Chapter 8
Theron could have kept the case narrow.
Invalidate the forged consent.
Recover Ione’s belongings.
Fight guardianship.
Let prosecutors handle Corinne.
Mara gave him that option.
He rejected it.
“What else?”
She knew what he meant.
“The trust.”
“All of it.”
“Theron.”
“My mother has been reimbursed for caregiving. Corinne sold property from Ione’s house. They were already calculating future expenses.”
“Yes.”
“I want the whole thing reviewed.”
“That includes you.”
“I know.”
Mara placed the proposal on the table.
A court-appointed guardian ad litem for Ione.
Independent special fiduciary over Ione’s Residential Trust during litigation.
Three-year forensic audit of all reimbursements and household expenses.
Review of Theron’s own use of trust property.
Review of Melisande’s care claims.
Review of Corinne’s sales.
Preservation of family-office emails and location-access systems.
And authority for the fiduciary to report any legally required misconduct without consulting Theron first.
Theron read it.
“If I sign this, I lose control over the trust.”
“You never owned the trust.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
He would still be Ione’s father.
Still presumptive custodial parent unless a court ruled otherwise.
But he would no longer control requests involving her trust-owned house while the investigation proceeded.
The special fiduciary could reject his expenses.
Limit property decisions.
Challenge his past use.
The guardian ad litem could criticize his travel schedule.
Or his temper.
Or his parenting.
Mara added:
“And there’s your driveway conduct.”
Theron looked at her.
“I dumped bags in mud.”
“Yes.”
“Corinne was splashed.”
“Yes.”
“She claims you struck the box into her legs while dumping it.”
“I didn’t.”
“Video will decide.”
Theron watched the footage again.
He had grabbed the box.
Turned.
Dumped it into the wheelbarrow.
Corinne rushed forward.
The box edge clipped her hip as she reached.
Not a deliberate strike.
Still reckless.
Mara continued.
“If the guardian ad litem asks whether you have an anger problem?”
“I answer.”
“Truthfully?”
“Yes.”
“If she recommends counseling?”
“I go.”
“If she recommends limiting overnight work temporarily?”
Theron hesitated.
That cost more.
His job mattered.
Emergency structural work paid well and gave him pride.
But Ione had spent almost two years losing one parent and fearing the other would disappear.
“Yes.”
Mara watched him.
“Say it.”
“If it is genuinely about Ione, I do it.”
Not because Melisande had been right.
Because Melisande being wrong did not make every criticism of Theron false.
He signed.
Then he authorized the full trust review.
The court granted temporary independent fiduciary control two days later.
The decision became difficult to reverse.
Consequences came fast.
Theron had used trust funds for a backyard accessibility project after Laurel became sick.
Most was legitimate.
But $11,400 of landscaping primarily benefited Theron after Laurel died.
He reimbursed it.
A roof repair included an upgraded garage section not necessary to preserve the trust property.
Theron’s share:
$8,900.
Paid.
Another review showed he had charged two months of house security fully to the trust while part protected company equipment stored in the garage.
Allocation correction:
$6,200.
Paid.
His uncle called him an idiot.
“You’re giving them reasons to say you misuse Ione’s money.”
Theron looked at the repayment receipt.
“No.”
“They never would’ve found that.”
“That sentence is why we’re here.”
He ended the call.
The guardian ad litem also told him something he did not want to hear.
“Your travel is legal. It is not abandonment.”
Theron nodded.
“But Ione experiences uncertainty intensely.”
He looked down.
“So?”
“Your work schedule needs more structure while she recovers.”
Theron exhaled.
“Okay.”
He moved off overnight emergency rotation for six months.
It cost him approximately thirty percent of his income.
May you like
Melisande had tried to prove he would choose work over Ione.
Theron refused to let fighting her become another way of proving it.
