“Are you holding up?” she asked.

“I am,” I said. “I just want this over.”

Jerome spread three yellowing documents across the mahogany wood.

“This is your grandmother’s primary trust,” he said, pointing to a paragraph near the bottom.

“Section nine, clause four.”

“It states that any attempts by a spouse to encumber or claim marital assets prior to the dissolution of the marriage voids their portion of the estate.”

“By trying to shield those funds and bringing in third-party creditors, Scott triggered the forfeiture.”

I leaned forward to read the small, precise print.

My grandmother had always been a sharp woman who mistrusted fast talkers.

She had disliked Scott from the moment they met at our wedding rehearsal.

“So the creditor’s claim is useless?” I asked.

“Entirely,” Jerome said.

“The house belongs to you, free and clear of any lien Scott tried to place on it.”

“In fact, his entire inheritance is now legally tied up in a probate freeze.”

“He cannot touch a dime of it to pay off his lenders.”

The door to the conference room opened, and Jerome’s assistant poked her head in.