Chapter 1 - The Envelope
I held my breath as I gripped the borrowed gas station phone against my ear.
The silence on the other end of the line was heavy.
"I am handing it to him right now," Mara whispered.
I could hear the faint sound of paper tearing through the phone speaker.
My son, David, had always been impatient.
He probably thought the envelope contained the master keys and the alarm codes.
Instead, he was looking at a legally binding injunction drafted by the best corporate attorney in the state.
The document immediately suspended his employment and barred him from the premises.
I heard David’s voice echo in the background, sharp and furious.
"What is this garbage?" David yelled.
"It is a legal directive from the trust controlling this company," Mara replied calmly.
"My father left this place to me!" David screamed.
"Your father left the controlling interest to a trust, and your mother is the sole executor," Mara explained.
There was a loud crash, like a chair being kicked against a wall.
I squeezed my eyes shut, praying Mara was safe behind the security desk.
"You tell my mother she made a massive mistake," David sneered into the room.
He snatched the phone directly from Mara's hand.
"Did you really think a piece of paper could stop me?" David asked, his voice dripping with venom.
"You have no authority there, David," I told him firmly.
"I don't need authority when I have the cash," he laughed.
My blood ran cold.
"What did you do?" I demanded.
"I stopped by the bank yesterday before dad flatlined," David said.
"The bank wouldn't let you touch the corporate operating accounts," I argued.
"They would if I had the proper authorization forms," he replied smoothly.
"I never signed any forms," I stated.
"I know you didn't, but the bank manager certainly thinks you did," David whispered.
He had forged my signature.
May you like
"Every single penny is gone, Mom," David taunted.
He hung up the phone, leaving me completely penniless on the side of the highway.
