Chapter 4 - The Clean Bill of HealthI didn't flinch as Richard stared at me, his chest heaving with impotent rage and mounting terror. Instead, I raised my left hand, holding up the crisp, unblemished medical document like a banner of absolute triumph.
“Let’s clear up a few technicalities for your guests, shall we?” I said, turning slightly to address the pale, terrified board members sitting frozen around the table.
“Ninety days ago, Richard brought home a terminal diagnosis,” I continued, my voice echoing clearly across the room. “Stage-four pancreatic cancer. He mourned for approximately ten minutes before deciding my expiration date was the best thing that ever happened to his career. He moved his mistress into my bedroom, cut off my medical access, and began liquidating my personal assets to fund their new life together.”
Sienna burst into panicked tears, clutching her stomach. “Richard, make her stop! Tell them she’s lying! She’s crazy!”
“I am perfectly sane, Sienna,” I replied, stepping closer and laying the pristine MRI scan flat on the mahogany table right in front of Richard’s plate. “Feel free to read the header. That scan was performed yesterday morning at St. Jude’s Diagnostic Center. My organs are clear. My blood work is pristine. The hospital that gave us the initial diagnosis mixed my file with a patient who shared my exact name and birth year. When the correct results came in two weeks later, I chose not to correct Richard immediately.”
I let a cold, knowing smile touch my lips.
“I wanted to see how he would behave when he thought no one was watching. I wanted to see how quickly a man who swore vows of sickness and health would turn into a parasite.”
Richard stared down at the MRI scan, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The signature of the chief oncologist was unmistakable. The date was current. The images showed a clean, healthy abdominal cavity with zero signs of malignancy.
“No... no...” Richard muttered, shaking his head in denial. “That’s... that’s not possible. The lawyers said the corporate restructuring documents were already filed! The holdings were supposed to transfer to my name upon your death certificate registration!”
“Ah, yes. The corporate documents,” I said softly.
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I reached down, unzipping the heavy midnight-blue leather folder, and pulled out a thick stack of legal papers, sliding them across the table toward him.
“Let’s talk about those documents, Richard.”
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