Chapter 9
After Yvonne was taken away, the Sullivan residence fell into a suffocating silence.
Bowen sat beside Kathleen’s body like a man stripped of his soul. His phone kept ringing–calls from board members, business partners, and news reporters. Everyone was desperate to know what had happened. However, he did not answer a single one.
Annie softly said, “Mr. Liddell, the funeral home staff is here.”
Bowen jolted upright. “No! Don’t take her away!”
Nonetheless, he knew there was no stopping it. Kathleen was gone for good.
Downstairs, Kathleen’s parents were still going through the evidence. Each document and recording felt like a blade slicing into their hearts.
“This date…” Jolene pointed at one of the medical forms, her voice trembling. “It says Kathleen was diagnosed with cancer last Christmas.”
“But she never told us,” David muttered, sounding like he had aged ten years.
Annie walked over quietly. “That day, Yvonne had a sudden health scare. You were all at the hospital with her. Mrs. Liddell didn’t want to worry anyone.”
Jolene broke down, covering her face with both hands. “What have we done… What did we do to her?”
Just then, Bowen’s lawyer, Isaac, arrived with more shocking news. He unfolded the documents and said, “Ms. Sullivan updated her will three days ago. She transferred everything she owned to Ms. Lawson, but…”
“But what?”
“There’s a special clause–if the beneficiary is found to be involved in any criminal activity, all assets automatically go to the
Kathleen Sullivan Cancer Foundation.”
Bowen stared at him. “A foundation?”
Isaac nodded. “Yes. She set it up to support cancer patients. So, in short, Ms. Lawson gets nothing.”
It turned out Kathleen had anticipated everything. She had used her own life to set a trap, exposing Yvonne’s crimes while ensuring she gained nothing.
“There’s also this,” Isaac said, handing over another envelope. “It’s a letter Ms. Sullivan wrote for Ms. Liddell. It’s to be given to her on her 18th birthday, along with a trust fund of 50 million dollars, which she can’t touch until she’s of age.”
Candice’s crying came from upstairs. “I want Mommy Yvonne! I want Mommy Yvonne!”
That five–year–old child was still heartbroken over Yvonne’s arrest, utterly unaware that the adults downstairs were grieving for
her real mother.
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Chapter 9
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The media quickly got wind of the story.
[Business Tycoon Kathleen Sullivan Dies of Cancer at Age 29.]
[Shocking! Sullivan Family’s Adopted Daughter Suspected of Murder.]
[Exclusive: The Truth Behind Kathleen’s Final Days.]
The hospital investigation results came out as well.
The painkillers Kathleen had taken would indeed accelerate organ failure, and she had chosen them while fully conscious. In other words, her death was a calculated act of revenge.
Police found more evidence at Yvonne’s home. She had been slowly poisoning Kathleen and secretly recorded the family’s criticisms of Kathleen to flaunt them in front of her.
The detective shook his head, muttering, “What a vicious woman. She’d been planning this since her teens.”
The funeral was held three days later, and the entire elite circle of New Aeravale attended. Everyone remembered the brilliant, proud Kathleen–the woman who built her art gallery from nothing and stayed graceful even in her final days.
Bowen wore a black suit and looked like he had aged a decade. He held Candice in his arms as they stood in front of the casket.
The little girl still asked, “When is Mommy Yvonne coming back?”
Bowen tried to explain to her, saying, “Candice, the person lying here is your mom.”
“I know,” Candice said impatiently. “But I want Mommy Yvonne.”
Everyone watching felt a sting in their hearts. The child had been brainwashed far too deeply.
“My baby girl…” Jolene sobbed, collapsing onto the casket. “I was wrong… I’m so sorry, Kathleen!”
Sadly, no amount of tears could bring the dead back to life.
the service, Annie fulfilled Kathleen’s last wish and buried her in a peaceful seaside cemetery.
er tombstone bore only a few simple words.
[Kathleen Sullivan, 1995-2024. A Woman Who Once Loved Deeply.]
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