Chapter 7 - THE MAN WHO CALLED HER FAMILY
Thaddius had never been kind to Cora.
Even before Daniel died, he treated her as an outsider.
After the funeral, his behavior became worse.
He claimed Daniel had left debts.
He demanded money.
He threatened to take the apartment.
He insisted Cora owed him for the years he'd supposedly supported her.
She believed him.
For three years, she worked double shifts and handed over much of her earnings.
Now the notebook suggested the debts had been fabricated.
Cora met with an attorney.
They reviewed Daniel's estate documents.
Bank records.
Property records.
And the payments she'd made to Thaddius.
The findings were devastating.
Daniel had left Cora a modest life insurance policy.
But Thaddius had manipulated paperwork and pressured her into signing documents she didn't fully understand while grieving.
The attorney looked at her.
“Cora, you may have been financially exploited.”
She stared.
For years, she'd believed she was paying what she owed.
Now she realized Thaddius had been using her grief as a weapon.
Her eyes filled.
“I gave him everything.”
The attorney nodded.
“We'll work on recovering what we can.”
Cora looked down.
May you like
Then whispered:
“I want my life back.”
