Enduring the Storm

Chapter 4 His Will

Brooke's POV

My anxiety is getting the best of me when I can feel everyone's eyes on me from the moment I walked into this room. "Have a seat, Mrs. Miles.. and thank you for retrieving her.. here is your money.. now, be on your way so we can start this." The lawyer from behind the desk demands this from my escort, tossing something in his direction. The escort catches the leather bag thrown at him before zipping it open to expose cash as he salutes before staing. "Nice doing business with ya."

He then starts walking out the door quickly, but that puts me into a panic since he was my transportation over to here. "Wait.. he was my ride here because my car broke down.. how am I supposed to get back?" I ask as the looks of disgust reigns over all of their faces.. well, except from the man behind the desk, who seems awfully pleasant even in this place that is consumed in tension and anger.

"Ugh, she can't even drive herself... pathetic." The same girl from before states this as the nice lawyer states in my defense. "It's fine.. not as big of a deal as she is making it, so ignore her.. and we will be sure to get you back to your house safe and sound after everything is said and done.. now please have a seat." he instructs me as I nod and look behind me seeing my escort is gone and the doors are closed leaving me in this room with these judgemental strangers. The whispers from the people on both sides of me fill my ears making me wonder what is being said, but knowing I don't actually want to know that.

I look up again as I follow his hand that is still pointing at something behind me, I turn around, taking the first available seat.. and thankfully it isn't right next to someone. I don't think I could handle that right now. I can still feel their eyes on me but I just keep telling myself to stare forward and ignore them. I keep repeating this to myself as I just stare forward at the only person in this room who isn't looking at me like I have a disease.

"Ok, now that we have everyone, let's get this started." He says this with a hum following his words as he pulls out the papers he needs from his briefcase. He clears his throat before he starts. "In the case of Rich Glenn Miles, the deceased.. he has declared in his will that his son Mark received his favorite car to remember him by along with all the responsibilities of it.. his daughter Sylvania will receive her favorite car she borrowed all the time from him with the same terms that she will take over responsibilities of it." He states as I look over to the two as they groan out in unison, as if it's such a horrible gift. But I'm astonished that they would even get something that expensive.. and maybe sentimental since he states how much they used and liked those cars.

"Ugh.. that's it? No money? Jewelery? Or the boat? How am I supposed to survive? I'll just sell some of his stuff if I have to." The apparent daughter and half-sister to me says this sounding like such a spoiled brat that it almost boils my blood at the thought. "To Kayla, my loyal assistant." My father's lawyer just continues on but is interrupted by the woman who would be as old as my mother. "Not a loyal assistant, a homewrecking c*nt who doesn't know how to keep her legs shut around a married man." she spats as the two women start to yell obsinities at one another that I don't want to hear and I know that I shouldn't repeat.

"Stop this ladies.. it doesn't matter how you know the deceased.. Let's just continue." They glare at each other as they quiet down giving the lawyer the opportunity to continue. "Kayla, my loyal assistant, she shall get the vacation home for all her dedication to me and my company. I appreciate her more than she will ever know." He finishes that sentence and it puts a grin on her face that shows she won something that the other woman never wanted for her.

"The company will go to my partner and he knows this.. Especially since I know my family has no interest or motivation to keep the business going. So since I don't want it to die after me, I will pass it on to someone who wants it." he reads as I look around the room wondering where this partner is. "Mr. Davison is on a business trip that he needed to attend since Rich obviously cannot.. So I will make sure to tell him the news later when he gets back." he says this almost answering my question as if he knew what I was thinking.

I look over seeing the grimace on the older woman's face that is heating up the room with her anger, which makes me want to get out of the awkward situation I never wanted to be a part of. "To my beloved wife, Henrietta, I leave you the house, and your car.. that's all." She looks shocked. Everyone does. I don't know if it is because they wanted more or they expected something different. The lawyer doesn't even give her a chance to say anything before he continues on.

"The entire place is yours to take care of on your own.. the staff are not paid for and the house is in a lot of debt that you need to cover after stealing so much of my money over the years, I feel you deserved to be left with the house and car that you insisted on getting, expecting me to do everything as you f*#ked your personal trainer behind my back.. and don't think for one second that I didn't know about that, because obviously I did.. All of you deserved exactly what you got. No one is getting a penny of my money.. each of the kids will recieve the cars but it has been in their name the entire time, so they have gotten the credit for the payments I made over the years which will help them get respectable jobs and homes on their own.. but that also means that they will need to keep up with the payments to keep the cars and even their credit on good terms. I want them to learn to grow up and do something for themselves for once." The man states this with a smile on his face as the room explodes around me.

I cover my ears not wanting any part with this, but knowing they asked me to be here specifically and I am this far into it, might as well see why. "Calm down. I am not finished yet." The lawyer yells out, getting everyone to slightly calm down, but probably not as much as they need to. "My money will be donated to certain charities that I have already picked out, and there is nothing that could be said to change that.. and last goes to my firstborn." The guy lets out a sigh of relief as he stands up still dangling his car keys in his hand, awaiting what else he has coming his way.

"To my daughter Brooke.. I am so sorry for not being there for you and your mother. I have regretted it for a very long time. Your mother and I were young, and I felt like I had so much more life to live when we found out you were created." he reads as I feel my eyes watering up at those words while I notice that the guy has a seat, not saying anything as I feel all of their eyes landing on me.

"I left you and your mother to pursue a my career which, as you can see, ended up being very fruitful. But I figured out the hard way that it wasn't what I truly needed in life. You and your mother never left my heart or mind. I have to admit that I tried to come back multiple times. But your mother was strong and wouldn't take the chance of me hurting you again because you meant more to her than anything in this world. So when I heard she had passed away, I did everything to try to find you.. but I couldn't, because I wasn't on your birth certificate or even a named guardian, so the only information I could get was pubic information and there is none of you, if you didn't know this already.. But maybe you did and that's what you wanted. But either way, after years of searching, I gave up and decided to just deal with the family I already created and hoped I could be there for them as much as I wished I was for you.. But I failed them too.. if you're here, you can see they're spoiled brats, and I'm ashamed of how they turned out." he pauses for second, and now I can feel their glares turned even more heated as the tension builds.

"I saved a package of money to hire as many private investigators as I could to find you, and I hope that they were successful. I know you probably became a strong, independent woman who can do anything for herself, and for that, I just want to say that I am proud of you. To you I leave my prized possession. My boat.. it was the only thing in my life that brought peace to my mind because it was all that I had left of your mother. We rode in this boat all the time when we were younger and planned so many trips we never got to take. I regret never taking those with her, but I hope by giving this to you that you will have a chance to travel and experience what you have been deprived of, since I haven't been around... So to you I wish the best adventures from here on out." He stops for a second as I wipe away the stray tears that fell.

"I do love you all whether you want to believe it or not. Please stay safe out there and I wish you all the best happiness and love in the world. See you on the other side." he finishes reading the paper before setting it down as the room erupts once more. I can't hear exactly what they are saying as I sit frozen and numb in the seat, wondering what to think of his words. I am shocked and touched but at the same time mad that I never got he chance to meet him. I was hoping this would give me closure but this has opened the door more, making me wish I had someone to talk to about this.. But of course, there is no one.

The screeching gets my attention as I hear, "She doesn't deserve the boat.. I was going to sell it!" One yells this as another yells, "I can't pay to take care of this mansion! I'm going to have to sell it!" After another screech rings in my ears. "I have to do the payments on my car?! I don't even have a job and I have never worked a day in my life!" I just stand up walking through the people and straight to the desk, getting the lawyer's attention. "Excuse me, sir.. I'm sorry, but this is a lot to handle.. Can I please go?" I ask him as he smiles at me and states. "I was done and getting ready to leave anyway, so I will show you to your new boat, only if you would like that." he says to me as the people yell even louder at that comment. I vigorously nod, with the strong need inside of me that is telling me to get the hell out of here before my head explodes from all the yelling. I need out of this place.