Chapter 8 - The Trust Reclaimed
Following the trial, the legal aftermath of Ethan’s estate had to be settled.
Arthur Pendelton, the senior trustee for the Miller Family Trust, invited me to his office in downtown St. Louis. Agent Vance accompanied me as a legal witness.
"Mrs. Miller," Mr. Pendelton said, placing a thick stack of finalized estate documents before me. "Because the DNA test definitively proved that Addison is Ethan's biological daughter, and because Ethan’s tragic death occurred before he could update his secondary will, the court has ruled that you are the sole executor of the 4.2 million dollar trust, as well as the complete owner of Ethan’s estate, house, and intellectual property."
I looked at the documents. Four million dollars. Financial security for the rest of my life, and for Addison’s entire future.
"I don't want the money for myself, Mr. Pendelton," I said quietly.
Pendelton blinked. "Mrs. Miller?"
"Ethan loved building things," I said, looking at a picture of Ethan I had placed inside my wallet. "He wanted to help people. I want to use half of this trust to establish the Ethan Miller Foundation for Victims of Identity Theft and Domestic Fraud. We will provide legal defense, safe housing, and private investigation services for women who have been deceived or abused by corporate imposters."
Agent Vance smiled warmly from the corner of the room. "Ethan would be immensely proud of you, Sarah."
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"And the remaining half?" Pendelton asked, his eyes soft.
"That stays in a locked, protected education fund for Addison," I said, placing my hand over my heart. "So she knows that her father’s legacy wasn't the monster who tried to break us... but the loving man who built a future for her before he died."
