Chapter Six #2
“I’m more than ready. The sooner we get the paperwork signed, the better I’ll be able to protect my money from the she-devil.
You know she’s been trying to get her hands on it for as long as I can remember.
Today she’ll know she won’t be able to touch it without going through me.
I have a feeling I’ll hear from her in a matter of days.
You know she’ll start her threats and everything else the second she remembers it’s my birthday and that I got my hands on my money,” I say as my dad parks as close to the door of the lawyer’s office as possible before shutting off the truck.
“I want you to let me know every time she contacts you, Sheridan. Now is not the time to risk her doing something even worse to you. Think of your son and do what you have to in order to protect him from her,” my dad says before getting out of his seat and heading around to help me out of the passenger seat.
Together we make our way in the lawyer’s office and I give my name at the reception desk.
The young woman smiles at me and informs me she’ll let Mrs. Arnold know I’m here.
My dad leads me over to a seat and helps me down while taking the one right next to me.
I look around the waiting area of the office and know this lawyer costs a ton of money.
Way more than I’d ever be able to afford.
Well, before now I should say. I’ve got more money than I’ll ever know what to do with now.
My grandparents made sure my life would be easy and I’d never have to worry about anything ever again.
Especially after the accident with my mom.
It doesn’t take long for an older woman to walk into the waiting area. She’s tall and wearing a pantsuit in black. Her graying hair is tied back in a severe bun and there’s no make-up on her face. The smile on her face is genuine and her eyes shine as she looks at me.
“Miss Sheridan?” she asks as my dad stands from his seat and helps me out of mine.
“Yes, ma’am,” I return, walking up to her and holding out my hand to shake hers. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s wonderful to finally meet you, Miss Sheridan.
Your grandparents used to talk about you constantly and I thought I knew you better than my own children some days,” she says, laughter filling her voice as she leads my dad and I to her office.
Once we’re inside, she pulls out one of the chairs for me and helps me sit down before rounding her desk and taking her own seat.
“I have to inform you that your mother has been doing everything in her power to get access to your money over the years. We’ve blocked every attempt and the police have talked to her more than once.
Because she never actually took any, they couldn’t arrest her.
I have a feeling she’ll come at you hard. Is this a fair assessment?”
“It is. My mother has never liked me and I know she’s all about the money I was left because it’s from her parents and she doesn’t feel as if it should be mine.
They didn’t leave her much at all and she was very, um, upset we’ll say,” I inform her honestly as I try to get comfortable in my seat while my dad reaches out and rests a calming hand on my arm in support.
“We’ll put every protection in place we can to ensure your mother doesn’t have any way to access the money, Miss Sheridan.
“Today, we need to sign the forms so the money is officially yours. I’ll let the bank know everything has been signed off on and send over copies of the paperwork so they have it on hand.
They’ve also been alerted to the fact that your mother will try to get her hands on your account.
The manager has already put safeguards in place to protect your money. ”
“Okay. What else can we do to ensure she can’t touch a single penny?” my dad questions, his voice hard and cold at the thought of his ex-wife getting something she doesn’t deserve.
“There’s not really much we can do. You can add a secondary name to your account and make it so both of you have to be present to withdraw any funds from the account.
Even if your mother somehow got some kind of identification with your name on it and her picture, she wouldn’t be able to withdraw anything,” Mrs. Arnold tells us and I know that’s one of the things we’ll have to take care of today before we think about doing anything else.
“I can do that. I’ll add my dad to the account because she knows he won’t let her get away with any bullshit she tries to pull with me,” I say, instantly blushing because I swore in front of Mrs. Arnold. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have used that word.”
“It’s okay, Miss Sheridan. Every now and then it’s appropriate to use those kinds of words. I use them more often than I’d ever admit to anyone outside this office,” she admits, causing all of us to laugh at her response.
After discussing things for a few more minutes, I sign all of the necessary paperwork and get the money I was left in my name without any restrictions on the funds moving forward.
The three of us put a solid plan in place to ensure my mom can’t touch my money before my dad ushers me from the office and out to his car.
We head over to the bank and take care of things there so my dad will have to be with me any time I need to withdraw money from the account.
The bank manager assures us everything will be taken care of and my mother won’t be allowed to touch a single penny of the money.
The second we’re done, my dad takes me out of town to a diner we eat at every so often.
We don’t know anyone there and it’s a place I won’t have to worry about running into Jess again.
I actually manage to eat a good meal before we leave and my dad takes me home.
It’s still early and I have no plans to leave my house again.
I’ll be spending my birthday alone because Shelly is busy with classes today and couldn’t get home for the weekend.