Beneath the note were several legal documents: the paperwork for the sale of the house, the transfer of my assets into a trust, and a letter appointing Gerald as the executor of my estate. I had sold the house that I’d been living in since my husband’s death and liquidated my savings, placing the proceeds in a trust that would fund not only my needs but also those of my grandchildren, including Travis’s braces, college funds, and more.

Lisa stood there, the papers fluttering slightly in her trembling hands. At first, anger colored her cheeks, but as she absorbed the significance of the documents, her expression shifted to one of disbelief and anxiety.