The Hieress

Chapter 1: Devastation I was at school when I got the most devastating news of my life. My mom and were killed in a car accident. I was only thirteen years old and I’d lost the only two people in the world who loved me more than air. They were the most important people in my life. My mom was tolerant and understanding while my dad was indulgent and funny. They were the best parents in the world and I was lucky that they were mine. My parents raised me to be confident and to love the skin I am in. I am beautiful, really beautiful. I know that it sounds arrogant but that is how I view myself. My mom would always say me, “Baby girl you gotta walk and think like you got it going on and the world will follow.” I realize now that I didn’t appreciate just how magnificent my parents were. My mama was tall and a little chubby with dark brown skin and a super kinky afro that never lost its shape. My dad was Korean. He is not my biological dad, but he loved me as if I were his flesh and blood. He was tall and built like a swimmer with kind brown eyes. It was a very hot spring day in Beaufort, South Carolina when I lost them, well more specifically, March 2nd, 2003. “Lily Du, please come to the office.” Came the nasally receptionist’s voice in the office over the intercom. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the last period of the day and I was in a huddle with my four best friends Ciara, Nicole, and Monique. “Why are your parents picking you up at the end of the day?” Monique asked. “Beats me, either way, I’m gonna get my nails done. See ya’ll tomorrow!” I said as I gathered my bookbag and my Nokia cell phone. I was popular because my parents were wealthy. Granted, mama and daddy didn’t spoil me like I wanted them to, but I was still gifted the latest technologies and the most fashionable clothes a 13 year old girl could wear. I cut across the grass even though we aren’t supposed to and went into the office looking for either my mom or dad. Mrs. Lydia Dearborne, the Principal, came out with a sympathetic look on her pretty face. She is tall and rail thin. I believe that her elbows could kill someone because of how sharp they are. She was pale skin slightly wrinkly with beautiful chocolate eyes. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled to the nape of her neck in an extremely tight bun. Her make-up was natural with a pale lilac blush over her eyelids that complimented her peach shade lipstick beautifully. She’d lost her husband and son eight years ago in a car accident and now looking back at it, I guess my situation was triggering but she stuck it out for me. “Lily, sweetheart, come in here, we need to talk to you.” I started trying to think back to see if I had done anything wrong lately. I was not the most well behaved child back then. “Yes ma’am?” I said unsure. I walked into her bright and happy looking office, a complete 180 from her appearance. I went and I sat down in the guest chairs and waited for her to sit down also. However, another woman entered. She was short and pleasantly plump. She had kind green eyes under her tortoise shell glasses. Behind her was a police officer. I don’t like cops. When I was nine three police officers showed up at our house one night looking for my mom when we moved into the neighborhood. My dad wasn’t home and they just barged in to our home waving their guns around. They pushed my mom on the ground “Lily this is Mrs. Sara Paul and Officer Thomas Wheeler. Mrs. Paul is a Social Worker, and dear we have to tell you something.” She sat down and began looking at me with tears in her eyes. “Lily, darling, there is not easy way to tell you this, but your parents were in a very bad accident and were rushed to the hospital. Your mother died in surgery and your father died at the scene of the accident. I’m so sorry little one.” She came over to me and hugged me tight. Mrs. Dearborne was the best principal I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. “My mom and dad are gone.” I said to no one. I felt my heart slowing down. It refused to beat anymore. I felt the blood in my veins become stagnate and my breathing became irregular. Tears stung my eyes but none fell. I counted each breath I took so that my heart would beat. One, two, three…thump. One, two, three...thump. No one rushed me to speak and no one asked stupid questions. Still, that little voice in my head asked, Why me? Why were they taken from me? I then hear an impatient throat being cleared. Surprise, surprise, it’s the fat cop. “Why is he even here? Did he cause the accident? Did he kill my mom and dad?” I begin to shout. I stood up and took a threatening step towards him. And like the coward he is, he unsnapped his gun. I stopped and looked at what he’d done. My dad taught me how to disarm men with guns. If I lose, he kills me and then I’ll go be with my parents. “No sweetheart he didn’t. Officer Wheeler, why did you unsnap your gun?” Mrs. Paul snapped as she came up to me and rubbed my back. “She looked as if she was going to attack me.” He said and shrugged his shoulders. “Another punk ass cop threatened by a little girl. No, another fat ass cop.” I said. He glared angrily at me as if he were going to curse at me. “Lily, is there anyone you can call? An aunt or a grandparent?” That’s when it hit me, I’m all alone. I have no other family in this world. The stupid fat cop snickered. “Officer Wheeler please leave, your supervisor will hear about your behavior today.” Yelled Mrs. Paul. “That little b***h disrespected me!” He roared. Before I knew it I ran over to him and kicked him in his balls as hard as I could. It was an unnecessarily harsh move but I was not done. He hunched over in pain and looked as if he was going to throw up. I kicked him in his stomach and when he removed his hands from over his crotch again I once again kicked him as hard as I could. This time he fell to the floor and vomited. “This little b***h is disrespecting you now, whatcha gonna do? Huh? Who da b***h now you fat pig?” I screamed. He continued vomiting and even peed himself. I smirked at him as I continued to kick him. I heard voices in the background but paid them no attention. I felt a strong arm pull me off of the cop, and stopped moving. It was assistant principal Cole Hawk. The most handsome man in the world. He didn’t exactly slammed me down in a chair but it was pretty f*****g close. I grunted once my ass hit the chair. “Oh my goodness, Lily did I hurt you?” He asked as he looked me over. “Naw, you didn’t and I don’t want to hurt anyone else.” That admission would later be used to try to put me in juvie for me beating that fat cop’s ass. I started to cry. All the sorrow in my heart came out of me as Principal Dearborne hugged and whispered how strong I am. Surprisingly enough, they did not put handcuffs on me. I was taken back to my house and they packed a bag and that night I stayed in a group home. While there I cried every night. At school some kids stayed away from me out of pity and then there were my so called best friends. When I came back to school after the funeral I ran to them for support. “Nicky I’m alone and I’m really scared.” Little did I know that she was recording me bearing my heart to her. “So what’s it like in the group home?” Ciara asked. “It’s so scary. One girl was actually r***d by a guard and he told me that if I said anything I would be next.” I started to cry because I was so stressed. I’d lost weight and my hair was falling out. Even my skin, which was once as clear water, was now splotchy and acne riddled. I wasn’t the IT girl anymore. Monique gave me a sincere hug that I was so grateful for and smiled at her. A few days later I was walking out to the bus when I heard my voice. I stopped and saw a bunch of girls laughing at me as I cried on my so called friends shoulders. Ciara and Nicole turned around and smirked at me. It was then that I realized that I was truly alone. The people who I’d thought of as friends belittled and humiliated me. I stayed there for three months. Every day at school I was teased and called “Orphaned Annie”. One day I was walking back to the group from the gas station when Adrian Michealjohn, the captain of the basketball team, grabs me and pulled me behind the store. He pulled at my shirt as he held me down. I kicked and swung at him before remembering basic self-defense training. I stopped struggling and he believed he could do what he wanted to me, and when he stepped closer I used the old time favorite defense against men and kicked him as hard as I could in his balls. He dropped to the ground and I ran as fast as I could. When I reached the group home there was no one there when I got there, no one for me to tell what nearly happened to me so I rushed to the bathroom and began to vomit. Once I was done I cried because I just could not live like this anymore. I got up and went to my bedroom to cry some more. I was only thirteen and I felt like the entire world was against me. I could not live like this anymore. I thought about the Beyoncé concert I took my fake friends on my birthday and I thought we would be friends forever. It never occurred to me that there were people who didn’t like me, or that the girls I called my friends hung around me for gifts. I mean, Ciara even had the audacity to record me on the phone I gave her! I have never felt so alone and unwanted in my life. There was no one to hug me or make me cupcakes to make me feel better. I was alone. What is the point of anything? My teenage brain could not comprehend that I didn’t have my family anymore and that the girls I’d thought were my friends through and through were just golddiggers. I looked at the over the counter sleeping pills I’d brought yesterday. I sat there internally debating with what I should do and I decided that seeing my parents once again is much better than allowing myself to be humiliated at school every day. I walked down to the kitchen and got a glass of water before a guard good see me and hurried back upstairs. I looked at the pills and the glass of water on my nightstand for at least an hour before I made my decision. I swallowed at least twelve pills before drinking some water and then more pills until the bottle was empty. I finished the water and laid down on my bed in a fetal position and cried. I eventually fell asleep. When I woke up I realized that I’d failed and began sobbing. There is no one in this world who loves me. There’s no one in this world who wants me so why am I even here? A nurse rushed in with concern etched all over her face. She was short and plump with creamy brown skin. Her hair was braided and placed in a bun on top of her head. She was in her late 30’s but she could have been older. However, what stood out about her the most was her kind hazel green eyes, especially when she smiled. “What’s wrong sweetheart? Don’t cry okay? There is nothing in this world that can’t be resolved with just a little more time.” I didn’t say anything but I did stop crying. She came in and checked my vitals and then turned around and looked at me, I mean really looked at me. “You’re so young, why would you want to take your precious life sweetie?” I couldn’t look at her but I answered still. “I’m all alone. My mom and dad are gone and I have no one else in this entire world. I’m bullied and called orphan Annie. Then there’s that guard. He’s always watching me and I’m really scared. Who’s gonna keep me safe now huh? I don’t wanna be here anymore, I just don’t.” I sobbed out. “Baby listen to me, do you know how hard your mother worked to make sure you got into this world healthy and safely? No? Then don’t just squander this gift that she gave you. Now tell me about this guard.” She asked. “Tommy O’Neal, he’s a disgusting piece of trash. A lot of the girls there have reported him to the head admin, but she doesn’t do anything to help. Plus, he’s related to a cop I had a run in a few months ago.” I said. She smiled sweetly at me and it reminded me of my mama and I just reached out and hugged her pretending it was my mama for just a second. “Oh sweetheart you’re shaking! What has happened to make you so afraid?” I just sobbed some more. “I promise you that you won’t go back to that place again. I promise you little one.” She declared. She hugged me again and I fell asleep wishing I had my mother again. --- Three days later Principal Dearborne, or Lydia and my Aunt Cherry won guardianship of me. Cherry has no biological relations towards me, she was my mom’s best friend. When my mama died she was out of the country in Taiwan dealing with personal issues. They both arrived at my hospital room crying. I’m not sure why Lydia was so invested in me, but I still appreciated the love that I was shown. I later found out that Cherry brought charges up against the guard and the head of admin, Rebecca Lambeth. She didn’t care and he was a lecherous pile of crap. My parents were rich. Our house was paid for and they had three insurance policies each on them. Not to mention the money that was put away in a trust fund and money in their savings, checking, IRA, investments, and stocks. When everything was said and done, I was looking at lofty inheritance. Plus, this did not including our home was also valuable. I couldn’t touch any of this money until I was 18, but I would get monthly stipends. Until then, their lawyer and my aunt, Ms. Cherry Lim, would be the executor. Aunt Cherry Lim was my mother’s best friend. She has always been a part of my life. Cherry was short, thin and incredibly beautiful. She and my mom were in the same foster home together. According to my mom, they did everything together, even got their periods on the same day. Looking at Aunt Cherry now, she looks incredibly sad, as if she has aged 10 years in the past few months, and she is only 33. I wonder if I look older also. She and Lydia sat me down to talk to me about what to expect. “Lily, you are a wealthy young lady and there will be many people who are going to say that they are related or that they were your parents’ best friends. Lydia and I will protect you from this I promise you.” “Can I live in my house?” I asked looking down at the ground. Principal Dearborne’s house was okay but it wasn’t mine. I wanted to live at my house with my parents. “If that is what you want it’s okay with me.” She said with a gentle smile. “Tasha always wanted us all to live together. When Sean, your bio dad died, she could barely function and I moved in and we lived together.” She said as she smiled at that memory. I would later understand that Aunty Cherry was in love with my mother. “It’s fine with me Cherry. Right now Lily needs familiar people around her. With her court day coming up she will need all of the love and support that we can give her.” She said as she hugged me. Lily, we are not your parents but we will love you like you are our own.” She then hugged me tight again. I felt Cherry’s arms wrap around us too as she and I both cried about the family we’d lost. *** Three weeks later I was in court facing the consequences of my actions. It was time for the closing arguments and the only people who witnessed the trial were the judge, the prosecutor and Cherry. Let me say that I have no issues about thick people. My mom was a chubby woman herself, but this cop rubbed me the wrong way. The Prosecutor, Amy Randolph, destroyed my character. She chose two of my ex best friends and some girls who’d bully me that were really happy that they got to say mean and untrue things about me. The prosecutor was nothing special to look at. She was just bland. Her hair was blonde, she was median height build with no curves, with muddy brown eyes and an annoying nasal voice. “Your honor this is a simple and clear cut case. Young Ms. Du could not contain her grief and attacked decorated police Officer Thomas Wheeler. She used her knowledge of martial arts to nearly take a life because she lost her parents. She didn’t think about who Officer Wheeler had waiting for him at home. How her actions could have cost an innocent man his life.” She was right, I didn’t think about who he had at home waiting for him. I could have ignored him. No I should have ignored him. I held my head down in shame because I was guilty. The prosecutor then sat down with an arrogant look on her face. Aunty Cherry just smirked at her. “Your honor, the prosecutor is right. My client did attack Officer Wheeler. However, we have already proven that Officer Wheeler had his stripes stripped from him because he attacked a woman of color for no reason. No, I take that back. He attacked a tiny Indian woman because she would not allow him to hit her 12 year old son again. Instead of firing him and charging him with child abuse, they tried to prosecute an innocent child for resisting arrest. This case is not about police corruption or how the city has chosen not to protect its citizens of color from racist police officers armed to kill.” She stopped and looked into the crowd at Mrs. Anand and her family and they all stood up and remained standing. She then did the same to me so I stood. “It is about how a thirteen year old child weighing only 107 pounds was able to attack and subdue a 6’1 363 pound man. Ms. Du and I are about the same size. So are you saying that any small woman who doesn’t want to be disrespected by Officer Wheeler can just beat him up?” I looked at Aunty Cherry in shock. I’m 5’8 and 135 pounds. I’m not small. I also noticed how she kept referring to me as a child and it miffed me a little because I didn’t consider myself a child. “Your Honor, this is an unnecessary and inflammatory statement!” The prosecutor yelled as when she stood up. She actually looked panicked. “Ms. Randolph we are hearing closing arguments. Maybe you should have prepared better.” The judge responded. He was an old chubby man who reminded me of Santa Clause. He even had a twinkle in his blue eyes. “May I continue?” Aunt Cherry asked. The judge nodded his head with a smile playing on his lips. “Officer Wheeler has a record of unnecessary roughness towards people of color.” Cherry stops and picks up a stack of documents from our table and says, “According to his record, a total of 63! Yet the Crest Hill Police Department thought it was a good idea to send this officer to inform a thirteen year old black girl that her interracial parents of color had died! He did so with such crass that this tiny teenager had to beat him-.” “That n****r didn’t beat me up! She kicked me in the nuts! Let her try that s**t now!” “Order! Order! Bailiff have him removed now!” The judged shouted as he banged his gavel. Two officers came and escorted him out of the office. Aunt Cherry had a big smile on her face. “Crest Hill Police Department has a series of police assaults on people of color. Yet they sent a known racist to be supportive of a black thirteen year old child about her parents’ death. The Principal, the social worker and by his own admission, the Officer Wheeler, have all testified about his taunting of an orphaned child. She reacted like any human being. Your Honor I hope you judge her as child and not an adult. I also want you to think about what your own child would do if a police officer laughed like Officer Wheeler did when the news of her recently deceased parents was given. He laughed when she realized she had no other blood family left in this world…He laughed. Officer Wheeler should be on trial and not this child.” Aunt Cherry came back and sat down. The judge recessed us for two hours and he will return with his verdict. Two hours later we were all called back because the judge had reached his verdict. For once, I saw fear in Aunt Cherry’s face. I steeled my heart for my impending doom. There was no expression on his normally jovial face. “I have come to a decision and. I couldn’t help but think, “s**t, I’m doomed!” “I think it’s safe to say that I find the defendant, Lily Cherry Du, guilty for attacking Officer Wheeler, but innocent of her a crime. I believe that she acted in a form of self-defense. The Officer in question will be brought in and judged on the mental abuse he inflicted on an innocent child. The integrity of the District Attorney’s office will also be questioned because the prosecutor kept referring to a 13 year old child as a young woman.” The judge looked up at me and said, “Lily, I am so sorry about the loss of your parents. I am so sorry that the police department did not protect you and added on to your suffering. Take this time to heal sweet girl because you deserve this peace.” He said with a kind smile on his face. “I will be in charge of that taskforce. Until then, Little Ms. Du, you are free to go. I am so sorry for your loss. May your parents rest in peace knowing that you are loved and being cared for. He then winked at me and banged his gavel. “Court’s adjourned.” Then he left. I sat there stunned that so many adults who didn’t know me were on me were on my side. I thought I only had Cherry and Lydia in my court. I stood up as Lydia and Cherry began to squeeze me to death. “You go back to school next Monday. We will put this ugliness behind us and we will grieve for the lives that we lost little bird.” Aunty Cherry said as she kissed my cheek. That Monday when I went back to school I was instantly hit with popularity that I didn’t want and because of that I became even more popular. Officer Wheeler and all of the higher ups, including the Mayor were investigated. All lost their jobs and some went to jail. The three mean girls who testified against me all became pariahs, along with their parents. Sharonda Moree actually changed schools because her testimony of me was so vicious that even some of the teachers found it hard to remain neutral with her. *** Three years later and we were still being harassed by the police department. I had to go to a different county to get my driver’s license. I always kept my registration in the front part of the car and my license in a slot by the sun visor. The same goes for Aunty Cherry and Lydia. We had dash cams in all of our cars and whenever we were pulled over we would push record button as evidence of our interactions. Four officers had lost their jobs and sometimes freedom because of their petty vendettas. We sued the Crest Hill Police department and won 2.2 million dollars each. It was later appealed and we received 2 million dollars each. We donated 1 million dollars to the women’s shelter and the rest was put into an account for me. That same year tragedy struck me again. Cherry and Lydia were murdered in their room. It was later found out that it was the former Mayor, David Coulter and former Officer Thomas Wheeler. This time I was supposed to die but they protected me and loss their lives. These grown men wanted to hurt me and killed two innocent people. I was once again left alone in the world. At the reading of their will I was left with everything. Another five million added to my bank account that I cannot access until I’m 18. I didn’t want the money, I wanted all of the people who were stolen from me. In exactly 22 months I would be independently wealthy. However, I suffered at the hands of those who were related to the rogue cops. I went into the system and ended up in another group home for girls. A foster family eventually took me in and they were some of the vilest people to walk this earth, Joseph and Angela Clyburn. They tried to adopt me, but I would never allow that to happen. They heard about my money and got the hare brain idea that if they were my parents it would allow them access to it. “Lily Cherry Du, Mr. and Mrs. Clyburn here say that they love you and want to adopt you. How do you feel about that?” Asked a family court judge. He was not really friendly and looked as if he wanted this day to quickly end. I decided to help him with that. “I have parents and I don’t want to replace them. Besides, these two idiots believe that if they adopt me they get my inheritance.” The judge just smiled. “Petition for adoption denied. Just so you know, no one touches the money until she is 18. Be nice to her and she may give you a little bit. Case dismissed with prejudice.” He said and then banged his gavel. Joseph and Angela looked at me with such hate and vitriol that I almost took a step back from them, but if I’m being honest with myself, I could make quick work of them if they attacked me. In self-defense of course. “You stupid b***h! You embarrassed us! What’s the point of having you in our house if you aren’t valuable?” Joseph said. We got back to their trailer and I went back to the laundry room that they called my room and laid down on my air mattress. I was quite proud of myself. I wanted to wait until they fell asleep before I went back to my house. I felt myself drift off to sleep. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been asleep but I felt a heavy body lay down on the air mattress with me and grab my breast, it was Joe. My sleepiness disappeared instantly and I became alert. I pushed his meaty hand off of me and jumped up. “Joe what the hell?” I screamed. I hoped that Angela heard me and he would leave.