Chapter 3
Phil was pissed off. So far today, he’d had to see no less than four attorneys asking him questions about the real will and the fake one.
He thought that it looked really good, at least good enough to have everything turned over to him in the first place.
He loved it when a well laid plan came together. But now it had turned to shit.
Not only had this other firm seized his bank accounts, but they’d also voided his deed that said that his grandfather’s house was his own.
That hurt him the most. He loved that big place and could see himself living in it for the rest of his life.
Of course, the furniture had to go. It was much like the old fat ass, old and ugly.
But now even that wasn’t going to be his dream.
That damned Debra had ruined it all for him.
Just because fat ass had liked her better.
He didn’t know if he liked her better or not, but he certainly left her everything.
Billions of dollars for his cousin rather than anything for him.
He should have gotten it all and would have had it not for her sticking her nose into things.
Had she just done what he’d told her to do and not show up at the reading, then he’d have everything his heart desired, including more money than he could spend in a lifetime.
However, he was going to try to spend it all as fast as he could.
The firm would be bringing in more money in addition to what he inherited.
He’d been told no less than ten times that he couldn’t own the firm as he wasn’t an attorney.
Some stupid rule that he had plans on changing if he could, as soon as he was behind the big desk.
And his grandfather had the biggest desk he’d ever seen.
What difference did it make if he was a lawyer or not?
Nothing that he could see. He wanted to reap the money that they made by taking a percentage of theirs.
It was going to work out well in his favor, too, but for the law stating that he couldn’t do it.
Then there was the insurance policy. That too had been worth millions of dollars, and he couldn’t collect on it either.
When his grandda had been sick with pneumonia last year, he’d taken out a policy on him to hedge his bets in getting some cash.
When he tried to collect on it, they told him that he had not made any payments on it, so it was voided, too.
Why would he have to make payments on a payout when the old man died?
That was one of the stupider things that anyone had told him today.
That and the fact that Debra was moving into the big house within the next couple of days.
That burned his ass, too. He’d wanted the big place.
It would have been grand for the parties that he’d planned on having.
And Philipp had plans for some big parties too.
He would supply the drugs, and everyone else would supply the food.
He was counting on it being a weekly thing when he was in charge and was pissed off that it wasn’t going to come to fruition.
Just thinking about Debra would get his blood boiling.
“Mr. Author, you have a visitor.” He asked if it was another attorney. “I don’t believe so. I could ask, but then you’d not know until I took you back to your cell, as you only get one shot at visitors.” He said he’d see them.
“But I’m not going to be happy if it’s someone else telling me what I can’t do.
I have had enough of attorneys today.” He bitched all the way up to the door and while being led to the room where he’d met the others.
The woman who had been bitching about every little thing was seeing her lawyer, and she didn’t seem all that happy about it.
But he had a feeling that she was never happy about anything because she liked to be in charge.
It was his cousin. “What do you want? Haven’t you taken enough from me today?
Every time someone comes to visit me, they have more shit for me to sign over to you. It’s not fair if you ask me.”
“I didn’t, so that’s fine too.” She sat down when he was put in the chair. There were still chains on his hands so that he couldn’t get to her, but he would if given the chance. He wanted to smack that smile right off her face. “I’ve come to offer you a deal.”
“Are you giving up the will that was made out in your favor? That would be the only thing that I’d agree to.” She stood up to leave, and he told her to tell him. “Why do you have to be such a pain in my ass for? What did I ever do to you to deserve such treatment?”
“You tried to take my inheritance for starters. Then there are the whole childhood beatings that you did to me when we were growing up. You always were a brat.” Phillipp snorted and told her those were his fondest memories.
“I just bet they were. Well, get over it. You’re not going to touch me or what’s mine again. ”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, you go on telling yourself that.” He asked her what the deal was. “And don’t take all day in getting to the good part. I want to know how much you’re going to give me of the estate that I should have inherited.”
“I will give you one million dollars to move away from here and never bother me again.” He said that wasn’t enough. “That’s more than you’re going to get now, dumbass. Take it or leave it, there is no negotiating on my end.”
“You’re getting billions of dollars, and you’re only offering me one million?
That’s not fair. Nor is it something that I’d entertain from you.
You give me a billion, and I’ll think about leaving town.
” She told him no and stood up again. “You’re going to stay right here until I get more money from you.
And don’t think I don’t know what the estate is worth.
You’ll be making a billion a year just after the firm gets its cut. ”
“I’m selling the firm.” He asked her what she’d said. “I said I’m selling the firm to the partners. They’ve all agreed that they want it, and all they have to do is come up with the amount that I want. And it’s nothing compared to what they’ll be making once it’s a finished deal.”
“Yet you still are only offering me a million dollars. You’re a bitch.” She thanked him and told him that the deal was on the table; did he want it or not? “Not. I wouldn’t take that much from you if it were under threat of death. You should be happy that I’m not asking for half of the estate.”
“You won’t get it either, so that’s a moot point.
I’m leaving here, and you have twenty-four hours to decide what you’re going to do.
” He asked about jail time. “I have nothing to do with that. You’ll have to see what happens when you get to court.
I suppose I could just wait and see how much prison time you get, then you’d be away from me, but I was trying to make it so that when you get out, whenever that might be, you have something to fall back on. ”
“What makes you think I’m going to go to prison?
” Debra started listing the things that he’d done, starting with the will that had been forged.
“They don’t care about that. I know that when I get out, I’m going to need more than just the pocket change that you’re talking about. I’ll have some real needs.”
“Then I suggest that you take what I’m offering you and forget about me.
It’s the only way that you’re going to survive.
I’m getting married soon to a powerful family, and when I do, you won’t be able to come near me with a ten-foot pole in your hands.
” He told her that he’d see about that. “Yes, we will. You just remember this while you’re lying in your little cot at night, while there are hundreds of prisoners all around you.
How you could have a million dollars waiting on you, and you turned it down. ”
“Damned right I’m turning it down.” When she got up to leave this time, he let her.
There was nothing more that could be said on the subject until she was willing to pay him what she owed him.
And he didn’t think that a billion dollars from her was going to hurt her at all.
Hell, he’d spend a million dollars on his getting out of prison party he planned to have.
If he made it to prison. And nothing was set in stone right now.
He was going to get himself a good attorney and show her what it’s like to be taken down by a cousin.
As he was being taken back to his cell, he thought of the money that he could get from Debra. She’d have so much of it that it would be hard for her to keep track of it all. He knew that he would be like his grandda said all the time, women weren’t as smart as men. He knew that to be true, too.
Sitting in his cell, he listened to the old hag down from him.
She was going on about her dinner and how they should give her what she wanted.
She also bitched about her son and granddaughter too a great deal, and he was sick of hearing about them.
He’d seen her have visitors, but it didn’t seem to be anyone that she wanted to see, as she would scream at them to get away from her.
Phillipp wondered who she was talking about and was glad that she wasn’t related to him.
He might well have to put her out of his misery someday if she harped on shit the way that she was doing all the time.
He had his own thoughts to occupy his mind, and it was the money that he was going to convince the courts to give him from the estate.
It was the least they could do after Debra got it all.
He would have one of the attorneys from the estate talk to Debra about him getting what he wanted.
That was the ticket: get them to appeal to her sense of family.