Chapter 3: The Test I Was Never Supposed to Pass
"Open the door, Dad.""
Michael's voice had changed.
It wasn't angry anymore.
It was impatient.
The kind of voice someone uses when they believe the outcome has already been decided.
I remained seated behind my desk.
"Who is outside?""
"Just a doctor and a legal representative. Stop making this difficult.""
I looked at the phone.
Daniel was still on the line.
"Richard," he said urgently, "do not consent to any examination. I'm contacting the authorities and coming over.""
I lowered my voice.
"They're already outside my door.""
"Stay inside. Don't sign anything.""
The call ended.
Another knock came.
"Mr. Anderson?"" a woman's voice called.
"My name is Dr. Helen Carter. Your family requested an urgent wellness evaluation.""
I stood slowly.
"Who authorized it?""
"Your son and daughter-in-law.""
"Did you speak to me before coming here?""
There was a pause.
"Mr. Anderson, your family is concerned about your recent behavior.""
I almost laughed.
Recent behavior?
My daughter-in-law had painted her own face with lipstick, thrown herself onto my carpet, and convinced my son to punch me.
And now they were calling me unstable.
"Doctor," I said, "did you witness what happened downstairs tonight?""
"No, sir.""
"Then how can you evaluate my mental condition?""
Michael interrupted.
"Because you've been acting strangely for months!""
I opened the door.
Michael stood in the hallway wearing a black shirt, his hair slightly disheveled.
Vanessa stood beside him, now wearing a white silk robe over her evening gown.
Behind them was a woman in her fifties holding a leather medical bag.
A man in a gray suit stood near the staircase with a clipboard.
"Good evening, Mr. Anderson," the doctor said.
"Good evening. What is your full professional title?""
She frowned.
"I'm a licensed physician.""
"Where do you practice?""
"Several private facilities.""
"Which ones?""
Her expression tightened.
Michael stepped forward.
"Dad, stop interrogating everyone. They're here to help.""
I looked directly at him.
"Help me do what?""
"Get better.""
I stared at my son.
"Did you hit your father because you believed he was mentally unwell?""
Michael looked away.
Vanessa immediately stepped between us.
"Richard, please don't start another argument. We all want what's best for you.""
I looked at her cheek.
The red streak was gone.
A little makeup covered the irritated skin.
"Your face seems to have healed quickly.""
Her expression froze.
Michael's jaw tightened.
"Don't talk to her.""
I smiled faintly.
"Of course.""
The man in the gray suit cleared his throat.
"Mr. Anderson, I'm James Miller. I'm representing the family in this matter.""
I looked at his clipboard.
"Which family?""
He blinked.
"Your immediate family.""
"Are you my attorney?""
"No.""
"Then who hired you?""
He glanced at Michael.
"Your son.""
I nodded.
"Interesting.""
Vanessa folded her arms.
"Can we please get this over with? I'm exhausted.""
The doctor stepped forward.
"Mr. Anderson, I need to ask you a few questions. This is a routine assessment.""
"Fine.""
She opened a small notebook.
"What year is it?""
"2026.""
"What month?""
"November.""
"What city are we in?""
I answered.
She continued.
"Who is the current president of the United States?""
I answered correctly.
Then she asked me to subtract seven from one hundred repeatedly.
I did.
She asked me to remember three words.
I repeated them.
She asked me to name the months backward.
I did that too.
Her expression became increasingly uncomfortable.
Finally, she closed her notebook.
"Your results are inconclusive.""
Michael frowned.
"What does that mean?""
"It means I cannot make a diagnosis based on this brief interaction.""
Vanessa stepped closer.
"But you saw how aggressive he is!""
I turned toward her.
"Doctor, would you like to know what happened before you arrived?""
Vanessa's eyes narrowed.
"Richard, don't.""
I ignored her.
"My daughter-in-law accused me of attacking her. However, I watched her deliberately draw lipstick across her face and throw herself onto the floor.""
"That's a lie!"" Vanessa shouted.
"Then perhaps we should review the security footage.""
Silence.
Michael looked at Vanessa.
"What security footage?""
I nodded toward the ceiling.
"Every major room in this house has cameras. I've had them installed for years.""
Vanessa's face changed.
For the first time that evening, she looked genuinely frightened.
Michael turned toward me.
"Why didn't you tell us?""
"Because I never thought I would need cameras to protect myself from my own family.""
The man in the gray suit lowered his clipboard.
Dr. Carter looked uncomfortable.
"Mr. Anderson, perhaps we should reschedule.""
"Absolutely. But before you leave, I'd like to see your identification and professional registration.""
She hesitated.
Then she reached into her bag.
At that moment, Chloe appeared at the top of the staircase.
She was still wearing the yellow dress.
Her hands were trembling.
"Mr. Anderson," she said, "I need to tell you something.""
Vanessa spun around.
"Chloe! Go to your room!""
Chloe didn't move.
"I saw the documents.""
Michael frowned.
"What documents?""
"The ones you gave Dr. Carter.""
Vanessa marched toward her.
"Don't you dare!""
Chloe stepped backward.
"They weren't just medical forms. They were already filled out. They had Mr. Anderson's signature on them.""
I looked at her.
"My signature?""
Chloe nodded.
"Yes. But I saw Vanessa practicing how to copy it.""
The hallway went completely silent.
Michael turned toward his wife.
"Vanessa, what is she talking about?""
Vanessa laughed nervously.
"She's making things up. She's always been jealous of me.""
Chloe shook her head.
"I also heard you talking about the house.""
"SHUT UP!""
Vanessa's scream echoed through the hallway.
She lunged toward Chloe, but Michael caught her arm.
"Wait. Let her finish.""
For the first time that night, my son appeared uncertain.
Chloe looked at him.
"Michael, she told me you knew everything. She said you were going to have your father declared incompetent so you could take control of his property.""
Michael's face went pale.
"That's not true.""
Chloe swallowed.
"Then why did you tell her that the house would be sold before Christmas?""
Michael stared at her.
Vanessa pulled her arm away.
"You're twisting everything!""
I stepped forward.
"Enough.""
Everyone turned toward me.
I looked at Dr. Carter.
"You came here claiming to evaluate my mental capacity. But you arrived with documents already prepared, without speaking to me, and without any independent medical history.""
She said nothing.
I turned toward the man in the gray suit.
"And you came here claiming to represent my family without showing me any legal authorization.""
He slowly lowered his clipboard.
Then I faced my son.
"Michael, I gave you everything I could. I paid for your education. I helped you start your business. I welcomed your wife into this home.""
His eyes dropped.
"But tonight, you punched me because she told you a story.""
"Dad...""
"No. You don't get to call me Dad when it's convenient.""
His lips trembled.
Vanessa suddenly stepped forward.
"Richard, this is getting ridiculous. Michael is your son. You're going to destroy your own family over a misunderstanding?""
I looked at her.
"A misunderstanding is when someone takes the wrong coat. What you did tonight was deliberate.""
She stared at me.
Then she said something that revealed how little she understood about the man she had married into.
"You can't do anything to me. Michael is the only heir. Everything you own will eventually belong to him.""
I slowly smiled.
"Is that what you believe?""
Michael looked up.
"What are you talking about?""
I walked back into my study and returned with a thick leather folder.
I placed it on the small table in the hallway.
"Three weeks ago, you brought me documents to sign. You told me they were routine business papers.""
Michael nodded cautiously.
"Yes.""
"I signed some of them.""
Vanessa smiled.
"Exactly.""
"But you never bothered to read the other documents I had Daniel prepare.""
Her smile disappeared.
I opened the folder.
Inside were copies of several legal agreements.
"Five years ago, after a serious dispute with one of our business partners, I transferred the ownership of my major assets into an independently managed family trust.""
Michael stared at the papers.
"What?""
"My house, my investment properties, and my controlling shares in Anderson Holdings.""
Vanessa took a step backward.
I continued.
"Michael, you were named as a potential beneficiary. But you were never given automatic control.""
His voice became weak.
"Who controls it?""
I looked at him.
"An independent trustee. With strict conditions.""
Vanessa grabbed the papers.
Her eyes raced across the pages.
Then she stopped.
"That's impossible.""
I took the folder back.
"No, Vanessa. What's impossible is what you were planning to do.""
The doorbell rang.
A moment later, I heard Daniel's voice downstairs.
"Richard!""
I walked toward the staircase.
But before I could answer, Daniel shouted something that made everyone turn.
"Don't let anyone leave! I've just received confirmation that someone attempted to withdraw nearly four million dollars from the company's reserve account tonight.""
I looked at Michael.
He went completely white.
Vanessa's hand tightened around his arm.
And then Daniel added one final sentence.
"The transaction was authorized using your son's credentials.""
I stared at my son.
"Michael...""
He opened his mouth.
May you like
But before he could speak, Vanessa suddenly screamed:
"HE DIDN'T DO IT! I WAS THE ONE WHO—"
