Chapter 19 - WHY HE STEPPED ON MY LEGRichard eventually gave an explanation during the assault case.
He had seen me arrive at the funeral carrying the manila folder.
He suspected it contained the Hartwell result.
He believed I intended to confront Martin publicly and “destroy Samuel’s funeral.”
That phrase was almost funny.
Then I asked Martin about the validation petition.
Richard panicked.
He said he shoved me to stop the scene.
The stomp?
“I lost my footing.”
Video showed him looking down before applying pressure.
Then:
“I was angry.”
More honest.
Why the words:
“The fortune is mine now”?
Richard said:
“Grief.”
No.
Not enough.
During a later psychological evaluation tied to sentencing, he admitted something closer.
He believed my injury had made me weak.
He resented Dad continuing to protect my position.
At the funeral, seeing me with the DNA file represented everything he had failed to control.
He used the one vulnerability he could physically reach.
My leg.
That was uglier than a planned attack.
May you like
Also more human.
A man accustomed to institutional power reduced to cruelty in mud.
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