The next morning, Arthur met with his personal estate lawyer inside his home office.
The bright sun shone through the windows, illuminating the old wooden desk and heavy files.
His lawyer, Mr. Vance, laid out several important legal documents across the smooth desk.
Mr. Vance: Victoria had deep financial debts, Arthur.
Arthur: How deep were those debts exactly?
Mr. Vance: Over two million dollars in gambling.
Arthur: I had no idea about this.
Mr. Vance: She was planning to flee soon.
Arthur shook his head in absolute shock as he read through the official financial reports.
Victoria had been transferring small amounts of company money into foreign bank accounts for months.
She knew that if Arthur died, his large life insurance policy would pay out instantly.
The entire relationship had been a calculated lie from the very first day they met.
Arthur felt a cold chill run down his spine as the whole picture became clear.
Arthur: Please remove her from my will.
Mr. Vance: It will be done today, sir.
Arthur: Put everything into a safe trust.
Mr. Vance: For Lily when she turns twenty-one?
Arthur: Yes, keep my daughter protected always.
Mr. Vance signed the heavy paperwork and packed his black briefcase before leaving the room.
Arthur walked down the long quiet hallway toward Lily's bright and colorful bedroom door.
He saw his daughter playing quietly with her plastic dolls on the soft blue rug.
She looked up and smiled brightly when she noticed her father standing near the doorway.
The heavy weight on Arthur's chest began to feel a little bit lighter today.
Lily: Are the police gone now, Daddy?
Arthur: Yes, sweetie, everything is safe now.
Lily: Can we go to the park?
Arthur: We can go anywhere you want.
Lily jumped up with joy and grabbed her small pink jacket from the closet hook.
Arthur held her small hand tightly as they walked down the grand stairs together.
The mansion did not feel scary or dark anymore without the presence of deceit.
He was determined to give his young daughter the peaceful life she truly deserved.
They walked out into the warm sunshine, leaving the past behind them for good.
Arthur knew that true wealth was sitting right beside him holding his warm hand.