Chapter 6: The Deal My Husband Refused to Make
Frank Harrington stood in my doorway as if he owned the house.
He wore a charcoal-gray suit, polished black shoes, and a smile that never quite reached his eyes. His leather briefcase looked expensive enough to contain something important.
Behind him, Ethan stood silently.
“Margaret,” Frank said again, “may I come in?””
I didn't move.
“You haven't been invited.””
His smile widened.
“Surely we can be civil.””
“Civil people don't arrive at someone's home after telling their daughter to pressure that person's son into obtaining a fraudulent signature.””
Frank's expression barely changed.
“That's a serious accusation.””
“Then perhaps you should leave before I make another one.””
Ethan stepped forward.
“Mom, please. Just hear him out.””
I looked at my son.
“Did you know he was coming?””
He hesitated.
“Yes.””
“And you didn't think to tell me?””
“Frank said he wanted to explain everything.””
I looked back at the man on my porch.
“Five minutes. Then you leave.””
Frank walked inside without thanking me.
He placed his briefcase on Robert's old coffee table and sat down.
He didn't ask permission.
That small gesture told me more about him than his expensive suit ever could.
“Your husband and I had a complicated business relationship,” he began.
“I know.””
“Then you know Robert wasn't always reasonable.””
I folded my arms.
“Robert was many things. Naive wasn't one of them.””
Frank chuckled.
“That's exactly the problem. He was stubborn. He refused to recognize an opportunity when it was placed in front of him.””
“What opportunity?””
Frank opened his briefcase and removed a thick folder.
“The development project near the commercial corridor. Collins Holdings owns a property that would complete our acquisition plan. We've been trying to obtain it for years.””
“Then make a fair offer.””
“We did.””
“Robert refused.””
“Because he didn't understand the numbers.””
I looked at him.
“Robert understood numbers better than anyone I've ever met.””
Frank leaned forward.
“Margaret, let's stop pretending. Your husband is gone. You're sixty-eight. Do you really want to spend your remaining years managing commercial properties, dealing with tenants, insurance, taxes, and lawyers?””
I didn't answer.
He continued.
“I'm offering you an easy way out. Sell the company, receive your money, and let professionals handle the rest.””
“How much?””
“Six million dollars.””
I almost laughed.
“Daniel valued the company at more than eight million.””
Frank's smile disappeared for half a second.
“Daniel Mercer has always been an optimist.””
“He's also my attorney.””
Frank closed the folder.
“Then perhaps we should discuss your son.””
Ethan shifted in his chair.
Frank turned toward him.
“Ethan has invested heavily in our project. He's signed personal guarantees. He's put his reputation on the line.””
I looked at my son.
“Why?””
Frank answered for him.
“Because he believes in the future of our family.””
“Which family?””
Frank smiled.
“The Harringtons and the Collinses. We're connected now.””
I stared at him.
“Marriage doesn't give you ownership of my business.””
“No, but it gives us an opportunity to work together.””
He reached into his briefcase again.
This time, he produced a document.
“Your husband understood that certain assets needed to be transferred before his death. Unfortunately, the paperwork wasn't completed.””
I took the document.
It was a copy of a supposed preliminary transfer agreement.
My name appeared beneath Robert's.
The date was three months before his death.
According to the document, I had agreed to transfer controlling shares of Collins Holdings to a trust connected to Ethan.
I read it carefully.
Then I looked at Frank.
“This isn't real.””
His expression hardened.
“It's a preliminary agreement.””
“It's a forgery.””
“Be careful with your words.””
I placed the paper on the table.
“I never signed this.””
Frank leaned back.
“Perhaps you don't remember.””
I stood.
“Get out.””
Ethan rose immediately.
“Mom!””
“Your guest has overstayed his welcome.””
Frank closed his briefcase.
“Think carefully, Margaret. Your son's financial situation is deteriorating. If the project collapses, he could lose everything.””
“That's between you and Ethan.””
“Not entirely. Your company's assets are connected to the transaction.””
“Only because someone submitted documents they had no right to submit.””
Frank stood.
His voice became quieter.
“Robert made the same mistake. He believed he could stand in my way and walk away untouched.””
I felt my blood turn cold.
“What did you just say?””
He adjusted his cuff.
“I said Robert was a difficult man.””
“No. You said he made a mistake.””
Frank stared at me.
For the first time, his confidence seemed forced.
Then he smiled again.
“Enjoy your evening.””
He walked out.
Ethan followed him to the door.
Before leaving, my son turned around.
“Mom, please don't make this worse.””
I looked at him.
“Ethan, your father spent thirty years building something for this family. You are helping a man dismantle it.””
“He's trying to help me.””
“No. He's trying to buy something he couldn't convince your father to sell.””
Ethan shook his head.
“You don't understand what Brooke and I are facing.””
“Then tell me the truth.””
He looked at the floor.
“I can't.””
He left.
I locked the door.
Then I went into Robert's study and called Daniel.
He answered on the second ring.
“Margaret?””
“Frank was here.””
There was a pause.
“What did he want?””
“He showed me a document claiming Robert and I had agreed to transfer the company.””
Daniel's voice became sharp.
“Do you still have it?””
“Yes.””
“Don't touch it unnecessarily. Put it somewhere safe. I'll arrange for it to be examined.””
I described the document.
Daniel asked me several questions about the date and the signatures.
Then he said something that made my stomach tighten.
“Margaret, there is something you need to know. When Robert died, he left instructions concerning the ownership of Collins Holdings. Those instructions were never carried out because he specifically requested that I wait until certain conditions were met.””
“What conditions?””
“If anyone attempted to transfer company assets without your knowledge, I was to activate the protective provisions in his estate plan.””
I sat down.
“What does that mean?””
“It means your husband anticipated a possible attempt to take control of the company.””
I stared at Robert's photograph.
“Why would he anticipate that?””
Daniel was quiet.
Then he said:
“Because he had already discovered that someone close to Ethan was trying to obtain access to the company's financial records.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“Who?””
“I'll show you on Monday.””
After we ended the call, I returned to the living room.
The roses Ethan had brought were still on the coffee table.
I picked them up.
For a moment, I considered throwing them away.
Instead, I placed them in a vase.
I didn't want to become someone who allowed anger to destroy every good memory.
But I also wouldn't allow love to make me blind again.
At 10:32 p.m., my phone buzzed.
It was a message from Brooke.
You need to stop listening to Daniel Mercer. Dad knows what Robert did. If you keep pushing, Ethan will be the one who pays.
I read it twice.
Then another message arrived.
A photograph.
It showed a document with Robert's signature.
Beneath it was a sentence.
Ask your lawyer why your husband changed his will three days before he died.
I stared at the screen.
Three days before Robert died.
I had been beside him in the hospital then.
I'd held his hand while he struggled to breathe.
I'd thought we had discussed everything.
May you like
But apparently, there was something he hadn't told me.
And Brooke knew exactly what it was.
