"I've already made the introductions here. Whenever you're ready, there's a seat on the board waiting for you."
He sent over a series of documents. I looked them over and nodded, satisfied.
When I got home, I packed up my personal belongings and came across the old love letters, along with every expensive gift he'd ever given me.
I sorted through all of it, then burned every last letter. The luxury gifts I sold off, down to the final piece.
The money went to a disability charity in Aunt Harriet's name. A small comfort for her spirit, wherever she was.
That evening, before the family gathering, I wasn't feeling well. When I stepped into the bathroom, I noticed bloodstained tissue in the trash. Someone was on her period.
Instinct told me something was off. I crept downstairs and rifled through Agatha's things until I found her prenatal report. Sure enough, same old trick. The report was forged.
I tucked myself into a corner and watched. Agatha slipped into the bathroom with a bottle of painkillers, thinking no one saw her.
I texted Joseph immediately. Five minutes later, he sent me Agatha's real medical report.
Night fell, and the family gathering was in full swing. The house had been decorated like a fairytale castle. Agatha was dolled up to perfection, but no amount of makeup could hide the exhaustion written across her face.
My parents were celebrating Agatha's pregnancy, announcing that she'd already found a boyfriend and they were planning the wedding.
When everyone raised their glasses, I turned and handed Agatha a slice of cake. "Have some more, sis. Pregnancy must be exhausting." I paused, letting my smile settle. "Faking one must be even worse."
"Faking it?" Every eye in the room went wide. Agatha broke into a cold sweat, and the cake slipped from her fingers, splattering across the floor.
"Have you lost your mind?" Frederick shot to his feet and pulled her behind him. My parents told me to stop talking nonsense.
I smiled and tossed the real medical report onto the table, followed by the evidence that the two of them had been siphoning my parents' assets.
"You two might want to stop protecting them," I said, tilting my head toward my parents. "Unless you somehow haven't noticed that they've bled you dry."