The Accidental heir

CHAPTER: 1 Ava Taylor turned twenty five in July 2023. It reminds her of her routine and how consistently she followed. Every morning, she woke up to her alarm at 6:00 am, wore her old jeans and faded t-shirt, and walked to the makeshift-art-space in her small studio-apartment. She inhaled the scent of paints and turpentine in the atmosphere, and got to work. She created her latest masterpiece. Her art was her escape, her passion, her sanity, her everything. She enjoyed the bliss of the swirling designs and shades, the bristled strokes, and the crafting of something extraordinary. Art was her identifier, and her purpose. Ava was lost to her thoughts, and her next work was an art show for which she had prepared for months. It was an exhilarating anticipation, and the doubt that crept almost made her sick. What if no one appreciated the work? What if she was an utter failure? Almost lost to the feeling of her zen, her phone sprung. She had to check her best friend, Rachel, who was supposed to validate her work that morning. It was an unknown number. Her body tensed. ‘Hello? ‘ “Yes, this is Ava.” “Ms. Taylor, my name is Emily Wilson, and I’m a lawyer with the firm of Smith and Associates. I’m calling to inform you, you have been named as a beneficiary in the will of a certain Henry Richmond.” Ava’s heart skipped. “What? I don't understand. Who is Henry Richmond?" “Henry Richmond was a prominent Richmond family and he was a wealthy businessman. He died and you, Ms. Taylor, are the beneficiary of a portion of his estate and a significant portion of it.” Ava’s mind was in a state of confusion. She had never heard of Henry Richmond before and certainly had no ties to the Richmond family. There had to be a mistake. “I think there’s been a mistake. I don’t know anyone named Henry Richmond.” “I’m afraid there’s no mistake, Ms. Taylor. You are to meet with me at eleven at our office tomorrow so we may discuss the will and your inheritance of the estate. Please be prepared to discuss the terms of the will and to identify yourself in the form of a document.” Ava’s mind was racing as it spun. The questions were building, and she had to release them before ordering the meeting. Who is Henry Richmond? Why did he leave her his estate? What did she have to do to get it down on paper? Ava spent the rest of the day distracted. It would take a strange phone call to get her to think the world was changing. As she lay awake, it was mostly a silence of a hundred questions. What was she thinking? What would the inherents cover? Or the most frightening, how much work would be involved to re forge her entire existence? Entering the building of the law firm's office, the phone call montage was on repeat. The entire call was phantom, but the topos of a worthy estate was forced. Who was Henry Richmond? She had to find this out. Resting, she was meeting this lawyer, is this her first estate? how was it possible she had to be the stray…? Good morning, Miss Taylor. Thank you for coming. Please, take a seat. I turned my eyes away from the window and heard the man, who else had my name, address me. He had a strong build and tendency in his demeanor and the fine suit he wore, enhanced that tendency. For a moment he and I had a connective experience of spacing out and forming a blurry impression of the latter. It was as if they waited for me to speak. 'This is Mr. Peterson,(PAUSE) Richmond.' Emily had the talent of abrupt labeling, found no necessity to shun silence(or or) embarrassment. I had all the silence in the world to push the moment away, and all the silence was filled by the tension. I had to give in to the silence and employ. 'business.' I stole the silence of speech at the expense of the trance that the tension created toward me. I thought, for a moment, it was something dark. For a moment, she is doing business as a 'lawyer.' It was more complicated. For a moment, I too had a panic feeling. “That is something you shall know in time, Ms. Taylor,” was Peterson's guarded response which was tinged with a subtle challenge. “Let us say that Mr. Richmond wished to see to it that his estate was passed to someone deserving.” Peterson's tone irked Ava, and, for a brief moment, she considered telling him off and establishing her qualifications. It was at that moment when Emily stepped in. “We are not in a hurry, Ms. Taylor,” she said. “Regarding the inheritance, Mr. Richmond's estate along with a substantial amount of cash, a number of properties, and shares in Richmond Enterprises have been passed on. However, as Mr. Richmond's great-niece, Ava, you will have to prove your worth in his eyes.” Ava was shocked. Great-niece? She didn't have a clue that Henry Richmond was her great-uncle. The situation was bizarre in all the wrong ways. "I understand," Ava uttered, grappling with the information. "What are the ways through which I can prove my worth?" Peterson advanced. "You spend six months with me, and if I find you valuable to the company, you get the inheritance.” Ava’s heart skipped a beat. Six months? This irritating man? Nevertheless, Ava was geared to inherit and upgrade her situation. "I accept the challenge," Ava stated, firmly. Peterson's expression remained unchanged, but Ava noted a change in context. "Very well," he stated. "Let's commence." On her first day, she received a whirlwind of the company’s orientation and was introduced to the executive members of the company, shown her office, and handed a set of papers to sign. Peterson was absent, but the company’s Rachel was guided through the company’s corporate policies and procedures, and she was her constant companion. As the afternoon sun turned golden, Ava felt overwhelmed. It was her first day at the company, and as the largest company in the region, it was rather intimidating. Had she erred in accepting the assignment? Right as Ava was getting ready to leave, Peterson came and stood at the door. She had not seen him all day and had no idea what he would say. "Ms. Taylor. I see you are getting adjusted to the company," he said. It was not a question. Peterson had the air of a confident CEO. Ava was not on her guard. "I am trying to keep up, Mr. Richmond," she said, doling as much saccharine as she could for the sweet-it tone of her voice to induce a suggestion rather than an order. Ava felt a quiver of indignation. No other response was more tenable. "I won't, Mr. Richmond," she said, having her eyes locked onto him. Yet, many of her accomplishments did little to diminish the constant feeling of being observed. Her accomplishments did little to diminish the constant feeling of being observed. In open settings, Peterson’s gaze fell lavishly upon her, curt, implicit questions adorning his face. This led Av a to consider the possibility that he might be anticipating her downfall.