Chapter 8
Ethan's shoulders sagged.
I said nothing.
There was nothing left to say.
The Mother Who Changed Her Tune
My mother-in-law remained in the boardroom after everyone else had left.
For several minutes, she stared at the polished conference table.
Then she approached me.
“Clara.”
I continued organizing the documents.
“Yes, Margaret?”
She cleared her throat.
“I think emotions got out of hand.”
I looked up.
“Whose emotions?”
She shifted uncomfortably.
“Ethan made mistakes. But marriage is about forgiveness.”
I remembered her standing behind me on the plane.
Telling me to be understanding while another woman occupied my seat.
“Yesterday, you told me I should be grateful to Ethan.”
Margaret looked away.
“I didn't mean—”
“You said I had never contributed anything meaningful to his success.”
She clasped her hands.
“Clara, surely we can discuss this privately.”
“We are discussing it privately.”
Her voice softened.
“You know I’ve always considered you family.”
I studied her.
“For eleven years, you treated me like an outsider who was lucky to marry your son.”
She began to cry.
But I had learned something important about tears.
Sometimes they came from regret.
Sometimes they came from losing control.
“Margaret, I'm not going to punish you for loving your son.”
She looked relieved.
“But I am no longer going to finance a lifestyle built on disrespect.”
Her expression changed.
“What does that mean?”
“The family trust has been paying the expenses on the vacation property you use every summer. That arrangement ends when the current agreement expires.”
Her mouth fell open.
“And the driver?”
“He's employed by my family office. You’ll need to arrange your own transportation.”
She took a step backward.
“Clara, you can't just take everything away!”
I shook my head.
“I'm not taking your property, Margaret.”
I picked up my bag.
“I'm simply no longer providing mine.”
For once, she had no answer.
The Divorce Papers
Three weeks later, Ethan came to my father's estate.
He looked different.
His expensive suit was wrinkled.
There were dark circles beneath his eyes.
He had been staying in a rented apartment while the investigation continued.
His company accounts were no longer accessible to him, and his attorneys were negotiating the terms of his departure.
The preliminary review had found substantial evidence of unauthorized spending and misleading accounting entries.
The matter had been referred to outside counsel and the appropriate authorities.
Chloe had retained a lawyer of her own.