The Will
1332 Words
By the time Keziah finished her final appointment, exhaustion clung to her like a second skin.
Still, there was only one place she wanted to be.
The hospital.
The drive there felt longer than usual, every red light an irritation, every second stretching unbearably. Nelson remained quiet beside her, sensing she had retreated deep into her thoughts.
When they finally arrived, Keziah didn’t wait for the driver to open the door fully before stepping out.
The familiar antiseptic scent greeted her the moment she entered the ward corridor — sharp, sterile, unforgiving.
And then she saw them.
Noah stood near the wall, his posture rigid. Beside him were Pastor Morris McIntyre and Gregory Rutherford, the family lawyer. Their presence alone tightened something inside her chest.
Pastor Morris approached first and wrapped her in a warm, fatherly embrace.
“How are you feeling?” he asked gently.
“Better than before,” she replied, though her voice lacked conviction.
She turned immediately to Noah.
“How is Dad doing?”
Noah hesitated — only briefly — but she caught it.
“Still no response,” he said.
Her heart sank.
Fear, cold and unfamiliar, crept steadily into her veins.
“I’m starting to get scared,” she admitted quietly. “What if he doesn’t wake up?”
Pastor Morris placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“Let’s hope for the best.”
Hope.
Such a fragile word.
Before anyone could speak again, the ward door burst open.
Mr. and Mrs. Austin Bennett swept inside.
Mrs. Austin’s wail pierced the room almost instantly.
“Oh, Justin! How could this happen to you?”
She staggered dramatically, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead before collapsing toward her husband.
Mr. Austin caught her with surprising readiness.
“Are you alright?” he asked loudly — perhaps a little too loudly.
“How can I be alright when Justin is lying here like this?” she cried.
Keziah watched silently.
No tears.
No trembling.
Just observation.
Then Mrs. Austin turned sharply toward her.
“You didn’t even call to inform us he was hospitalized!”
Keziah tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable.
“Exactly,” she said coolly. “So how did you find out?”
For a split second, Mrs. Austin froze.
Then her eyes flared.
“How dare you speak to me that way? We are his family — his real family!”
A faint, humorless smile touched Keziah’s lips.
“Oh? Now you remember you’re family? How often do you visit him? You only appear when you need something.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
“You ungrateful brat!” Mrs. Austin hissed, raising her hand.
The slap never landed.
Noah caught her wrist midair, his grip firm enough to stop her, controlled enough not to cause a scene.
“You shouldn’t do that,” he warned quietly.
Fury flashed across her face as she yanked her hand free.
Pastor Morris stepped forward quickly, his diplomatic tone slicing through the tension.
“How about we continue this conversation elsewhere and allow Justin to rest peacefully? Gregory has something important to discuss.”
All eyes shifted to the lawyer.
Gregory adjusted his glasses, his expression solemn.
“Yes. I need to discuss Justin’s will with everyone.”
The word will sent a ripple of unease through Keziah.
“What about Dad?” she asked. “He can’t be left alone.”
“I’ll stay back,” Noah offered immediately.
“Sorry,” Gregory interjected. “Everyone must be present. I’ve already informed Mrs. Hannah — she’ll arrive shortly.”
Right on cue, Mrs. Hannah appeared minutes later, breathless but composed.
Reluctantly, Keziah allowed herself to be led away.
Something about this felt… premature.
As if the universe were already preparing for an ending she refused to accept.
**********************************
Justin Bennett’s residence felt different that evening.
Too still.
Too watchful.
Once everyone was seated, Gregory unfolded a document with careful precision.
“I called you here to discuss Justin’s will,” he announced.
Keziah’s stomach tightened.
“He isn’t dead,” she said. “Why are we talking about his will?”
Mrs. Austin let out a sharp scoff.
“He won’t last a week. Didn’t you see him?”
The cruelty of the statement stunned the room into silence.
Keziah’s gaze hardened.
“How can you say something like that, Trisha?”
“I’m being realistic,” she replied coldly. “If the lawyer wants to talk, let him.”
Gregory cleared his throat.
“Justin instructed that his will be read if he ever fell into a condition like this. I am simply honoring his wishes.”
A long pause followed.
Then Keziah nodded once.
“Go on.”
Gregory looked down at the document and began.
“The will states that all of Justin Bennett’s properties — personal and corporate — are to be inherited by his daughter, Keziah Bennett.”
For a moment, the words seemed suspended in the air.
Then—
“That is impossible!”
Mr. Austin shot to his feet, his face twisting with rage.
“I am his brother — his only real family! How can everything go to her?”
“This must be a mistake!” Mrs. Austin snapped. “If anyone should inherit Justin’s wealth, it should be my husband — not some orphan picked from the streets!”
The insult landed heavily.
But Keziah didn’t react.
Didn’t flinch.
Didn’t speak.
Pastor Morris stepped in calmly.
“Justin adopted Keziah legally, making her his rightful heir. Isn’t that correct, Gregory?”
“That is absolutely correct,” Gregory confirmed.
Nelson leaned slightly toward her, his voice low.
“Congratulations… boss.”
The title sounded foreign.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Keziah forced a small smile, though something uneasy stirred within her.
At that exact moment, her phone rang.
The sharp sound sliced through the tension.
She answered quickly.
“Mrs. Hannah? What is it?”
All she heard was sobbing.
Her heartbeat accelerated.
“Say something!”
“Master has passed,” came the broken reply.
The world tilted.
“What do you mean?” Her voice rose in panic. “Say something! What do you mean by that?”
“He passed away… about ten minutes ago.”
The phone slipped from her fingers.
Hit the floor.
The sound echoed like a gunshot.
“No… no, no, no…” she whispered before the denial erupted into a scream.
Air refused to enter her lungs.
Her father — invincible, commanding, larger than life — was gone.
Just like that.
“What happened?” Noah demanded, rushing forward.
But Keziah couldn’t answer.
Couldn’t think.
Couldn’t breathe.
Across the room, something shifted.
Mrs. Austin slowly lowered herself back into her chair.
And for the briefest moment…
A satisfied smile flickered across her lips before vanishing.
Small.
Quick.
Almost unnoticeable.
Almost.
But not entirely.
And in that instant — though Keziah was too shattered to see it —
The first shadow of betrayal settled quietly over the Bennett empire.
Because Justin Bennett was dead.
And wars were rarely fought while a king still lived.
- Writer
