I placed the document back into the envelope and took out my phone, opening the email I had prepared earlier in the car.
Then I pressed send, sending the information to Evan’s attorney and my own legal team.
Mason’s expression changed instantly. “What did you just do?”
“I ensured that no one else has access to anything,” I replied.
Naomi said in a shaken voice, “You are making us look like criminals.”
“You did that yourselves,” I said.
Judy reached toward me and said, “Please do not make permanent decisions while you are grieving.”
I looked at her and felt something shift inside me as I remembered how I had spent my entire life trying to meet their expectations.
Evan had once told me, “Your family treats you like something they can use, not someone they value.”
He had been right all along.
“This is the clearest I have ever been,” I said.
I walked toward the door as Mason followed me angrily.
“If you walk out like this, do not come back,” he said.
I paused and replied, “I came here today because I thought I still had a family, but I was wrong.”
Then I left.
Outside, the cold air hit my face as I sat in the car and finally allowed my hands to shake.