Dad’s signature appeared throughout the documents, but the final pages contained restrictions Gloria apparently hadn’t anticipated. Mr. Hartley had attached a notice stating that the mansion could not legally be transferred without approval from the estate’s designated trustees. Whatever Gloria thought she had accomplished, she could not simply put the property in her name. Dad looked terrified rather than relieved. He explained that Gloria had presented the paperwork as routine documents involving taxes, insurance, and household management. Trusting his wife, he had signed several pages without carefully reading them. Whenever he questioned why more signatures were necessary, Gloria told him he was becoming forgetful and should allow her to manage everything.

I stared at him. For years, I had defended his silence, telling myself that grief had weakened him and that he deserved companionship. But now I understood how dangerous his refusal to confront Gloria had become. “Did you know she was trying to take the mansion?” I asked. Dad immediately shook his head. Gloria appeared behind him and saw the folder in my hands. Her expression changed. “You have no right to interfere in our marriage,” she snapped. But she didn’t realize Mr. Hartley was still connected to my phone—and he had heard almost everything.