Chapter 5: The Price of Silence
Clara reached across the table and opened the wooden box. Inside sat the heavy gold Rolex Victor used to wear when he gave speeches about family values. Beside it lay a sealed envelope with her name written in Victor’s sharp, aggressive handwriting.
She opened the envelope. There was no apology inside. There was only a single, typed sheet of paper.
Clara, You think you won because you put me in a cage. But you only survived because you finally learned to be as ruthless as I am. Take the money. Name the child. Prove that underneath all your soft, pathetic whining, you are still a Monroe. Power is the only thing that protects you. Buy your safety, little girl.
Clara stared at the words. Once, a letter like this would have sent her into a panic attack. It would have made her question her own mind. Now, it just looked pathetic. It was the desperate scratching of a man who died completely alone, trying to convince himself that he still mattered.
"Clara?" Andrew whispered, watching her face carefully. "Are you okay?"
Clara folded the letter and put it back in the box. She looked at the estate attorney. "I do not want the money," Clara said, her voice clear and absolute.
May you like
The attorney blinked. "Mrs. Hale, it is four million dollars. If you refuse the contingency, the funds default to the state." "Then let the state have it," Clara replied, standing up from her chair. "My daughter’s name is not for sale."
She pushed the wooden box back across the table. "You can keep the watch, too," she added. "Or throw it in the river. I don't care. Victor Monroe is dead, and his money died with him."
