THE INHERITANCE

Chapter 3

My mom was only 20 when she'd gotten pregnant with me. She'd come to America from Hong Kong for college, a scholarship student with a bright future. Jonathan Kendall was a poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks with a hard determination to succeed. They'd met during their sophomore year and soon began dating. It was the first real love for both of them.

They were careful to use protection, but even the best protection isn't 100% guaranteed. They'd disagreed on what to do when my mom got pregnant, and in the end it drove them apart. My mom dropped out of school to give birth to me and got a job. Jonathan wanted no part of a baby that would slow him down in his quest to make it big in business.

My birth certificate listed "Father unknown", even though she'd named me after him. Oddly enough, having a U.S. born child had been the catalyst in getting my mom citizenship as well. And so my mom and I had made our life together.

Eventually, she went back and got her degree. She used her intelligence and personal drive to forge a successful career, despite the demands of a baby. And she taught me her hard work ethic as well.

But while she took her child and moved on with her life, Jonathan Kendall never forgot the son he had fathered. When he made it big, he contacted my mom to ask about me.

The two of them agreed that I didn't need to know who he was right away. Too many children of the wealthy became spoiled brats, wasting money on parties and drugs. I was only ten years old, and both my mom and real father wanted to see me succeed on my own. So there were no trust funds. No checks mysteriously sent to my mother. No record to tie us to Mr. Kendall.

Realistically, I was still given a lot of advantages. My mom was successful in her own right and we were never poor. I didn't have to struggle to pay for college. And so without knowing how much money I would have to fall back on, I graduated, got my MBA, and found my own high salary job working in finance on Wall Street.

I was 27 and could afford my own Manhattan apartment. I was debt-free and financially stable. I'd enjoyed my social life, but I'd never shown an inclination for drugs or other excess. I was a responsible young man, and I didn't need my father's money. Those were exactly the reasons why my mom and father had been ready to tell me the truth.

But then his jet had equipment trouble and went down. And my father was dead before I ever knew him.

The conversation took over an hour. And when I was done I realized I was very late for work. I promised my mom I would call her later. She seemed sad, but strong. She'd lost the father of her child, but she had stopped being in love with the man a long time ago.

I called my boss at work. He'd seen the news and told me to stay home for a few days. Let the media circus blow itself out once they got bored.

"Congratulations, Jonathan."

"For what?" I asked him.

"Did you forget? You're worth a few BILLION dollars right now."