Chapter 3
The next morning, I did three things.
I filed a motion to freeze their assets, I sued to throw out the property division in our divorce agreement, and I handed over the evidence of Michael's illegal company transfers to an audit team.
I didn't challenge the divorce itself. I wanted him to live with the fact that he was the one who worked so hard to end our marriage.
*****
By noon, the first part of my inheritance hit my personal account. It was 400 million dollars.
The rest of the assets, including thirty-one percent of Riverstone Holdings, overseas funds, and property trusts, would be transferred in stages.
Helen had always stayed out of the spotlight. People knew Riverstone Holdings had a major shareholder, but nobody knew it was her. Now, those shares were mine.
Charles Hanley, the chairman of Riverstone Holdings, showed up at the law firm in person.
He was in his fifties, and as soon as he walked in, he bowed to me. "Ms. Mitchell, Ms. Fisher left instructions that if you ever wanted to join the board, you could do so at any time," he said.
"Did my aunt leave any other instructions?" I asked.
Charles handed me a sealed envelope. "She said you can open it when you need to protect yourself."
I broke the seal. Inside was a loan agreement from ten years ago.
The borrower was David Grant, Michael's father.
The amount was 4 million dollars.
The collateral was their family home in Maplewood Estates and all their shares in their construction company.
Ten years ago, Grant Construction Supplies was about to go under.
Michael always told me his dad had pulled off a miracle.
It turned out Helen had saved them. When the loan came due, the Grants never repaid the funds, and Helen never pressed for repayment.
Charles said, "Ms. Fisher didn't press them for the debt because of you."
I gripped the loan agreement, my chest tightening.
Helen had never mentioned any of this to me.
All these years, she paid my mortgage and supported me, while the Grants called her a lonely, weird old woman.
Evelyn didn't even bother to show up at her funeral. She'd said, "She wasn't really family. There's no reason for us to mourn her."
I handed the loan agreement to Andrew. "Collect the debt exactly as the contract says."
"Now?" Andrew asked.
"Now."
Andrew nodded. "Including principal, interest, and penalties, it's almost ten million dollars. If the Grant family can't pay up, we can seize the collateral."
"Do it."
*****
That afternoon, court officials showed up at the Grant family home to freeze their assets.
At that moment, Michael was busy meeting with a wedding planner when they told him he couldn't sell, mortgage, or change the registration on the house.
Jessica's property was frozen too.
Michael called me. "Cheryl, have you lost your mind?"
"No," I answered calmly.
"What right do you have to freeze my house?"
"I have the proof of the down payment, the mortgage records, and the fact that you tricked me into signing that divorce agreement."
"You signed it yourself."
"Let's take it to court then."
He lowered his voice. "Are you really going to push this that far?"
"You're the one who tricked me into this divorce."
"Let's talk. I will give you half of the house, but leave Jessica's place alone."
"That house was bought with our shared money, so why should I leave it alone?"
"She's pregnant."
"What does that have to do with me?"
Michael's breathing grew heavier.
For eight years, I would have apologized the moment he raised his voice. This time, he waited, but I didn't budge.
"Cheryl, don't regret it later," he said.
"There's only one thing I regret now," I replied.
"What?"
"That I ever trusted you so much." I hung up right after finishing my words.
Ten minutes later, Grant Construction Supplies received a lawyer's letter.
They owed ten million dollars, and they had a deadline to pay up.
Soon after, Evelyn called from a different number.
This time, she softened her tone. "Cheryl, I was a bit harsh earlier. Don't take it to heart."
"Mrs. Grant, what do you want?" I asked.
"Mrs. Grant? Come on, we've been family for eight years. We can't really be enemies, can we? About that loan, maybe it's a misunderstanding?"
"The agreement has David's signature and fingerprint."
"Your aunt's dead. Why are you still chasing after that money?"
"I inherited the debt."
"But we're family."
"We stopped being family seventy days ago."
She went quiet for a moment, then started crying. "Michael was out of his mind, and I want to apologize for him.
"Come back, and we'll send Jessie away. You and Michael can get remarried, and we'll go back to how things were."
I laughed.
They didn't know about the three-billion-dollar inheritance yet, but she was already willing to kick out a pregnant Jessica.
It wasn't because she wanted to keep me in the family. It was because of that ten-million-dollar debt.
"Get remarried?" I repeated the words.
"Yes. Michael said he still cares about you," Evelyn replied.
"Let him say it to my face."
"Of course. Come back tonight, and we can all sit down and talk it out."
I agreed.
Andrew asked, "Are you really going back?"
"Yes," I replied.
"They might record your conversation."
"I know."
"So, what are you planning to talk about?"
I slipped a list of frozen assets into my bag. "I want to talk about the 9 million Michael moved behind my back."
At six o'clock, as I arrived at Maplewood Estates, I got an anonymous text. [Don't go upstairs. Jessica's going to get you to knock into her, and then pin her miscarriage on you.]
There was an audio clip attached.
Evelyn's voice was crystal clear on the recording. "After the baby's gone, we'll blame Cheryl for pushing Jessie.
"With something to hold over her, she won't dare come after the ten million dollars."