Chapter 9 #3
“Half the estate. You can well afford it. And his insurance policies. There were two of them, and we got nothing because he’d made it so that his wife got it all.
Then when she died, you got everything.” She said because she was raising their daughter as her own.
“That’s another thing. We’d like to have joint custody of the child too.
There is no point in you getting to make every decision there is regarding her when we’re around too. ”
“She’s my daughter. I’m sure you know that.
I delivered her for them, and she’s my little girl.
” He said that it wasn’t fair that they couldn’t see her.
“No one is stopping you from seeing Lizzy. You make an appointment with me, and I’ll have her there.
You won’t be taking her home with you, however. ”
“I’m trying to be nice here. I think you’re keeping her from us so that we can’t have a bond with her.” She told him that she just said they could see her. “We want to keep her for a week. Or more. You’ve had her all her life, and it’s our turn.”
“You’re not going to be able to do that, I’m afraid. She’s been adopted by my husband recently, and she is his daughter too.” He asked why she’d do that. “Because I fell in love and he wanted us both to be his family. It was approved just a few days ago, as a matter of fact.”
“You’re purposely making things difficult for us.
This isn’t going to go in your favor. I want our part of the estate and visitation rights to my granddaughter.
I was thinking half a year for us both starting right now.
” She told him no. “We’ve been talking to an attorney, and he said that we can win full custody of her and get every penny of the estate.
If I were you, I’d not be spending it all.
I’m going to take you for all that you have. ”
“Did you know that your son had to go to anger management classes? That he had to go at least once a week in the months prior to my becoming my sister’s surrogate?
You see, he’d been in trouble with his coworkers and his company decided that he go to them or he lose his job.
He did lose it in the end; did you know that?
” He called her a liar. “Believe what you wish, but I lived with them, and I knew what was going on. The night they were killed, the night that your son hit my sister, they were arguing all the way from the house to where the accident occurred. While we have no proof they were arguing at the end of their lives, my sister had a fresh bruise on her skin that wasn’t consistent with the accident. ”
“You’re making this all up to make yourself look better.” She told him that he could have a copy of the coroner’s report as well. “I don’t believe you. Robert was a good man. He had a bit of a temper, but he was good to Milly.”
“He was when he wasn’t angry.” He called her a liar again. “Like I said. I lived with them for the last ten months of their lives. Robert would even argue with me, but he never hit me. He knew better.”
“You’re saying that he beat your sister? I don’t believe that.” She didn’t say anything, but she could almost feel him thinking. “He never hit me either. He, as you said, knew better. But he did hit his mother.”
“I could have him brought up on charges of murder.” She let that sink into his thoughts.
“There is proof that he hit Milly. Also that he wasn’t faring well with the anger management classes.
Would you like it if I were to say that he murdered my sister in a fit of anger and that’s why they’re both dead?
It wouldn’t do well for your son’s reputation, now would it? ”
“We just want our fair share.” She said that she couldn’t do that. That she’d done what they both had wanted and put all the money into a trust fund for Lizzy. “You’re not spending the money? What about their house? I’m sure you’re living in it.”
“You’d be right. I’m raising their daughter to be my own, another thing that they both wanted in the event that anything happened to them.
I can have copies of their wills sent to you.
It’s very clear that they wanted me to raise her like my own and have the house to do it in.
Again, I can make trouble for you, but I’d rather not do that.
” He started crying, and she hurt for them.
“You can see Lizzy anytime you like so long as it’s here at my house.
There was a reason that Robert didn’t want you to be a part of Lizzy’s life, and that was because he knew about the affairs as well as the money issues that you had.
He was afraid that you’d try to kidnap her from me and that you’d do just what you’re doing now.
Try to make it so that I have to pay you money. Is that what this is all about? Money?”
“Yes.” He sobbed again, and she felt her heart shift in her chest. No longer did she feel sorry for the man and his wife, but he’d hardened her heart so that he never was alone with the little girl. “We’re broke. More than that, we’re about to lose everything.”
“I’m sorry. But that has nothing to do with the estate of my sister and your son.
It’s more to do with the way you’ve been gambling away all that you’ve been given.
How much was Robert giving you each month to help you settle your debts?
” It was only a guess on her part that Robert was helping his family, but apparently she’d been right.
When he told her how much he’d been handing over each month, she couldn’t believe it.
“So much money and yet you’re still broke?
What have you been doing with that money?
Gambling more? If you were to have gotten half the estate, how much do you suppose there would be left of it by now? ”
“We’re looking for a good payoff.” She just shook her head and looked around her office while he went on. “You can’t blame us for wanting more money from the estate. It’s what has been keeping us in our house all this time. He’s been paying our mortgage and buying us food.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.” She wouldn’t either.
It wasn’t up to her to keep paying a debt that would never be paid off.
“You’ve dug yourself in a hole; now you’re going to have to get yourself out of it.
Robert never mentioned that he was paying you off, and I can’t afford to keep putting money into something that won’t be paid off. ”
“You bitch. You will help us, or I’ll take you to court.” She simply hung up the phone. She sat there for several minutes wondering if it would ring again, but when it didn’t, she called Axel.
He’d told her this was going to happen and she’d not believed him. Now they were calling and making trouble. She didn’t know how much trouble they could make, but she wasn’t going to take any chances with this. Most of the money that Robert was giving his parents was because of her anyway.
After telling Axel what had happened, she explained to him what the coroner had told her.
He asked her what she wanted to do, and she told him honestly she didn’t know.
She didn’t want them to be homeless, but she wasn’t going to be put into a position where she was paying them money each month so that they could flitter it all away.
He told her that he’d call her back in an hour and they’d go from there.
“I feel sorry for them.” He said that was what they were banking on.
“I’m sure, but Robert didn’t help them by giving them money.
If it helps them at all, I’d be willing to pay their mortgage each month and put some money in their account for food as he’d been doing, but they’ll never get to keep Lizzy overnight.
I’d be afraid that they’d take her out of the country and I’d never see her again. ”
“You have good reason to feel that way.” She could hear papers shuffling around and then his heavy sigh.
“I’ll call you back later tonight. I’ll have enough information for you so that you can make a decision on them.
I’m saying not to pay them, but that’ll be up to you.
I know how you felt about Robert, and I’m sure that it’s no less than what you thought about his parents. I’ll call you back.”
After getting off the phone with him, she decided that she was going to find herself a desk that suited her.
The table in this room wasn’t large enough for what she wanted, and she decided right then and there that she was going to move on.
No more wondering if she would be hurting her sister’s feelings.
She needed to get her life together and figure this out.
Today was going to be the beginning of the rest of her life, and she was going to make it out to be the best.