My heart pounded against my chest as I let her in.
We sat at the kitchen table, and Sarah opened her folder carefully.
“Ms. Patricia, I know you’ve been told that your marriage was never legally filed,” she began. “That’s technically true. But what you haven’t been told is why.”
“Why?” I repeated.
“It appears Michael never filed the marriage certificate intentionally,” she said, watching my face. “But it wasn’t negligence or forgetfulness. According to documents we’ve found, he did it to protect you and the children.”
I stared at her. “Protect us? By never marrying me? By leaving us with nothing?”
Sarah shook her head. “That’s not what he did. He set up several trusts, life insurance policies, and accounts that were specifically designed to bypass probate and inheritance laws. He was protecting you from potential financial disputes, from creditors, and even from family members who might contest a will.”
She pulled out papers, showing me documents I’d never seen before. There were trust agreements, insurance policies with my name and the children’s names as beneficiaries, and bank accounts I didn’t know existed.
“But why didn’t he tell me?” I whispered.
Sarah pulled out an envelope. “He left letters. This one is addressed to you.”
Continue reading on the next page ↓
