That sentence.
Because even after everything, Daniel had still been trying to protect us.
Then Vivian made the mistake that finally buried her.
“This is fake!” she screamed suddenly. “She manipulated him! She poisoned him against his own family!”
At that exact moment, the chapel doors opened.
For illustrative purposes only
Attorney Claire Donovan stepped inside wearing a long black coat, her expression unreadable. Beside her stood Detective Harris and two uniformed officers.
Vivian looked like she had seen a ghost.
Claire approached the front pew calmly.
“Mrs. Whitmore,” she said evenly, “I strongly advise you and Grant Whitmore not to say another word without legal counsel present.”
Grant exploded. “You’re doing this at my brother’s funeral?!”
Detective Harris glanced briefly toward Daniel’s casket before answering coldly, “The funeral is the only reason we waited outside.”
Vivian turned desperately toward the relatives.
“You all know me!” she cried. “You know what kind of woman she is!”
But nobody answered.
Nobody defended her.
Not Aunt Marlene.
Not the cousins.
Not the uncle who refused to hug me earlier.
Silence finally abandoned me…
…and chose her instead.
I opened the folder Daniel had hidden in our safe.
“Maybe they need help remembering,” I said quietly.
Page after page, Claire revealed everything.
Forged applications.
