My father remained trustee of significant discretionary assets created by my grandparents and supplemented by him.

Future distributions were not mine to demand.

He had always presented them as guaranteed.

They were guaranteed only as long as he approved of my choices.

He slid the folder back into the desk.

“If you marry Owen, you will do it without this family’s money.”

I looked at him.

“Is that supposed to change whom I love?”