Misty walked in first, dressed in designer black as if she were attending a funeral on a red carpet. Simon followed behind her looking incredibly uncomfortable in a tie that seemed way too tight for his neck.
The camera crew began setting up lights and microphones around the office as if it were a movie set.
“We can begin now,” Misty said while crossing her legs with obvious impatience.
Brenda took her seat and cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention.
“I will now read the last will and testament of Harrison Miller, including the legal modifications made prior to his passing.”
As the reading progressed, everything went exactly as Brenda had predicted. The house, the stocks, and the investments were split, with forty percent appearing to go to Simon and Misty for their “support.”
Misty let out a small squeal of delight and squeezed Simon’s arm in triumph.
“I told you he knew who his real friends were!”
I remained perfectly still and waited for the trap to spring.
“However,” Brenda continued in a cold voice, “there is a codicil signed three days before Mr. Miller’s death.”
The smile on Misty’s face froze instantly.
“A codicil? What is that?”
“It is a legal amendment stating that the acceptance of any inheritance is conditioned upon a full investigation into financial fraud and bribery.”
The entire room went silent as Brenda slid the photographs and the USB drive onto the desk for everyone to see.
“We have records of illegal payments, attempts to buy medical records, and the systematic theft of funds from the family business.”
Simon grabbed one of the photos and his face turned a ghostly shade of white.
“Where did you get these?” he stammered.
“From your former father-in-law,” Jesse replied from his spot by the window. “You should never underestimate a man who built an empire from nothing.”
Misty stood up and began screaming at the camera crew to turn off the equipment.
“No, keep them running,” I said with a calm I didn’t know I had. “You wanted to record your big victory, so you should record the ending too.”
“This is a total setup!” she shrieked at the top of her lungs.
“No,” I told her, “you dug this hole yourselves, and my father just made sure you couldn’t climb back out.”
Brenda turned on a laptop and played a video that made everyone freeze. My father appeared on the screen, looking thin but with a gaze that was as sharp as a razor.