Chapter 5 - A Mother’s True Colors—The Secret Contract She Tried to Burn!
The live-stream disaster completely ruined any remaining sympathy the public had for Helen and Victoria. They were now pariahs, blocked from every social circle and mocked online. But Maya wasn't done. She knew her mother’s greed ran deeper than simple trust-fund embezzlement.
While reviewing her grandfather’s private archives in the basement of the old Anderson estate, Maya discovered a locked iron safe. Inside was a dusty manila folder containing a document from twenty years ago: a secret prenuptial agreement and an insurance policy.
Maya's biological father, Thomas Anderson, had died in a tragic car accident when Maya was only five years old. Growing up, Helen had always told Maya that her father had left them with nothing, and that they only survived because of Helen's "sacrifices."
But the document in Maya’s hands told a horrifyingly different story.
"Mr. Harrison," Maya said, her voice shaking with a mixture of rage and grief as she called the trustee into the study. "Look at this signature. This is my father's signature on a life insurance policy worth eighty million dollars."
Mr. Harrison examined the paper, his face darkening. "The beneficiary was supposed to be you, Ms. Maya. It says here that the funds were to be held in a trust for your education and well-being, to be released when you turned eighteen."
"But I never saw a single dollar of this," Maya whispered. "I had to work three jobs to pay for my college tuition. I lived on instant noodles while Victoria went to private schools in Switzerland."
"Look at the second page, ma'am," Mr. Harrison pointed to a forged signature at the bottom of the release form. "The funds were released early... to Helen Anderson, citing 'emergency medical expenses' for you. She forged your doctor’s signature and stole your entire inheritance."
This was the final nail in the coffin. It wasn't just greed; it was a criminal conspiracy.
Armed with the original documents, Maya personally led a team of private investigators and police officers to Helen's cramped apartment.
When the door opened, Helen stood there, looking disheveled and smelling of cheap gin. "What do you want now, Maya? Haven't you taken enough from us?"
"I'm here to take back what you stole from my father," Maya said, stepping into the room.
She held up the twenty-year-old insurance document.
Helen’s eyes dilated with sheer terror. She instinctively lunged forward, trying to grab the paper and tear it to pieces, but two police officers quickly stepped in, restraining her.
"No! That's mine! Thomas loved me! He wanted me to have that money!" Helen screamed, thrashing against the officers.
"You forged my signature, you forged my doctor's signature, and you stole eighty million dollars meant for a five-year-old child," Maya said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You didn't just neglect me, Mother. You robbed me of the life my father wanted for me."
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"Maya, please!" Victoria cried from the hallway, realizing what this meant. "We didn't know! I didn't know!"
"Ignorance is not a defense, Victoria," Maya said, turning her back on them. "Officer, arrest her."
