“There must be a mistake.”
“There isn’t.”
“What about her daughter?”
“Mrs. Harper made a separate arrangement for her many years ago.”
“And Greg?”
The attorney’s face hardened.
“Especially not Greg.”
I pushed the folder away.
“I fixed her porch. I drove her to appointments. That doesn’t mean I should receive everything she spent her life building.”
Mr. Vance leaned back in his chair.
“You were not chosen because you repaired things. You were chosen because you came when she needed someone. Again and again, for seven years, you came.”
Before I could respond, the office door flew open.
Greg walked in wearing dark glasses and carrying a folder beneath his arm.
“So,” he said, “the family is excluded while the helpful neighbor receives a private will reading.”
Mr. Vance stood.
“You were informed that you were not welcome here.”
Greg ignored him and looked directly at me.
His smile contained no warmth.
“The devoted neighbor,” he said. “Always arriving with groceries and casseroles. How convenient.”
“I never asked your aunt for anything.”
“No, you were cleverer than that.”
He dropped into the chair beside me and slid a document across the desk.
It was a settlement agreement.
“Transfer the properties to me by Friday,” he said, “and this ends quietly.”
I stared at him.
“And if I refuse?”
“I challenge the will.”
“On what grounds?”
“Manipulation. Undue influence. Exploitation of an elderly woman.”
The accusation struck harder than I expected.
Greg leaned closer.
“You had a key to her house. You drove her everywhere. You placed yourself between her and her real family. Do you honestly believe a judge won’t find that suspicious?”
“She gave me the key because she trusted me.”
“And now you’re receiving millions of dollars in property. I’m sure that’s completely unrelated.”
Mr. Vance began to speak, but Greg raised a hand.
“I’ll keep you in court for years,” he continued. “I’ll drain your savings. I’ll speak to every neighbor, every newspaper, and anyone else who will listen. By the time I’m finished, people will hear your name and think of a conman.”
He stood.
“Sign by Friday.”
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