.2
1600 Words
Leslie POV
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"We can mourn for much longer days.
But we have to see what should be done first.
We can't sit forever quiet " Liam speaks as I sit next to my mother who sips her wine.
And for a second I feel like do they even miss dad ?
I get it they didn't have a good relationship with him after he married Georgia.
But then he's our dad, he loved us.
He always put us first even though they will try to tell me otherwise.
"I have called the lawyer who will explain dad's last will for us" he adds, as his eyes trails over us.
And I just shift in my seat.
It has to be with money ,like always right?
Dad didn't care much about this wealth , he left everything to them.
He told ' I want my kids to be happy'
As he moved out of the house to our farm house ,outside the town.
But then life will never let us be happy.
He gave up everything and chose her.
He was happy I could see that in his eyes.
I didn't miss one weekend, I always went to meet him and stayed with him.
Georgia was great ,she was so sweet that she treated me so good.
I remember being twelve when my parents got split.
I didn't understand why my dad will choose to leave us for another woman.
But then he made me understand one thing that he will never leave us, but he simply chose someone to live his life with and that someone made him happy.
Over the years I saw him happy, like not even once I saw him look at my mom with those eyes.
But with Georgia, it was like he was finding himself all over again.
But a couple of years ago Georgia passed away leaving him all alone.
It was hard for him, he stopped caring about himself.
Like he had lost the purpose of his life.
But he always smiled when I went to live with him during my holidays.
I just adored him so much that it hurts I couldn't be there with him during his final days.
But then that's life right?
Expect the worst.
Get through the worst.
"Mr.Knight"
Our family lawyer David walks in, and I sigh.
He nods at us as an acknowledgement, before taking a seat in front of us
"Let me read the testament first before we start analyzing it …" David starts the talk, but my mother stops him, restlessness in her voice.
.
.
"Cut the chase David.
We don't have all the time.
Just tell me how much we get.
And what all he has left for us" My mother words came out surprisingly harsh.
She hated him for leaving her but then why can't they see it this way.
They weren't happy together.
So my dad chose his happiness, and it wasn't with her.
But they think he was a freak who craved for Georgia physically and calls her as a gold digger who wanted my dad for money.
"Bishop owned sixty percent of the shares in the Knights industries.
And he has split them up, equally among all" David explains as he looks up, writing down some points on his note pad.
I'm sure my mom got pretty nice compensation after the divorce and that my dad held no obligation to leave her anything.
But again, he never cared
"So we hold fifteen percent each?
That's great" Kevin smiles ,mentally calculating how many billions he can make by his part of shares he will be soon owning in the company.
"No ,Mr.Knight.
You took me wrong.
He has split them equally between the four of you and between Georgia Knight including her son Quinton Reyes" David voice felt like it had to the power to leave the room shaking
And I sit up straight ,a small gasp escaping my throat.
Quinton Reyes.
My first crush ,who turned out to be my step brother when our parents got together.
And I remembered everything about him like I saw him yesterday even though we haven't met for three years.
The last time I saw him, it was at Georgia's funeral.
I had stood by my dad's side, as I held on to him tight as he was shaken up by the loss.
He had tried very hard to save her.
But he had failed in the end.
That was the last day I met Quinton or saw him.
I remember him standing alone, out of the crowd.
His hands by his side.
His eyes staring at his mother's picture In front of him.
I couldn't understand him, or he let anyone understand.
It's like he was a mystery, and he had kept it that way.
He chose his life that way.
He never spoke to anyone not even with his own mother.
Not even In the Christmas dinner when he sat next to her while I sat opposite to him, next to my dad.
Like it was our little family union.
But then none of us spoke a word.
He would always keep his answers limited to 'yes or no'
And never questioned anything.
It's like he was forced to attend all those dinners, and he hated it in the process.
"How the hell will they get any share?" Liam asks ,angrily
"Because she was legally your father's wife.
And also it's his free choice.
He could have given all of this to whomever he wanted.
And he has made his decision before he left us" David rolls his eyes, as he takes the glass of wine from the table next to him.
"That means now Quinton owns Twenty percent of the shares ?" Kevin asked.
Putting the technical facts out.
He was always calculative in his choices
And David nodded
"As Georgia is dead ,yes.
Its mentioned clearly that he even gets his deceased mother's share" David cleared the bubble in the air along with his throat.
"That son of a b***h" Liam sneered, like he had found someone to blame it all to.
And I shut my eyes because I couldn't stand them defying him.
Like our families despised one and other.
Right but then don't hate them.
Not when he held no fault
"Don't get angry Liam.
We can come up with a settlement to take those shares from him"
My mother rose to her step as she walked towards David
"I want you to keep the details we discussed here ,confidential.
Do you hear me?" She asked him, and he nodded before she pointed at the door for him to leave.
"Settlement?
I'm sure he isn't a fool.
He will become a billionaire ,if he claims his shares" Kevin scoffed as he closed the door as David's footsteps faded away in the background
"He will never know what he owns.
Unless we tell him" my mother smiled.
There she was with her amazing point.
"That's right mom.
He will never know.
I guess we should break the news about dads death to get him back here.
That way we can easily take his signature, offering him some pity dollars.
That's all is his worth anyway" Liam gritted out his words as his eyes found mine
"How are we going to get him to do that?.
He never spoke to anyone of us.
It's clear he hates us as much as we do" Kevin raised his eyes and then Liam smiled as he started to walk towards me.
"You always went to the Christmas dinner.
Didn't you Leslie?" Liam questions as he poured me a glass of wine
And I nodded as I took the glass from his hand.
Not sure what are his intentions here.
"But he never spoke to me either"
I scoffed, like I wanted to make this point very clear.
I was not going to trick him into this stupid plan.
If my dad wanted him to be part of our company.
I would stick by his decision.
"But at his mother's funeral.
You gave him your condolences.
Didn't you?" Liam questioned as he crossed his hands.
And I nodded
All I ever told him was " If you need anything ,you can always fall back on me"
And yet he had not uttered a word that day.
So not knowing what to do ,I patted his shoulder as I left.
Quinton Reyes was a man who you would only meet once in a year, and you would wait the remaining three sixty-four days counting down the calendar for that one day…just to see him.
And that's what I used to do back in school.
"Now you too will need some condolences.
So why don't you go find him, tell him the news about dad's demise"
Liam voice came out like an order And I didn't want to argue.
Because I knew no matter what I say they will turn the tables around.
It's like there will be no space for my debate.
So I nodded as I got on my step.
Starting to feel suffocated in the room
"I'll do that.
But it's up to you guys to get that signature" my voice came out strong as I left, turning around.
Not giving them any chance to tell me otherwise.
After three years, I heard his name taken in the house.
And now after three years I'm going to see him again.
I already can feel my heart beating so heavy like I'm ten all again.
- Writer
