Chapter 7 - The Sister Who Was Supposed to Be Protected
Olivia’s trust was larger than mine.
Mom had structured it that way because Olivia was only eleven when she died.
Her account originally held nearly $220,000.
Dad controlled it until Olivia turned twenty-five.
Or so he claimed.
Rachel studied the original estate plan for most of an afternoon before calling me.
“There’s another clause.”
“What now?”
“When you turn twenty-one, you become co-trustee of Olivia’s share.”
I sat down.
“Me?”
“Your mother apparently wanted another adult watching the account once you were old enough.”
Suddenly Dad’s fear of my birthday made sense on a different scale.
In six months I would gain access not only to my own accounting.
I would gain oversight of Olivia’s.
“How much is left?”
“We don’t know yet.”
Dad fought Rachel’s subpoena requests.
His lawyer argued that Olivia’s trust had nothing to do with my petition.
The probate judge disagreed.
Records came in over the following week.
Dad had withdrawn more than $80,000 from Olivia’s account.
Some expenses were legitimate.
Her braces.
Summer camp.
Therapy after Mom died.
Many were not.
Roofing equipment.
A boat payment.
A commercial insurance premium for Dad’s business.
And $12,000 paid to a contractor who had renovated our kitchen.
Dad had spent years telling me Olivia was his precious child.
He had been using her money too.
When I confronted Olivia with the records, she became furious with me.
“You’re trying to make me hate him.”
“No.”
“He took care of us!”
“With our money.”
“So what? We’re family.”
I stopped arguing.
That sentence had been Dad’s shield for years.
Then Olivia said something that changed the direction again.
“At least he didn’t spend Mom’s final account.”
“What final account?”
Olivia’s face changed.
“I thought you knew.”
I didn’t.
Apparently Mom had left one account outside both trusts.
May you like
And according to Olivia, Dad had spent six years telling her it belonged to whoever “kept the family together.”
Rachel had never seen it in the estate inventory.
