county deed transfer forms, the title company stamps, and the bank wire confirmation receipts.
"Seven hundred and twenty-five thousand..." Stuart whispered, his voice cracking with sheer, unadulterated horror as he stared at the numbers. "Where... where is the money?!"
"It is sitting inside an irrevocable private trust," I answered calmly. "Managed by an independent banking institution. A trust to which you have zero access, zero legal claim, and zero oversight."
Jennifer scrambled out of her chair, her professional mask completely shattering into ugly, desperate rage. "You stupid old woman! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! We’ve already made commitments based on this property! We paid a non-refundable deposit to Cedar Grove!"
"Then I suggest you ask Cedar Grove for a refund," I replied, taking a slow sip of my tea. "Or perhaps you can use the money you saved from not taking that European vacation."
Jennifer gasped, her mouth falling open as she realized I had heard every single word of their secret conversation in Robert’s study three weeks ago.
Stuart took a heavy step toward me, his fists clenched at his sides, his face twisted into a mask of pure fury. "You listened to us... you spied on us!"
"I walked into my late husband's study to find my son and his wife discussing how to declare me mentally incompetent so they could steal my home and divide my estate," I spat back, my voice cutting through the room like a razor blade. "You threw a twenty-pound turkey at my chest on Thanksgiving day, Stuart. You called me a useless old woman in front of my grandchildren. You treated me like an obstacle to be removed so you could fund your lifestyle."
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"Mom... please," Stuart stammered, the rage in his voice suddenly evaporating into a pathetic, desperate whine as the reality of his financial ruin crashed down upon him. "We’re your family! I’m your son! You can't just take everything away from us!"
"I didn't take anything away from you, Stuart," I said softly, looking at him with deep, final pity. "You were never entitled to it in the first place."
