Chapter 4

At first, they didn't believe me. "Impossible! How could you have a will?" "It must be fake! You're lying!"

Sharon grabbed Mr. Evans's arm. "Don't believe her! Her will is definitely a fake! Quickly, tell her what the consequences are for forging a will!"

Robert, without bothering to distinguish right from wrong, started yelling at me. "Ava! I know you're desperate for money for treatment! But you can't forge a fake will just for money! You're completely shaming the Sterling family name!"

Mr. Evans calmly addressed everyone. "Everyone, please calm down. The will Ms. Ava Sterling holds is indeed the will created by Ms. Eleanor Sterling during her lifetime, and it is legally binding."

Their panic was palpable. "How is that possible? The will was clearly torn up that day!" "Yes, it was torn up. If it's torn, it has no legal validity."

The moment he spoke, Robert rushed forward, snatched the paper will from my hand, and, repeating his previous act, tore it into tiny pieces. He let out a long breath and looked at Mr. Evans. "Now the will is gone. Eleanor Sterling's estate can be split equally among us three brothers, as the law dictates, right?"

I stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "Dad, why? Why would you tear up the will, even in front of a lawyer? Are you really so desperate for that three hundred thousand dollars that you'd abandon your daughter's dignity and even her life?" Overwhelmed with anger and grief, I suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Robert didn't answer my question or show any concern for my pain. Instead, he muttered regretfully. "If only I'd known she'd die so soon, I wouldn't have torn up the will then. All her estate would have been mine after she died."

A knot of anger formed in my chest, making me so choked up I wanted to cry. Mr. Evans quickly supported me, concern etched on his face. "Are you alright?"

I gritted my teeth and forced out a sentence. "Continue with the legal proceedings. I want to inherit Aunt Eleanor's entire estate."

Robert was still scoffing at my audacity. "Ava, you don't have a will. The law states that the money is to be split equally among us three brothers."

Mr. Evans adjusted his glasses. "Ms. Eleanor Sterling's will has a digital copy. Even if you tear up the paper version countless times, it still holds legal effect. Ms. Ava Sterling possesses the lawful right of inheritance; you will receive absolutely nothing. Furthermore, Ms. Sterling has formally petitioned the court to rule that you intentionally destroyed the will. This action is suspected of misappropriating another's property, and we reserve the right to prosecute."

Gary was the first to react, immediately throwing Robert under the bus. "It was him! He was the one who tore up the will, from start to finish. It has nothing to do with us."

The others quickly formed a united front, blaming Robert. "Counselor, he was the one who instructed us to go along with splitting the money. We knew nothing!"

Robert stared in disbelief at the people who had just turned against him. "When we were talking about splitting the money, you called me a hero! Now there's trouble, and you're throwing me out? We're family, aren't we?" Robert turned to me, whining. "Ava, are you really going to force your own father to his death?"

Just then, a man suddenly burst into the law firm and threatened me. "Ava, you must split Eleanor Sterling's estate equally today, or I will take Robert to court."

Looking at the man's familiar face, I finally understood why Robert was willing to take such risks just to split my money with his relatives. I fought through my physical pain and asked the man. "Fine, let's both sue. We'll see whose priority is higher. I'm suing him for destroying a will with intent to infringe upon my lawful property. What about you? What are you suing him for?"

The man was clearly prepared. "I'm suing him for..."