Rachel slid several photocopies toward me.
They contained my signature.
Except I had never signed them.
Teresa had submitted false change-of-address forms and forged annual notices, creating the appearance that I knew about the trust but declined involvement.
“She couldn’t access the principal,” Rachel explained. “But she diverted smaller distributions, reimbursements, and administrative payments. We estimate she took at least six hundred and forty thousand dollars.”
My mind flashed through years of Teresa crying about unpaid rent.
Brittany’s vacations.
Kayla’s designer bags.
Lily’s private college tuition.
And me, eating vending-machine dinners during overtime shifts because my paycheck was never enough.
“Why does the trust activate when my child is born?”
Victor looked at me for a long moment.
“Your father was worried you would give everything away to Teresa if it came directly to you. He believed becoming a parent might finally teach you to protect your own household.”
