Then he said:
— Your husband left a provision that, apparently, you were unaware of…
I looked at the lawyer without being able to understand what was happening.
— What provision? —I asked for.
The lawyer opened the folder and took out a copy of the document.
— Her husband created a special foundation several years ago.
I frowned.
— A foundation?
He nodded.
— The foundation helps nursing homes and pays for repairs, medications, food
and the purchase of necessary equipment.
I looked at the notary.
— What does that have to do with your fortune?
The notary responded calmly:
— It has to do with the fact that her husband had transferred almost his entire fortune to the foundation long before your wedding.
I couldn’t believe it.
— But the house? The apartments? The accounts?
— Everything was included in his provision —the lawyer responded.
I felt everything stir inside me.
That meant my husband had planned everything long before his death.
I looked at the lawyer, unable
to believe what I had just heard.
“What does this mean?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Where is the rest of his fortune?”
The lawyer took a deep breath before answering.
“Your husband transferred almost all his assets to a charitable foundation several months before he died. However, he left you one final opportunity.”
I stared at him.
“What opportunity?”
He placed another document in front of me.
“Your husband wanted you to take over the management of his foundation for one year. If you agree to his conditions, you
will discover what he truly intended for you.”
I felt anger rising inside me.
“Are you telling me that after marrying him, I have to work for a whole year just to receive what should rightfully be mine?”
The lawyer remained silent for a moment.
“Madam, according to the law, everything was done correctly. Your husband had every right to decide what to do with his property.”
I couldn’t believe it.
I had imagined myself living comfortably for the rest of my life. Instead, I was standing in a notary’s
office, discovering that the fortune I had counted on was no longer mine.
I left without signing anything.
For several days, I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about my husband’s decision and wondering why he had done this to me.
Had he never trusted me?
Had he suspected that I had married him for his money?
Then, one evening, while going through his belongings, I found a small key inside an old envelope.
There was a note beside it.
“Whenever you are ready to understand the truth, open the drawer
in my study.”
My heart began to beat faster.
I rushed to his study and unlocked the drawer.
Inside, I found a thick folder containing bank statements, property documents, and a letter addressed to me.
I opened the letter with trembling hands.
