The Inheritance Trap That Backfired

When Marcus received the certified letter announcing his grandfather’s million-dollar bequest, he thought his financial struggles were finally over. He had no idea that his stepmother’s elaborate scheme to steal the inheritance would backfire so spectacularly that it would expose decades of fraud and land her in federal prison.

The Struggling Artist Who Deserved Better

Marcus Chen had always been the black sheep of the family—not because he was rebellious or irresponsible, but because he had chosen art over accountancy, creativity over conformity. At twenty-eight, he was a talented sculptor living in a converted warehouse space in Oakland, California, making just enough from commissioned pieces and art shows to cover his basic expenses.

His modest lifestyle was a conscious choice, not a failure. While his step-siblings pursued careers in finance and corporate law, Marcus had followed his passion for creating beautiful objects from raw materials. His sculptures—abstract forms that seemed to capture movement in bronze and steel—had begun attracting attention from serious collectors, but artistic success moved slowly compared to the instant gratification of a business degree.

Marcus’s relationship with his family had been complicated since his father Robert remarried when Marcus was fifteen. Helena Sterling-Chen brought her own two children into the household and immediately set about establishing a hierarchy that put Marcus at the bottom despite his being Robert’s biological son.

The dynamic was subtle but persistent: Helena’s children, Bradley and Stephanie, received expensive cars for their sixteenth birthdays while Marcus got a used bicycle. Their college tuition was paid in full while Marcus worked multiple jobs to supplement the partial funding his father provided. Family vacations became “immediate family only” affairs that somehow excluded Marcus more often than they included him.

“Marcus prefers to be independent,” Helena would explain to relatives who noticed his absence. “He’s not really interested in family activities.”

This narrative painted Marcus as antisocial and ungrateful while positioning Helena as the patient stepmother dealing with a difficult child. The truth was that Marcus had learned early that his presence at family gatherings was tolerated rather than welcomed, so he had gradually stopped attending.

His father Robert, caught between his new wife and his son, had chosen the path of least resistance by simply accepting Helena’s version of family dynamics. “You know how Helena is,” he would tell Marcus during their rare private conversations. “It’s easier to just go along with things.”

Marcus had built his adult life around this understanding: he was financially and emotionally on his own, and that was fine. He had cultivated friendships with other artists, built a support network of people who understood his choices, and learned to find fulfillment in his work rather than family approval.

Then his grandfather died, and everything changed.

The Letter That Changed Everything

The certified letter arrived on a Tuesday morning in September, delivered by a postal worker who seemed unusually formal about obtaining Marcus’s signature. The return address showed the offices of Whitman & Associates, a prestigious law firm in San Francisco that Marcus had never heard of.

Inside was a letter that would transform his understanding of both his family’s finances and his place within their complicated dynamics.

“Dear Mr. Chen,” the letter began in formal legal language, “We are writing to inform you that your grandfather, William Chen, passed away on August 15th of this year. According to the terms of his will, you have been named as the primary beneficiary of his estate.”

Marcus read the sentence three times before the words began to make sense. His grandfather—his father’s father—had died, and apparently left him money. But the amount mentioned in the letter seemed impossible: $1.2 million, plus ownership of a valuable property in Marin County.

Marcus had seen his grandfather perhaps a dozen times in his entire life. William Chen had been a distant figure who lived alone in what Marcus remembered as a modest house, occasionally appearing at family gatherings where he spoke little and left early. He had seemed to disapprove of Helena’s influence over the family, but Marcus had never imagined this disapproval extended to financial planning.

According to the letter, William had been quietly building wealth through decades of careful investing and real estate speculation. The Marin County property alone was worth nearly $800,000, and his investment portfolio had grown to over $400,000 by the time of his death.

But the most shocking revelation was saved for the letter’s final paragraph: “Mr. Chen’s will specifically excludes Robert Chen and Helena Sterling-Chen from any inheritance, citing ‘fundamental disagreements about family values and priorities.’ You are requested to contact our office within thirty days to begin the probate process.”

Marcus sat in his studio surrounded by half-finished sculptures, holding a piece of paper that would either solve all his financial problems or create new ones he couldn’t yet imagine.

The Family Meeting That Revealed Everything

Marcus’s first instinct was to call his father and share the unexpected news. He had never been one to keep secrets, and despite their complicated relationship, he wanted Robert to know about his grandfather’s death and the surprising inheritance.

The phone call that followed was unlike any conversation Marcus had ever had with his father.

“You received what?” Robert’s voice carried a mixture of shock and something that might have been panic.

“A letter from Grandfather’s lawyers. Apparently he left me his estate—about $1.2 million total.”

The silence on the other end of the line stretched so long that Marcus wondered if the call had been dropped. When Robert finally spoke again, his voice was carefully controlled.

“Marcus, we need to have a family meeting about this. Can you come over tonight? This is… this is more complicated than you realize.”

The drive to his father and stepmother’s house in Walnut Creek felt surreal. Marcus had been to the elegant suburban home only a handful of times since moving out, and never for anything resembling a family emergency.

Helena greeted him at the door with a warmth that immediately put him on guard. In twenty-eight years, she had never been genuinely pleased to see him, and her sudden enthusiasm suggested ulterior motives.

“Marcus, darling, come in! We’re so sorry for your loss. Your grandfather was such a wonderful man.”

Inside the living room, Bradley and Stephanie were already seated with expressions that managed to convey both sympathy and barely concealed resentment. The whole scene felt staged, as if they had been rehearsing their reactions.

Robert cleared his throat with the gravity of someone delivering a prepared speech. “Marcus, there’s something you need to understand about your grandfather’s will. It’s not as straightforward as that letter made it seem.”

Helena leaned forward with an expression of practiced concern. “Sweetheart, your grandfather was quite elderly when he made these arrangements. We have reason to believe he wasn’t entirely… competent when he changed his will.”

“Changed his will?” Marcus asked, noticing the verb tense.

“Well, yes,” Bradley interjected with the authority of someone who had recently graduated law school. “The previous version left everything to Dad, as you’d expect. This new will, naming you as beneficiary, was created just six months before Grandfather’s death.”

Stephanie nodded sympathetically. “We’re all concerned that someone might have influenced him to make changes that don’t reflect his true wishes.”

The implication was clear without being directly stated: Marcus was being accused of manipulating a vulnerable elderly man into changing his will.

“I hadn’t spoken to Grandfather in over two years,” Marcus said slowly. “I didn’t even know he was sick.”

“That’s exactly what makes this so suspicious,” Helena replied smoothly. “Why would he leave everything to a grandson he barely knew while excluding his own son?”

Robert’s expression was pained, caught between loyalty to his son and whatever pressure Helena was applying. “Marcus, we think the best thing for everyone would be to contest the will. Split the inheritance fairly among the family.”

“Split it how?” Marcus asked, though he suspected he already knew the answer.

“Well, naturally your father would receive the bulk of the estate,” Helena explained. “But we’d make sure you received a fair portion—perhaps $100,000 or so.”

Marcus looked around the room at these people who had spent over a decade making him feel unwelcome in his own family, now suddenly concerned about “fairness” when it came to his inheritance.

“I need to think about this,” he said finally.

The silence that followed was loaded with disappointment and barely concealed anger.

“Don’t take too long,” Bradley warned. “There are deadlines for contesting wills, and we need to act quickly if we’re going to protect the family’s interests.”

Marcus left the house that evening with a clear understanding that he was no longer just the family disappointment—he was now the enemy standing between them and $1.2 million.

The Investigation That Uncovered Decades of Fraud

Instead of immediately contacting the lawyers about beginning probate, Marcus decided to do something his family clearly hadn’t expected: research. His grandfather’s sudden death and the family’s aggressive reaction to the will raised questions that demanded answers.

Marcus started by visiting the assisted living facility where his grandfather had spent his final months. The staff remembered William Chen fondly—a sharp, independent man who had remained mentally alert until his death from a brief illness.

“Mr. Chen was one of our most engaged residents,” explained Sarah Rodriguez, the facility’s social worker. “He attended every educational lecture, played chess competitively, and managed all his own financial affairs right up until he passed. There was absolutely nothing wrong with his mental faculties.”

This directly contradicted the family’s claims about William’s competency, but Marcus needed more evidence.

His next stop was the law office of Whitman & Associates, where he met with Janet Whitman herself—a sharp woman in her sixties who had been practicing estate law for over thirty years.

“Your grandfather was very specific about his wishes,” she explained, reviewing the thick file. “He came to us eight months before his death, wanting to create a new will that would ensure his assets went to someone who shared his values.”

“What did he say about the rest of the family?”

Janet consulted her notes with professional discretion. “He was… disappointed in how your father had allowed his wife to influence family dynamics. He specifically mentioned feeling that you had been marginalized and mistreated. He wanted his legacy to support your artistic career rather than fund what he called ‘entitled consumption.'”

The will itself was meticulously detailed, with multiple safeguards to prevent exactly the kind of challenge the family was threatening. William had undergone psychological evaluation to confirm his competency, included video testimony explaining his reasoning, and even retained a second law firm to review the documents for any potential weaknesses.

But Janet’s most disturbing revelation came when Marcus asked about the family’s claim that the previous will had left everything to Robert.

“That’s interesting,” Janet said, pulling out another file. “Because according to our records, your grandfather never had a previous will leaving his estate to your father. In fact, he told us he had been intestate—without any will at all—until deciding to create this document.”

The lie was so blatant that Marcus felt the ground shifting beneath his assumptions about his family’s honesty.

“Is there any way to verify what assets my grandfather actually had when he died?” Marcus asked.

“Certainly. As the beneficiary, you have every right to review all the financial records.”

What those records revealed would ultimately destroy his stepmother’s freedom and expose decades of systematic fraud.

The Financial Trail That Led to Federal Prison

The forensic accounting that followed Marcus’s request revealed a story of theft so brazen it shocked even the experienced attorneys handling the case. William Chen’s assets at the time of his death were not $1.2 million as stated in the will—they were over $2.8 million.

Someone had been systematically stealing from Marcus’s grandfather for years.

The investigation, led by forensic accountant David Kim, traced a complex pattern of unauthorized withdrawals, forged documents, and manipulated financial statements. The thefts had been sophisticated enough to avoid detection by William himself, but clear enough to constitute obvious fraud once examined by professionals.

“This is one of the most extensive cases of elder financial abuse I’ve ever documented,” David explained as he walked Marcus through the evidence. “Someone with access to your grandfather’s accounts has been stealing approximately $50,000 per year for the past three years.”

The trail led directly to Helena Sterling-Chen.

As Robert’s wife, Helena had been designated as William’s emergency contact and backup power of attorney—a role that gave her access to his financial information during medical emergencies. She had used this access to gradually drain his accounts, transferring money to shell companies she controlled and using forged documents to authorize withdrawals.

The most shocking discovery was that Helena had been planning this theft for much longer than three years. Bank records showed she had been monitoring William’s accounts and studying his financial habits for nearly a decade, waiting for the right opportunity to begin systematic theft.

“She was incredibly patient and methodical,” David observed. “This wasn’t impulsive stealing—this was a carefully planned, long-term financial crime.”

But Helena’s greed had ultimately been her downfall. In her eagerness to steal as much as possible before William’s death, she had accelerated the pace of her withdrawals in his final months. This created a paper trail so obvious that even a basic audit would have exposed the fraud.

The evidence was overwhelming: forged documents, unauthorized electronic transfers, and shell companies created solely to launder stolen money. Helena had stolen over $160,000 from an elderly man who trusted her as family.

When Marcus presented this evidence to Janet Whitman, her response was immediate and decisive.

“This is a federal crime,” she said grimly. “We need to contact the FBI immediately.”

The Criminal Investigation That Exposed Everything

The FBI’s financial crimes unit treated Helena’s theft as part of a larger pattern of elder abuse that they had been tracking across California. Agent Maria Santos was assigned to Marcus’s case, and her investigation quickly expanded beyond simple theft to include mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.

“Your stepmother wasn’t just stealing from your grandfather,” Agent Santos explained during one of their meetings. “She was running a sophisticated fraud operation that involved multiple victims.”

The investigation revealed that Helena had been using similar tactics to steal from other elderly people in her social circle. As a volunteer at senior centers and charity organizations, she had gained access to vulnerable individuals and systematically exploited their trust.

Her total theft across all victims exceeded $300,000 over five years—enough to trigger mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines that would put her in federal prison for a substantial period.

But perhaps the most damaging evidence came from Helena’s own financial records. Rather than hiding her stolen money, she had been using it to fund an extravagant lifestyle that her legitimate income couldn’t support. Expensive vacations, luxury cars, and designer clothes—all purchased with money stolen from elderly victims.

“She was so confident that she’d never be caught that she barely tried to hide the spending,” Agent Santos observed. “Bank records show she deposited stolen money and immediately used it for personal expenses.”

The criminal charges were filed six months after Marcus first learned about his inheritance. Helena Sterling-Chen was arrested at her home on federal charges of elder abuse, wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering.

The local news coverage was extensive, with reporters highlighting the shocking case of a suburban woman who had been systematically stealing from senior citizens while volunteering at their community centers.

Marcus watched the perp walk on television, seeing Helena led away in handcuffs while reporters shouted questions about her victims and her motives.

The Family Reckoning That Followed

The criminal charges against Helena created chaos within the family that extended far beyond Marcus’s inheritance. Bradley and Stephanie, who had initially supported their mother’s will contest, suddenly found themselves associated with federal fraud charges that threatened their own professional reputations.

Bradley, who had just started working at a prestigious law firm, was forced to disclose his mother’s arrest to his employers. The firm placed him on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case, effectively ending his legal career before it had truly begun.

Stephanie, who worked in banking, faced similar professional consequences when her employer learned about her family’s criminal activity. Banks couldn’t afford to employ people with any connection to financial fraud, regardless of their personal innocence.

But the most dramatic transformation was in Robert’s behavior toward Marcus. Faced with the overwhelming evidence of his wife’s crimes, Robert was forced to confront the reality that he had chosen Helena over his son based on lies and manipulation.

“I had no idea,” Robert said during a painful phone conversation with Marcus. “She told me she was helping Dad manage his finances. I never questioned the details.”

The conversation revealed the extent to which Helena had manipulated everyone in the family, including Robert himself. She had been intercepting communications between father and son, spreading lies about Marcus’s attitude toward the family, and gradually isolating William from his relatives to make her theft easier.

“She showed me emails that she claimed were from you, saying horrible things about the family,” Robert admitted. “I believed her because… because it was easier than confronting the problems in our marriage.”

Marcus felt a mixture of vindication and sadness as he realized how thoroughly Helena had poisoned his relationship with his father through years of calculated deception.

“Dad, I never sent any emails like that. I barely communicated with the family at all.”

“I know that now,” Robert replied, his voice heavy with regret. “The FBI showed me the forensic analysis. Those emails were completely fabricated.”

The Trial That Exposed Everything

Helena’s trial began eighteen months after her arrest, and Marcus attended every day of proceedings. He wanted to see justice served not just for himself, but for all the elderly victims who had trusted her.

The prosecution’s case was methodical and devastating. They presented bank records, forged documents, and testimony from multiple victims who described how Helena had gained their trust and then systematically stolen their life savings.

Marcus’s grandfather was just one of seven victims, but his case was particularly egregious because of the family relationship and the amount stolen over time.

Helena’s defense strategy was to claim that she had been acting under Robert’s direction, that her husband had pressured her to steal from his father to support their lifestyle. The defense painted her as another victim—a woman coerced into criminal activity by a domineering husband.

But this strategy backfired spectacularly when the prosecution presented evidence that Helena had been stealing from elderly victims for years before she even met Robert. Her criminal activity predated their marriage and had continued independently of any family pressure.

The most damaging testimony came from her previous victims, elderly people who described how Helena had befriended them, gained access to their finances, and then systematically stolen their money while maintaining the facade of caring friendship.

“She visited me every week,” testified Margaret Walsh, an eighty-four-year-old widow. “She helped me with my medications, drove me to appointments, and gradually convinced me to give her access to my accounts for ‘convenience.’ Over two years, she stole $47,000 from me.”

The pattern was consistent across all victims: Helena would target isolated elderly people, build trust through apparent kindness, gain financial access, and then steal systematically while maintaining the caring relationship.

Marcus watched the proceedings with fascination and horror, seeing the woman who had shaped his family life for over a decade revealed as a career criminal who had been manipulating everyone around her.

The jury deliberated for less than four hours before returning guilty verdicts on all charges.

The Sentencing That Delivered Justice

Federal sentencing guidelines for Helena’s crimes were severe, and the judge showed little sympathy for someone who had specifically targeted vulnerable elderly victims.

Judge Patricia Henley delivered a sentence that would reshape Helena’s life: twelve years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised probation and full restitution to all victims.

“Mrs. Sterling-Chen,” Judge Henley said during the sentencing hearing, “you systematically exploited some of our society’s most vulnerable members. You betrayed the trust of elderly people who saw you as a friend and caregiver. Your crimes were not impulsive mistakes—they were calculated, ongoing acts of cruelty motivated by greed.”

The restitution order required Helena to repay over $400,000 to all her victims, including the money stolen from Marcus’s grandfather plus interest and penalties.

But perhaps more importantly, the judge ordered the forfeiture of all assets Helena had purchased with stolen money. Her house, cars, jewelry, and investment accounts were all seized to compensate her victims.

Marcus watched Helena led away in shackles, knowing that she would be nearly sixty years old when she was released from prison. The woman who had spent years making him feel unwelcome in his own family would spend more than a decade behind bars for her crimes.

The Inheritance That Finally Came Home

With Helena’s criminal conviction finalizing the case, Marcus was finally able to claim his grandfather’s inheritance without any legal challenges. The recovered stolen funds brought the total value to nearly $1.4 million—enough to transform his life in ways he had never imagined possible.

But the money came with emotional weight that Marcus hadn’t anticipated. Reading through his grandfather’s personal papers, he discovered letters and journals that revealed a man who had been deeply concerned about his family’s values and his grandson’s treatment.

“I worry that Robert has lost sight of what matters,” William had written in one journal entry. “Helena has poisoned the family dynamic, and Marcus has paid the price for his integrity.”

Other entries revealed that William had been quietly following Marcus’s artistic career, collecting newspaper clippings about his exhibitions and even purchasing one of his sculptures through an intermediary.

“Marcus has chosen a difficult path, but an honorable one,” read another entry. “He creates beauty in the world rather than simply accumulating wealth. He deserves support for following his convictions.”

The inheritance wasn’t just money—it was validation from a grandfather who had understood Marcus’s choices even when the rest of the family had dismissed them.

The New Life That Art Built

With his financial security established, Marcus was able to make choices about his career and life that had been impossible when he was struggling to pay rent. He purchased a larger studio space in an industrial building that was being converted to artist studios, creating a workspace that could accommodate the large-scale sculptures he had always wanted to create.

He also established the William Chen Foundation for Emerging Artists, using a portion of his inheritance to provide grants and studio space for young artists who were facing the same financial challenges he had overcome.

The foundation’s first recipient was Maya Rodriguez, a talented painter who had been working three jobs to support her art while living in a converted garage. With the foundation’s support, she was able to focus entirely on her work and eventually secured representation at a major gallery.

“You’ve given me the gift of time,” Maya told Marcus during the foundation’s first annual celebration. “Time to create without worrying about survival.”

Marcus understood exactly what she meant. His grandfather’s inheritance had given him the same gift—the freedom to pursue his art without compromise.

His work evolved dramatically as he gained access to better materials and more ambitious projects. The sculptures he created in his new studio were larger, more complex, and more emotionally resonant than anything he had produced before.

Within two years, his work was being featured in major galleries across California, and collectors were commissioning pieces for significant installations.

The Family Healing That Time Made Possible

Robert’s relationship with Marcus began slowly healing as the truth about Helena’s manipulation became clear. The fabricated emails, the lies about Marcus’s attitude, and the systematic isolation had all been part of Helena’s strategy to maintain control over the family while stealing from William.

“I should have questioned her version of events,” Robert admitted during one of their weekly dinners, a tradition they had started after Helena’s imprisonment. “I should have trusted my own son over someone who was lying about everything.”

The healing process was gradual and sometimes painful, as both men had to confront years of missed opportunities and misunderstandings. But the shared experience of being deceived by Helena created a foundation for rebuilding their relationship.

Bradley and Stephanie struggled more with the aftermath of their mother’s crimes. Bradley never returned to legal practice, instead starting a small business helping elderly people protect themselves from financial fraud. Stephanie moved across the country, seeking to rebuild her career away from the scandal.

Neither of Marcus’s step-siblings had been involved in their mother’s crimes, but they had benefited from the stolen money through their privileged lifestyle. Both eventually repaid Marcus for their share of the stolen funds, not because they were legally required to, but because they wanted to make amends for their mother’s actions.

“We were raised to believe we deserved expensive things,” Stephanie explained during a difficult conversation with Marcus. “We never questioned where the money came from because we didn’t want to know the answer.”

The Legacy That Continued Growing

Five years after Helena’s conviction, Marcus’s life had been transformed in ways that extended far beyond financial security. His art was being collected by museums, his foundation had supported dozens of emerging artists, and his relationship with his father had grown stronger than it had ever been.

But perhaps the most meaningful change was in how Marcus understood family and loyalty. Helena’s betrayal had taught him that biological relationships meant nothing without mutual respect and genuine care.

The artists supported by his foundation had become his chosen family—people who understood his values and shared his commitment to creating beauty in the world. They celebrated each other’s successes, supported each other through challenges, and built the kind of community that Helena had prevented him from having with his biological relatives.

William Chen’s final gift to his grandson hadn’t just been money—it had been freedom from a toxic family dynamic and the resources to build something better.

Marcus kept his grandfather’s final journal entry framed in his studio, a reminder of the values that had guided both their lives:

“True wealth isn’t measured in dollars, but in the positive impact we have on the world. Art, kindness, and integrity are the only treasures that grow when they’re shared.”

The Justice That Kept Delivering

Helena’s imprisonment had ripple effects that extended far beyond her family. Her case became a landmark example of elder financial abuse, leading to enhanced protections for senior citizens and better training for professionals who work with elderly populations.

The assisted living facility where William had lived implemented new protocols for monitoring residents’ financial activities, ensuring that similar thefts would be detected quickly.

Banks and investment firms upgraded their systems for detecting suspicious transactions involving elderly customers, using Helena’s methods as examples of what to watch for.

Most importantly, her case inspired legislation that increased penalties for elder financial abuse and provided better resources for victims to recover stolen funds.

Marcus testified before the state legislature about his grandfather’s case, helping to pass laws that would protect future victims from similar crimes.

“Elder abuse isn’t just theft,” he told the legislators. “It’s betrayal of the most fundamental trust between family members and caregivers. The penalties should reflect the severity of that betrayal.”

The legislation passed unanimously, creating some of the strongest elder protection laws in the country.

The Truth That Set Everyone Free

Today, Marcus’s studio is filled with works in progress—bronze figures that seem to dance despite their weight, steel forms that capture the essence of movement and growth. His art has evolved to reflect his journey from family rejection to genuine belonging, from financial struggle to creative freedom.

Visitors to his studio often comment on the sense of peace that pervades the space, not realizing that it comes from hard-won wisdom about what truly matters in life.

Helena Sterling-Chen remains in federal prison, with eight years left on her sentence. She has shown no remorse for her crimes and has made no effort to contact any of her victims or family members.

The house she bought with stolen money has been sold, with the proceeds distributed among her victims. The luxury cars have been auctioned, the jewelry liquidated, the false life of wealth and status completely dismantled.

Marcus occasionally receives updates about her imprisonment through the victim services program, but he no longer feels anger or satisfaction at her punishment. She has simply become irrelevant to his life—a cautionary tale about the consequences of choosing greed over integrity.

The inheritance that was supposed to tear his family apart instead revealed the truth that set them free. Helena’s elaborate scheme to steal William Chen’s money had backfired so completely that it exposed decades of manipulation and fraud, ultimately delivering justice to her victims and peace to the family she had nearly destroyed.

Sometimes the worst betrayals become the catalyst for the most meaningful transformations. Marcus’s grandfather’s million-dollar bequest wasn’t just a financial inheritance—it was a final act of love that freed his grandson from toxic relationships and provided the foundation for a life built on authentic values.

The letter that started everything had promised to change Marcus’s life, but even the lawyers couldn’t have predicted how completely that promise would be fulfilled. Money was just the beginning of an inheritance that included truth, justice, and the freedom to build a family based on love rather than manipulation.

In the end, William Chen’s greatest gift to his grandson wasn’t the $1.4 million—it was the opportunity to discover that some relationships are worth fighting for, while others are only worth escaping from. The difference, Marcus learned, isn’t always obvious until someone tries to take away what rightfully belongs to you.

And when that happens, the truth has a way of rising to the surface, no matter how deeply it’s been buried by lies.