Chapter 6: The Woman His Mother Chose
Margaret sat at the dining table long after Richard ended the call.
She kept looking at the same sentence in Jonathan's email.
Independent protector of the Evelyn Carter Family Trust.
She had never heard of it.
Not once in six years of marriage had Richard mentioned that Evelyn had appointed her to oversee anything.
Richard sat opposite her, his hands clasped.
"I didn't know," he said.
Margaret looked up.
"How could you not know?""
"Jonathan says Evelyn arranged it privately. She asked him to keep the details confidential until the trust became relevant.""
"But why me?""
Richard shook his head.
"I don't know.""
Margaret looked toward the staircase.
"Ethan knows, doesn't he?""
Richard didn't answer.
They both knew the answer was probably yes.
The following morning, they met Jonathan at his office.
This time, Jonathan had prepared a thick folder containing the original trust agreement, amendments, and a sealed letter from Evelyn.
He placed the documents on the conference table.
"Before we begin," he said, "I want to make something clear. Margaret's appointment does not give her ownership of the trust. Her role is to protect the conditions Evelyn established.""
Margaret opened the agreement.
"What conditions?""
Jonathan adjusted his glasses.
"The trust was created to provide Ethan with financial support, education funding, and eventual access to a portion of Evelyn's estate.""
Richard leaned forward.
"And the restrictions?""
Jonathan turned to a highlighted section.
"Ethan cannot receive the final distribution if he engages in fraud, deliberately misrepresents financial information, or attempts to obtain assets through coercion.""
Richard stared at the page.
Jonathan continued.
"Margaret's responsibility is to review any questionable conduct and provide an independent assessment before the final distribution.""
Margaret looked stunned.
"Why would Evelyn trust me with that?""
Jonathan opened the sealed letter.
"She explained her reasoning.""
He handed it to Margaret.
The envelope contained a handwritten message dated two months before Evelyn's death.
Margaret began reading.
Dear Margaret,
You may never understand why I chose you for this responsibility. Perhaps you will never even know that I did.
But I have heard about you.
Richard told me about the woman who helped him find his smile again. He told me you were patient with him, even when grief made him difficult.
I don't want my son to grow up believing that loving his father means controlling his father.
Ethan has a good heart, but he sometimes confuses being loved with getting his way.
If you ever become part of this family, I hope you will treat him kindly. But please don't let kindness become permission for him to hurt people.
Margaret stopped.
Her eyes were filled with tears.
She continued reading.
If the time comes when you must make a difficult decision about his inheritance, remember that I don't want you to punish him.
I want you to protect him from becoming the kind of man who believes other people exist only to serve him.
Please protect the truth, even if it makes you unpopular.
Margaret lowered the letter.
Richard looked at her.
"She knew about you?""
Jonathan nodded.
"Evelyn and Richard had discussed the possibility of Richard remarrying. Evelyn had met Margaret briefly at a charity event several months before she became seriously ill.""
Margaret searched her memory.
She remembered attending a fundraiser years earlier.
She had spoken to a woman with a soft voice and tired eyes.
She hadn't realized that woman was Evelyn.
"She remembered me?""
Jonathan smiled faintly.
"Very much.""
Richard looked at the letter.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Evelyn believed the arrangement would only create resentment if Ethan knew about it too early. She wanted him to grow into responsibility before receiving the inheritance.""
Richard looked down.
"And now?""
Jonathan closed the folder.
"Now we have a serious problem.""
At noon, Ethan received an email from the law office.
It requested his attendance at a formal meeting concerning the family trust.
He called Richard immediately.
"What is this?""
Richard answered calmly.
"An appointment with Jonathan.""
"Why?""
"Because your mother's trust needs to be reviewed.""
Ethan went silent.
Then he asked, "Did he tell you about the protector?""
Richard looked at Margaret.
"Yes.""
Ethan's voice changed.
"She has no right to be involved.""
"Your mother gave her that responsibility.""
"Mom didn't know her!""
"She met her.""
"She was dying. She wasn't thinking clearly.""
Richard's jaw tightened.
"Don't speak about your mother that way.""
"Then don't let Margaret control my inheritance!""
Richard remained silent for a moment.
Then he said, "If you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear.""
Ethan laughed.
"That's what she wants you to think.""
Richard ended the call.
Margaret watched him.
"He knows.""
Richard nodded.
"He knew about the trust all along.""
Ethan arrived at Jonathan's office at 3:00 p.m.
He came without his briefcase.
His hands were empty.
But his expression was full of anger.
"Let's get this over with.""
Jonathan gestured toward a chair.
"Please sit down.""
Ethan remained standing.
"I want to know why Margaret is suddenly involved in my mother's estate.""
Jonathan opened the agreement.
"She has been involved since the trust was created.""
"That's ridiculous.""
"Your mother appointed her as independent protector.""
"She wasn't even married to Dad!""
"She didn't need to be.""
Ethan looked at Richard.
"You knew about this?""
"I learned yesterday.""
Ethan laughed.
"So she gets to decide whether I receive my own mother's money?""
Jonathan corrected him.
"She does not decide whether you receive the money arbitrarily. She reviews whether the conditions established by your mother have been met.""
"That's the same thing.""
"No, it isn't.""
Ethan turned toward Margaret.
"Are you enjoying this?""
Margaret looked at him steadily.
"No.""
"Don't pretend you're innocent. You finally found a way to control my family.""
Margaret placed Evelyn's letter on the table.
"Your mother didn't want me to control you.""
Ethan glanced at the envelope.
"Don't touch her things.""
"She asked me to protect you from making decisions that could destroy your future.""
He laughed.
"That's convenient.""
Margaret's voice remained calm.
"She wanted you to understand that being loved doesn't mean you're entitled to everything.""
Ethan slammed his hand onto the table.
"Stop quoting my mother!""
Jonathan stood.
"Mr. Carter, if you cannot conduct yourself appropriately, we will end this meeting.""
Ethan looked at him.
"Then end it.""
Jonathan closed the folder.
"Very well. But before you leave, there is something you need to understand.""
He slid a copy of the trust agreement across the table.
"Your mother's estate contains a substantial financial distribution. However, the trust explicitly excludes anyone who attempts to obtain control through deception, intimidation, or fraudulent documentation.""
Ethan's expression changed.
Jonathan continued.
"We have received evidence that you created false photographs, planted personal items, manipulated security footage, and prepared unauthorized financial documents.""
Ethan stared at Richard.
"You gave him everything?""
Richard answered quietly.
"I gave him the truth.""
Ethan pointed toward Margaret.
"She planned this.""
Margaret shook her head.
"I didn't even know the trust existed until yesterday.""
"You're lying!""
Jonathan opened another folder.
"This meeting is being documented. Any further threats or accusations will be recorded.""
Ethan stepped back.
Then he looked at his father.
"You're going to regret this.""
Richard's eyes were wet.
"I already regret something.""
"What?""
"That I spent years teaching you that you could hurt people and still expect them to stand beside you.""
Ethan grabbed the trust agreement.
Richard reached out.
"Leave it.""
Ethan threw it onto the table.
Then he walked out.
That evening, Margaret was alone in the kitchen when her phone rang.
The caller ID displayed an unknown number.
She answered cautiously.
"Hello?""
A woman's voice spoke.
"Mrs. Carter? My name is Olivia Bennett. I'm calling because I believe you need to know what Ethan has been saying about you.""
Margaret stopped stirring the soup.
"Who are you?""
"I'm an administrative assistant at Carter Holdings. I used to work directly with Ethan.""
Margaret felt her stomach tighten.
"What exactly has he been saying?""
Olivia hesitated.
"He's been telling people that you're stealing from his father. He said you married Richard to get access to his money.""
Margaret closed her eyes.
"That's not true.""
"I know. That's why I'm calling.""
Margaret leaned against the counter.
"Why would you get involved?""
"Because I helped him prepare some of those documents.""
Margaret went still.
Olivia continued.
"I thought they were legitimate. He told me his father had approved everything.""
"Did Richard approve them?""
"Not that I know of.""
Margaret looked toward the study.
"Do you have copies?""
"I do.""
"Can you send them to the attorney?""
"Yes. But there's something else.""
Margaret's voice dropped.
"What?""
Olivia took a shaky breath.
"Ethan didn't create that false photograph alone.""
Margaret gripped the phone.
"What do you mean?""
"He asked someone to help him stage the hallway scene. Someone who knew the house.""
"Who?""
Olivia hesitated.
Then she said a name.
Margaret felt the blood drain from her face.
"Are you sure?""
"I have messages proving it.""
Margaret slowly sat down.
"Who is it?""
Olivia answered.
"Your husband's younger sister.""
Margaret stared at the kitchen wall.
Richard had one younger sister, Susan Carter.
Susan had always been polite to Margaret in public.
But she had never hidden her belief that Richard should have remained alone after Evelyn's death.
Margaret remembered the Christmas dinner when Susan had stood in the kitchen and said, "Some women are very good at finding wealthy widowers.""
Margaret had pretended not to hear.
Now she understood that the remark might have been more than an insult.
It might have been a warning.
Richard entered the kitchen a few minutes later.
He found Margaret sitting with her phone in her hand.
"What's happened?""
She looked up.
"Richard, we need to talk about Susan.""
His expression changed.
"Why?""
Margaret told him everything Olivia had said.
Richard listened without interrupting.
When she finished, he shook his head.
"No. Susan wouldn't do that.""
"Olivia says she has messages.""
"Susan has never liked you. That's true. But helping Ethan fabricate evidence?""
Margaret looked at him.
"Didn't you say the same thing about Ethan yesterday?""
Richard fell silent.
His phone began vibrating.
A message appeared from Susan.
Richard, I heard about the ridiculous accusations involving Ethan. We need to talk. Please don't let Margaret turn you against your own family.
Richard stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
I know what happened with the photographs. Ethan told me everything.
Richard's fingers tightened around the phone.
He looked at Margaret.
"She knows about the photographs.""
Margaret whispered, "And Olivia says she helped him.""
Richard immediately called his sister.
She answered on the second ring.
"Richard! Finally. I've been trying to reach you.""
"Did you help Ethan create those photographs?""
Silence.
Then Susan gave a nervous laugh.
"Who told you that?""
"Answer the question.""
"Richard, I was only trying to protect you.""
"Did you help him?""
Susan sighed.
"Margaret has changed you. You don't even listen to your own family anymore.""
Richard closed his eyes.
"That's not an answer.""
Then Susan said something that made his blood run cold.
"I didn't think he would actually use the security footage. I thought the photographs would be enough to make you question her.""
Richard looked at Margaret.
She was standing perfectly still.
Susan continued.
"Besides, we had no idea you would discover the trust agreement.""
Richard's voice dropped.
"What did you just say?""
Another silence.
Then Susan realized her mistake.
"Richard, I didn't mean—"
"How do you know about the trust?""
"Listen to me.""
"How long have you known?""
Susan began speaking quickly.
But Richard had already understood.
His sister hadn't merely helped Ethan create a scandal.
She knew about Evelyn's private inheritance arrangement.
And she had been working with Ethan before Margaret ever entered the picture.
Richard ended the call.
For several seconds, neither he nor Margaret moved.
Then his phone received a final message.
It was from Olivia.
Attached was a screenshot of a conversation between Ethan and Susan.
The date was five months earlier.
And the first message was from Susan.
If we can get Margaret removed before the trust review, we won't have to worry about Evelyn's conditions anymore.
Margaret read it twice.
Then she looked at Richard.
The woman who had helped raise Ethan after Evelyn's death had been plotting against his stepmother for months.
May you like
But one question remained.
*What exactly had Susan promised Ethan in exchange for helping him destroy Margaret's reputation?*
