Chapter 13 - The Truth About Olivia|
The following morning, I met with Olivia's former estate attorney, Robert Gaines.
He had handled our family finances for more than a decade.
He looked exhausted when he entered the conference room.
"Marcus, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For not telling you sooner."
I placed Olivia's letter on the table.
"She asked for an emergency review of Zion's trust two days before she died. Why didn't I know?"
Robert folded his hands.
"Because Daniel told me she had changed her mind."
"Did she?"
"No."
I stared at him.
"Then why did you accept that explanation?"
He looked ashamed.
"I didn't. I contacted Olivia directly, but she was hospitalized. I planned to speak with her after she recovered."
"She never recovered."
"I know."
He opened his briefcase.
"I have something else."
He placed a sealed envelope in front of me.
It contained a legal instruction signed by Olivia.
She had requested that Daniel be removed from any role involving Zion's financial affairs.
She had also appointed an independent trustee.
The instruction had never been completed.
"Why?"
"Daniel challenged the request. He argued that Olivia was under emotional stress and not thinking clearly."
"She was protecting her child."
"I believe so."
I looked at the signature.
"Could he have forged the documents?"
"We're investigating that possibility."
Robert then handed me a second file.
It contained a medical note from Olivia's final weeks.
She had told her physician she was concerned about unusual behavior from Margaret and had requested that all medication for Zion be administered only by a licensed medical professional.
I closed the file.
"Why wasn't this in Zion's medical records?"
"Because it was part of Olivia's private consultation."
I sat back.
My wife had been trying to protect our son from people I trusted.
And I had been too busy to notice.
Robert continued.
"There's one more thing. Olivia asked me to deliver a letter to you if she was unable to speak with you herself."
He placed it on the table.
My name was written across the front.
I opened it carefully.
Marcus,
I know you love our son. I know you will give him everything you can. But please remember that children need more than protection purchased with money.
They need someone who notices when they are afraid.
They need someone who listens.
And they need a parent who understands that asking for help is not weakness.
I stopped reading.
My eyes blurred.
The final paragraph was short.
If you ever find yourself choosing between being right and listening to someone who is trying to protect Zion, choose to listen.
I pressed the letter against my chest.
Robert waited.
Finally, I asked:
"Did Olivia know she was dying?"
He shook his head.
"No. But she knew something was wrong."
I looked at the envelope.
"Then why didn't she tell me everything?"
"Perhaps she tried."
The words struck me.
I remembered the last weeks of her life.
The calls I had missed.
The arguments I had postponed.
The times she had asked me to come home early.
I had promised I would.
I rarely did.
That afternoon, Dr. Hayes called.
Zion's latest results were encouraging.
But she wanted to discuss the findings with me in person.
When I arrived at the hospital, she was waiting with another specialist.
"Mr. Whitaker, we have confirmed the medication exposure."
My heart pounded.
"How serious was it?"
"It was medically significant. Given Zion's age, the exposure could have caused life-threatening respiratory depression."
I swallowed.
"Will he recover?"
"We expect him to make a good recovery, but we will continue monitoring him."
Then she added:
"There is something else. His previous symptoms may have been related to repeated exposure. We need to understand exactly how often this occurred."
I looked toward Zion's room.
May you like
And I realized that the danger had not begun that Thursday.
It had been hiding in our home for months.
