I told him any financial arrangement would be reviewed by my independent advisers.

I had my own savings and a school-district pension.

I was not depending on the prospective settlement to pay for a lifestyle Melissa had chosen.

That did not mean I could give a fortune away without examining the future.

It meant Arthur’s concerns were not the only ones entitled to decide it.

When I left, I called Ruth from a safe place where I could stop the car.

“They asked about the offer,” I said.