Chapter 9 - STATEMENTS OF TRUTH
Two months after Leo’s birth, I made one final trip to the Maricopa County Legal Archives building in downtown Phoenix.
My lead attorney, Marcus Hayes, met me in the marble lobby carrying a thick leather-bound binder containing the final court judgments, sealed financial settlements, and non-disclosure directives enforcing a total blackout on Margaret and Carla’s abilities to ever profit from our story through media or publishing deals.
“Everything is signed, sealed, and archived,” Marcus said, handing me the final deed of trust for our estate, now placed entirely into an irrevocable family trust naming Irene and Leo as sole primary beneficiaries. “Your mother’s legal counsel attempted one final appeal for a early release review based on health claims last week. The judge threw it out without a hearing.”
“Good,” I said, signing the last signature block on the trust document.
“Austin,” Marcus paused, looking at me with professional respect. “Most men in your position—with your wealth, your public profile—would have swept this under the rug. You could have paid them off, sent them overseas, and buried the story to save face.”
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I stood up, closing the leather binder. “Paying off toxic people doesn't make them go away, Marcus. It just teaches them your price. The only way to win against parasites is to starve them completely.”
I walked out of the archives building into the brilliant Arizona sunshine, feeling lighter than I had in thirty-four years.
