Chapter 7 - CONNOR’S EMPIRE OF CARDBOARD
Connor’s company collapsed within forty-eight hours.
The investor withdrew.
The influencers deleted their promotional posts.
A manufacturer in California revealed that Connor owed more than sixty thousand dollars for samples he had never approved for production.
Customers who had placed preorders began demanding refunds.
The brand my brother called his future had no products, no warehouse, and no real employees.
It was expensive packaging wrapped around an empty promise.
Exactly like Connor himself.
His attorney contacted Naomi and requested a meeting.
Connor wanted immunity in exchange for cooperation.
The prosecutor refused to promise immunity, but agreed to hear him.
The meeting took place at the courthouse.
I attended through a secure video connection from the hospital.
Connor sat at a long table wearing a plain gray sweatshirt.
There was no designer logo.
No styled hair.
No smug expression.
He looked younger than twenty-six.
He also looked terrified.
“I didn’t know about the guardianship plan,” he said.
Naomi leaned toward the camera.
“But you knew about the transfer.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Maya had refused.”
“Yes.”
“You brought forged documents to a hospital room.”
Connor stared at his hands.
“Mom said the money belonged to the family.”
“What did you believe?”
He looked toward the screen.
For one second, our eyes met.
“I believed Maya would always fix things.”
The honesty hurt more than another lie.
“What happened when I stopped fixing them?” I asked.
His mouth trembled.
“Everything fell apart.”
Connor admitted he had given Evelyn access to my old email account.
He admitted he used credit cards opened in my name.
He admitted my father knew the cards existed.
He admitted all three of them discussed taking the savings.
Then Naomi asked the question that changed the investigation.
“Did anyone plan to harm Maya if she refused?”
Connor shook his head quickly.
“No.”
Naomi waited.
Connor began breathing faster.
“Connor,” the prosecutor said, “the camera recorded your mother raising the machine twice.”
He covered his face.
“She said the hospital would make Maya weak.”
“What else did she say?”
“She said if Maya became confused enough, no one would believe her.”
The room went silent.
My mother had not intended to kill me.
May you like
She had intended to destroy my credibility.
But a blow to the head of a dialysis patient could have done both.
