That landed like a slap.
“I didn’t know he existed until June,” I said.
“I know you didn’t.” She looked at the table. “That’s what makes it so unbearable.”
Arthur cleared his throat. “Marissa, you should know that Julian was of sound mind, and there are witnesses. If you contest this, you’ll likely lose. And it’ll cost you money you don’t have.”
“Maybe,” she said. “But I’m not letting it go without saying something.”
She turned to me.
“You want to know what our family was like after your mother died? My dad couldn’t drive past Smithville Road. My mom kept a newspaper clipping on the fridge for two years until my dad tore it down. Julian stopped playing soccer. He stopped playing anything. He was nine years old, and he decided his life belonged to you.”
“I never asked him to—”
