Chapter 13: The Notary
257 words
The silence in Richard’s leased sedan was suffocating. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, humming a tune that sounded disturbingly like a victory march. My heart hammered against my ribs, not from fear, but from the adrenaline of the secret I carried.
We walked into the bank, the air conditioning hitting my sweat-dampened brow. The teller, a young woman named Sarah who had witnessed Richard yelling at me over an overdraft fee last month, stiffened as we approached. Her eyes darted to the bruise on my wrist—an accident from moving boxes, but she clearly thought otherwise.
"Notarize this," Richard commanded, sliding the papers under the glass. He didn't even look at her; his eyes were glued to a blonde customer in the queue, offering a greasy smile.
Sarah looked at me, her expression softening into pity. "Mrs. Miller, are you sure about this? This separates everything. You'll have no access to..."
"I'm sure, Sarah," I interrupted gently. "Please."
Richard leaned in, winking at Sarah. "She's finally learning her place, sweetheart. Just stamp the thing."
Sarah’s jaw tightened. She pressed the stamp down with aggressive force. Thump. The sound echoed like a gavel strike.
"It's legal," she said, sliding the document back, her eyes pleading with me to reconsider.
I took my copy, folding it neatly into my purse. The weight of Richard's debt was gone. The claim to my father's settlement was secured. I looked at Richard, really looked at him for the first time in years, and felt absolutely nothing.
End of Chapter 13
