Forgotten daughter

THE WILL READING

One week after the funeral, the sky was still gray.

I wore the same black dress from the funeral. It was too big for me. Auntie Katie said it was Mom’s last gift to me. She bought it the week before she died.

The office smelled like lemon and old paper. Auntie Katie’s office was on the 20th floor. From the window, I could see the whole city. I could also see our villa on Broad Street. Mom’s villa. Now mine.

I was 8 years old. But I felt like 80.

“Cassie, sit up straight, baby,” Auntie whispered. She squeezed my hand. Her hands were cold. “This is going to be hard. But you’re strong. Like your mom.”

Across the big mahogany table sat my father, Daniel.

He wore a black suit that didn’t look black enough. Like he was already done mourning.

Beside him was Clare.

Red dress. Red lips. Red nails tapping tap-tap-tap on the table.

She kept leaning into Dad. Whispering. Smiling.

Like we were here to celebrate something.

I didn’t look at them. I opened my notebook and started sketching mermaids.

That’s what Mom taught me. “When adults are talking money, Cassie, draw. They forget you’re there.”

Auntie Katie stood up. She was tall. Her glasses slid down her nose.

“Thank you all for coming. We are here for the official reading of the will of Lisa Grace Daniel.”

Dad cleared his throat. “Finally,” he muttered.

Clare smiled. “We’ve waited long enough.”

Auntie opened a thick black folder. Inside were pages and pages with Mom’s signature.

She started reading.

“I, Lisa Grace Daniel, being of sound mind, leave everything to my only daughter, Cassie Marie Daniel.”

Clare’s tapping stopped.

Auntie continued.

“To my daughter I leave: Lisa Group of Companies. This includes 6 five-star hotels in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. 12 restaurants. 3 jewelry stores on Victoria Island. Lisa Stone & Marble Company. Lisa Motors dealership. And all real estate properties including the villa on Broad Street, 2 mansions in Banana Island, and 8 commercial buildings.”

She looked up.

“Current total value: 3 billion dollars.”

Silence.

The kind of silence that rings in your ears.

Dad’s mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.

Clare’s face went white, then red.

“3 billion?” Dad whispered. “To a child?”

Auntie wasn’t done.

She read the next part. The part Mom made her memorize.

“To my husband, Daniel, I leave nothing. Not one dime. Not one cent. Not one share.

He chose to abandon this family 5 years ago. He does not deserve a single kobo from the company I built and then tried to destroy.”

Dad shot up. His chair fell backward.

“What the hell is this?!” he shouted. “I’m her father! I’m her legal guardian! That money is family money!”

Clare stood up too. She slammed both hands on the table.

“This is illegal! She’s 8 years old! You can’t give 3 billion dollars to a child! The court will never allow it!”

Auntie Katie didn’t even blink.

She pushed her glasses up and looked at them both.

“Actually, the court already approved it. Last year. Mrs. Lisa filed this will 2 years ago and had it sealed. As Cassie’s court-appointed guardian until she turns 18, I am the trustee of all assets. I control the companies. I sign the checks. Not you, Mr. Daniel. Not you, Ms. Clare.”

Clare laughed. But it sounded broken.

“You? A lawyer? You think you can keep us from what’s ours?”

Auntie smiled. It was Mom’s smile. Cold and certain.

“It’s not yours. It was never yours. mom built this empire while you were still dating in college, . And she protected it from you.” Clarissa said.

Everyone looked at me.

I was still sketching. A mermaid with a crown.

Auntie turned to me. “Cassie, do you understand what this means?”

I closed my notebook slowly.

I looked at Dad first. He wouldn’t meet my eyes.

Then at Clare. She was staring at me like I was a problem to delete.

I smiled.

It wasn’t a little girl smile. It was Mom’s smile.

I spoke quietly. But the room was so silent that everyone heard.

“Mom said I shouldn’t let you have anything, Dad. Because you chose her over us. Five years ago.”

I paused. “You think I don’t know? You’ve been stealing from Mom’s accounts. She told me. We’ve got evidence of everything.”

Dad’s face twisted. “You don’t know what you’re saying, Cassie. I did it for us.”

I tilted my head. “Nope. You did it for yourself. Mom said not a drop should go to you. And that’s final.”

“Yes, I’m a child,” I continued, standing up on the chair so I could look them in the eye. “But I’m not stupid. Mom taught me how to read bank statements before she taught me how to ride a bike. Mom taught me that people show you who they are. You showed us.”

Dad slammed his hand on the table so hard my pen jumped.

“She can’t do this! I’ll fight this in court! I’ll get custody! I’ll—”

“You’ll do nothing,” Auntie cut him off. Her voice was steel. “The will is ironclad. And if you try anything funny with Cassie, I have instructions from Lisa to release certain... evidence to the police. Tax fraud. Embezzlement. Infidelity in company properties. Want me to continue?”

Clare grabbed Dad’s arm. Her red nails dug into his suit. “Daniel. Let’s go. We’ll handle this later.”

As they walked to the door, I heard Clare whisper.

It was barely a whisper. But I heard it.

“We need to get that money. She’s just a kid. Kids have accidents all the time.”

My blood went cold. But my hands didn’t shake.

Auntie walked me out. In the elevator, she knelt down.

“Cassie. From today, you have security. 24/7. Do you understand? Don’t go anywhere alone. Don’t talk to strangers. Not even your father.”

I nodded. Then I opened my notebook and wrote 4 words.

`They’re going to come for me.`

I underlined it twice.

Auntie read it and her eyes watered. “I know, baby. This is war.”

Then I wrote under it:

`Good. Because I’m coming for them too.`

If they forgot me, I would make them remember.

Starting now.

I was 8 years old, worth 3 billion dollars, and I had nothing left to lose.

And that made me the most dangerous person in Lagos.