Chapter 14 - The AllowanceMy mother wept quietly in the plush leather chair for several minutes. I waited, watching her without anger, but without the desperate desire to please her that had governed my youth.
Finally, she looked up. “Are you just going to let me starve on the street? Is that your revenge?”
“I don't care about revenge,” I said. “Revenge is emotional, and emotion makes for poor strategy.”
I pulled a pre-drafted legal document from a folder on my desk and slid it across to her.
“This is a trust agreement,” I explained. “It provides a modest two-bedroom apartment in a quiet suburban neighborhood, fully paid for by a Sterling Global subsidiary. It also includes a monthly stipend of two thousand dollars for living expenses, food, and medical care.”
Her eyes lit up with sudden hope. “Oh, Claire! Thank you! I knew you had a good heart—”
“Read the conditions before you sign,” I interrupted cold.
She blinked, picking up the pages.
“Condition one,” I read aloud. “You will sign a non-disclosure agreement prohibiting you from speaking to the press or publishing any account of the Mercer family or Sterling Global. Condition two: You will not attempt to contact me, Adrian, or any employee of Aura Logistics directly. Your stipend will be managed by a court-appointed trustee. Condition three: You will not use any portion of these funds to contribute to Richard or Vanessa’s legal defense fees.”
My mother’s face fell. “You’re... you’re cutting me off from your father? From Vanessa?”
“If you transfer a single dollar of that stipend to their defense attorneys,” I said, “the trust revokes immediately, the apartment lease is canceled, and you will be left with whatever government assistance you can secure on your own.”
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She stared at the document, her hand shaking as she held the pen I offered her. She looked at the exit, then back at the guaranteed monthly income.
She signed her name on the dotted line.
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