After my mother-in-law passed away, I went to the reading of her will—only to find my husband sitting there with his mistress… and a newborn in her arms. They didn’t even look embarrassed. Like they’d been waiting for me to crumble. But when the lawyer opened the envelope and began reading her final words, the room went ᴅᴇᴀᴅ quiet—and my husband’s face drained of color.

Brooke stared at him in disbelief. “You told me you were leaving her,” she said.

He ignored her and focused on me. “Let us talk outside, just the two of us.”

I turned to Scott. “Should I?”

“Judith specifically instructed that you not be alone with him today,” Scott replied. “She also arranged for building security to be present.”

For a split second, fear crossed Tyler’s face before anger replaced it. “Security, are you serious?”

Scott slid a business card toward me. “Carla Benson has been retained to represent you as trustee, and she already has copies of everything.”

Judith had thought of every detail. She had known her son well.

Tyler reached for the folder, but Scott calmly pulled it back. “That would not be wise.”

Brooke looked at me with uncertainty. “I did not know about the financial issues,” she said quietly. “He told me you did not want children and that you cared more about money than family.”

“I wanted children,” I replied evenly. “Tyler wanted control.”

His jaw tightened. “You are not perfect either.”

“I never claimed to be,” I said. “But I am done being manipulated.”

He stood abruptly and leaned over the table. “If you interfere with Silverline, people will lose their jobs.”