Chapter 14 - The Document That Failed
I sent the alleged power of attorney to Richard immediately.
He was careful with his words.
"We will verify authenticity, execution requirements, and whether anybody attempted to use it," he said.
The document did not become valid merely because Jessica attached it to an email.
Nor did an accusation become proof of forgery because I was certain I'd never signed.
There were steps to take, records to request, and qualified people to examine them.
It took longer than I wanted.
Every day I wondered whether somebody might have used a false impression of my consent to pry into my finances.
Richard worked with the institutions involved to flag concerns and verify my instructions.
There was no evidence that any institution had transferred control of my accounts on the basis of that document.
That was the first good news.
The second arrived when the witness information failed to line up with the events Jessica described.
The third was that Colin, confronted with the discrepancies, stopped defending the document.
He called one night after meeting his lawyer.
"I can't keep pretending this is a misunderstanding."
I stood at the kitchen sink, staring at my reflection in the dark window.
"No," I said. "You can't."
"I asked her if she signed your name."
I held my breath.
"What did she say?"
"She said she was trying to protect the family."
It was not a confession to every allegation.
But it was an answer that frightened him enough to leave their apartment for the night.
He checked into a modest hotel and called to tell me he was safe.
I did not tell him to leave his marriage.
That was not a decision I had the right to make for him.
I told him to get competent independent advice, protect the children from adult conflict, and tell the truth.
Two days later, Richard informed me that Jessica's attorney had withdrawn from representing her in the dispute.
I knew better than to assume why.
The facts were still being examined, and I had no interest in inventing a story that fit my anger.
But the atmosphere had shifted.
For months, Jessica had controlled the narrative.
Now other people were asking questions she could not answer with a smile.
Then a new letter arrived at my cottage.
This time it wasn't addressed to me.
It was addressed to the trustee of the grandchildren's education funds.
May you like
And it demanded an accounting.
