Chapter 47
CHAPTER
FORTY-SEVEN
JULIE
The fish and chips are getting cold on the coffee table, but none of us are really eating anyway.
Jamie is curled up on one end of the couch with a blanket, picking at a piece of battered cod.
Ryan is sprawled in the armchair, his long legs stretched out in front of him.
And I'm in the middle of the couch, staring at the TV without really seeing it.
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is playing.
Someone is screaming at someone else about a party or a rumor or something. I don't know. I can't focus.
"This one's unhinged," Jamie says, gesturing at the screen with a fry. "Like, clinically."
"They're all unhinged," Ryan says. "That's the point."
"True. But this one takes it to another level."
I reach for my water and take a sip. My hand is shaking slightly. It's been doing that for days now—this low-level tremor that won't go away. Like my body is still processing the shock even though my brain has moved on to numbness.
"You okay?" Ryan asks, watching me.
"Yeah. Fine."
"You keep saying that."
"Because it's true."
Jamie gives me a look but doesn't push. She's been good about that. They both have. They're letting me process at my own pace, not forcing me to talk when I don't want to. But the truth is, I don't know if I'm okay. I don't know if I'll ever be okay again.
"Have you thought about calling mom?" Jamie asks carefully.
I shake my head. "She's on one of her cruises.”
"You could still call her."
"And say what? 'Hey, Mom, remember that wedding you cried at? Turns out the groom was a sociopath who orchestrated the entire relationship to please his dead father. Also, he's been fucking his eighteen-year-old stepsister. How's the buffet on the ship?'"
Ryan snorts. "When you put it that way."
"I just—I can't," I say quietly. "Not yet. I need to have my shit together before I tell her. She's going to be devastated."
"She's going to be pissed," Jamie corrects. "At Asher. Not at you."
"I know. But still."
My phone—the burner phone Ryan gave me—buzzes on the coffee table. All three of us freeze.
"It's probably just a spam call," Jamie says.
But my stomach is already twisting. I reach for the phone and look at the screen. Gregory Hale.
"Shit," I whisper.
Ryan sits up. "Who is it?"
"Gregory Hale. Dean's attorney."
Jamie's eyes go wide. "Answer it."
I swipe to accept the call and put it on speaker. "Hello?"
"Julie." Gregory's voice is formal, professional. "I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time."
"No. Now is fine."
"Good. I'm calling because I was notified by your attorney that separation papers have been filed."
My heart starts pounding. "Yes. That's correct."
"That has changed things."
I glance at Ryan. He's leaning forward now, his expression tense. "Changed things how?" I ask.
"As you may recall, the details of the Dean Stevens Living Trust were not scheduled to be distributed until the one-year mark following his death. However, your separation filing has triggered what we call an 'early distribution clause.'"
My brain is somewhere out on the back nine, taking a siesta in a golf cart. The man may as well be speaking French. "A what?"
"A triggering event," Gregory explains. "Your late father-in-law built certain contingencies into the trust structure. Conditions that, if met, would accelerate the distribution timeline."
"I don't understand."
"The separation qualifies as a triggering event. Which means the trust will now be distributed immediately, rather than waiting for the one-year mark."
The room tilts slightly. Jamie reaches over and grabs my hand. "Okay," I say slowly. "So what does that mean?"
"It means I need you to come to my office on Wednesday at ten a.m. for a formal reading and distribution of the trust assets."
"Wednesday. This Wednesday?"
"Yes."
"Is there anything else I need to know?”
"No. Everything will be explained at the meeting," Gregory says.
"Okay. I'll be there."
"Excellent. I'll send you the address via email.”
After we say our goodbyes, I set the phone down and stare at it.
"What the fuck was that?" Jamie breathes.
"I have no idea."
Ryan runs a hand through his hair. "A triggering event. Jesus Christ. Dean planned for this."
"Planned for what?" I ask. "What does it mean?"
"I don't know. But whatever it is, it's big."
Before any of us can say anything else, the phone rings again. We all stare at it. Gregory Hale.
"Why is he calling back?" Jamie asks.
I answer it. "Hello?"
"Julie, my apologies. I meant to ask—is your sister Jamie with you?"
I glance at Jamie. "Yes. She's here."
"May I speak with her?"
I hand the phone to Jamie. She takes it, her hand trembling slightly. "This is Jamie."
There's a pause. Then her eyes go wide. "Yes. Okay. I'll be there."
She hangs up and hands the phone back to me. "He wants me there too," she says.
"Why?"
"He didn't say. Just that my presence is needed."
Ryan stands and starts pacing. "This is insane. Why would Dean want Jamie at the trust reading?"
"I don't know," I say. "I guess we'll find out."