Chapter 3 - THE SECRET TRUST
The private dining room at the restaurant was quiet. Liam sat across from me, his head in his hands, still processing the monster he had almost married.
Eleanor poured me a glass of sparkling water. “Evelyn, I need to tell you something. When Liam proposed to Chloe, I hired a private investigator to look into your family's background. It’s standard practice in our circles.”
My stomach tightened. “What did you find?”
Eleanor pulled a thick manila folder from her designer tote bag and slid it across the table. “The fire that burned your house down twenty years ago. It was caused by faulty wiring installed by a negligent contractor. Your parents sued the construction company.”
“I know,” I said. “They lost the lawsuit. They told me we were bankrupt because of my medical bills.”
Liam looked up, his eyes flashing with anger. “They didn't lose, Evelyn. They settled out of court. For eight million dollars.”
The breath left my lungs. “What?”
“The settlement was strictly earmarked for your lifelong medical care, reconstructive surgeries, and emotional trauma,” Eleanor explained gently. “But because you were a minor, your parents controlled the trust. Evelyn… they never spent a dime on your surgeries. They used it to buy their current mansion, fund Chloe’s luxury lifestyle, and pay for the $150,000 wedding Liam just canceled.”
May you like
I stared at the bank statements in the folder. The cheap, painful state-funded surgeries. The physical therapy I had to beg for. The wheelchair I had bought myself by working online. All while millions of dollars meant for my healing sat in their accounts.
A new kind of fire ignited inside me. Not one that burned flesh, but one that demanded justice.
