SWNOVELS The Housemaid’s Secret: Part 4 – Chapter 68
I was absolutely right.
After two glasses of wine, Russell isn’t crying anymore. And I’ve got a nice little buzz going. It’s been a long time since things have worked out exactly how I wanted. After the last six months, I needed a win, and today was a big win. Douglas is dead, I’m getting a massive inheritance, and Millie is completely taking the fall for everything. She served her purpose quite well.
“I could stay in this tub forever,” I sigh as I lean back, my bare skin sliding against Russell’s. “This is nice, isn’t it?”
“Mm-hmm,” he says. “Except I’m kind of sleepy. I might be a little drunk.”
I’m not drunk, but I’m definitely feeling slightly buzzed. It’s nice. It’s so peaceful in the tub, except for some music playing in the distance.
“Wendy,” Russell says. “Isn’t that your phone?”
He’s right.
That must be Joe Bendeck. I asked him to give me a call regarding Douglas’s considerable estate. I take a little bit of pleasure in the fact that Joe never liked me, and now I own Douglas’s entire estate as well as his company, so I’m essentially Joe’s boss. He has no choice but to suck up to me. I’m going to enjoy being a rich bitch.
This time I reach for a bathrobe, which I wrap around my naked body before dashing out into the living room, where I left my phone on the coffee table. Sure enough, the name Joseph Bendeck is on the screen. I catch it just before the call goes to voicemail.
“Hello, Joe,” I say.
“Hey, Wendy.”
I take pleasure in how utterly miserable he sounds. It feels good to win.
“You were supposed to call me this afternoon,” I remind him. “It’s nearly ten o’clock.”
“Sorry.” There is a bitter edge to his voice. “My best friend was just murdered. I’m not exactly functioning at 100 percent right now.”
“Well, that’s a problem,” I say stiffly as I wander into the kitchen. I look out the window—the rain is really coming down. “You are the executor of Douglas’s estate, and if you can’t do your job, perhaps somebody else should take your place.”
“No. Doug wanted me. It’s… it’s the least I can do to follow his wishes.”
“Fine.” If he tries any funny business, I’ll make sure he is removed from the company. Actually, I should probably remove him anyway. I don’t trust him any more than I trusted Douglas at the end. “So when are his assets going to be transferred over to me? I need to be able to pay my bills.”
Douglas’s death doesn’t mean the mortgage won’t need to be paid. I don’t even have a working credit card because he canceled them all. The penthouse alone has a six-figure mortgage, so I’m going to need some cash—fast.
“You want Doug’s money transferred over to you?” Joe asks.
“Yes.” I drum my fingers on the kitchen counter. “That’s how this works, isn’t it?”
“Not exactly…” Joe is silent for a moment. “Wendy, are you aware that Doug changed his will last month?”
What? “No. What are you talking about?”
“He changed his will. Left everything to charity.”
A wave of dizziness washes over me. A few months after we got married, Douglas had a will drawn up that left everything to me. I went with him to the attorney to make sure he did it, especially since Douglas was a master procrastinator. It hadn’t even occurred to me that he might have changed his will in the short time since we separated. He wouldn’t have done that.
Unless…
“You’re lying,” I spit into the phone. “You’re making this up just to keep me from getting any of his money.”
“That would be tempting. But no, I’m not making it up. I have a notarized copy of his will right in front of me.”
“But…” I sputter. “But how could he do that?”
“Well, when Doug explained it to me, he mentioned something about you being a lying, manipulative bitch, and he didn’t want you to have any of his money.”
My heart seems to skip in my chest, and for a moment, my vision blurs in and out. How could this be happening? Douglas mentioned giving all his money to charity, but I never imagined he had already put the wheels in motion.
“This is an outrage,” I rant. “He can’t cut me out of his will! I’m his wife, for God’s sake! I will fight this, and believe me, I will win.”
“Okay. Whatever you say, Wendy. But in the meantime, I’m going to need you to vacate both the penthouse and the house on the island, because we’re putting them up for sale.”
“Go to hell,” I hiss into the phone.
I click the red button on my phone to end the call, but my hands are shaking. I have to believe that Douglas couldn’t just sign a paper saying he’s leaving me with nothing, and that’s it. I can fight this. And with Douglas gone, he can’t fight back. One way or another, I’m going to get my fair share.
Although I won’t have quite the estate that I had imagined. But that’s okay.
While I’m staring at my phone, trying to figure out my next move, it starts to ring again in my hand. I suck in a breath at the identity of the caller:
The New York Police Department.