Taking Back Control
Chapter 28 Understanding the Trust
Rory sat done in her grandfather's office in the back part of the house and opened the folder that DJ gave her. As she read the documents again, she looked at the date on the paper. The trust fund was written on the day before she was born. Rory wondered if her mother ever knew about it and if not, why was that information kept from her. Should she ask her grandmother's Emily and Francine about this? Should she talk to her parents about this? Why did it remain a secret for so long?
Rory got up and walked over to the window that was in the office. She looked out over the back yard where the gardens were. The families both had so many secrets. For awhile Rory's existence was one of those secrets.
Turning around, Rory put her hands back on the leather chair she was sitting in and wondered if it matters now. Life might have been different for her mother and father; would they have gotten married earlier? Would she still have gone to Chilton maybe even dated Tristan? Her life would have been different. Rory thought about all those years that she never saw or had a relationship with her grandparents. She never met Francine or Straub Hayden until she was sixteen and that turned into an embarrassing evening. She often wondered why her mother let her grandmother bully her. The games her grandmother Emily played to get her way… the Friday night dinners, the parties her grandmother insisted on giving her..., sweet sixteen, her twenty-first, the trip to Europe and then the Yale sausage party. Though her father wasn't around much when she was younger, she had a good life. She knew her father loved her, and her mother was her best friend who sacrificed a lot for her.
Rory smiled; her life didn't turn out so bad. Even though her grandmother Emily and mother disagreed, Rory was able to form a close relationship with her Gilmore grandparents. Rory idolized her grandfather Richard, and when he passed away, she was devastated. Without his influence and connections, she never would have gone to Yale or Chilton. They made sure that Rory had the best education and provided the funding for her when she needed it. She sat back down at the desk and thought about Chilton where she met, Tristan, Louise, Madelyn, and Paris. Paris, her nemesis at Chilton, became her best friend. Despite everything, Rory trusted Paris, to be honest, and straight with her.
Picking the papers back up, Rory sighed and continued reading through the document; she wished Jess was here so she could talk to him. She couldn't discuss this with Lane. Lane was her childhood friend, but she would never understand, their lives were so different. Lane was married and the mother of two twin boys and her and her husband were in a rock band on the weekends. She wondered if she should call Finn if he would be able to help her, but then she remembered that he was away for a while and couldn't be reached.
Paris already told her what she should do, today, on the car ride home. She argued with Rory on the way home telling her that it was a "No Brainer," the company was her grandfather's legacy to her. It was her birthright. She wanted to argue back and remind her that Straub told her that her birth was a mistake
It was only three o'clock, and she wasn't sure what time her mother or Luke were bringing her grandmother's car back. She wouldn't see Tristan for at least four hours; she didn't know what to do. Rory got up and walked into the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee and then returned to the office and continued to read the information. Coffee always settled her when she had some important decisions to make.
The Hayden Publishing Company, initially called Hayden and Sons Publishing company, HSP, was a merger of three major publishing houses and was heavily invested now in the digital print and publication. She read, back in 2014 - 15 that the company was losing money, then in the fall of 2016, their book products and other book publishing revenue, such as advertising and the sale of publishing rights, accounted for approximately 41% of their income. The Research revenue showed a 7% decrease, which was driven by the company transition to time-based digital journal subscription agreements, and the Professional Development segment showed a decline of 1%. She also noticed and highlighted that there was an increase in revenue that had to do with their online test and Preparation and certification, which was able to offset the decline of book revenue.
Now she was beginning to understand why they were reorganizing and how the last CEO contacted Mitchum making him aware of how this would be an easy sell. Rory pulled up the website and saw that HP publications and services were sold throughout most of the world. If she took over the company, would it mean she would have to travel more since 49% of the company's consolidated revenue came from non-US markets? As Rory continued to read, she noted that the company's book content is now mainly available through online platforms which were on the rise, she wondered if this was good or bad.
She began to write down notes on a yellow sticky pad and stuck them to the pages she wanted her father or Tristan's father to clarify. As she reread everything, she realized that there were two significant questions for her Pro/Con list….
Her role in the company,
How much travel would she be expected to do?
What were her father and grandmother's expectations for her?
Her thoughts turned to Logan. He was groomed for this type of job his whole life, but Rory had little or no training. She had a few business courses she took at Yale but not at a level that she would need to run a worldwide company. Rory lacked the experience, and this concerned her. She thought about how Logan could do this job and be good at it.
Rory sat there, pondering her future. She had feelings for Tristan, and it seems that ever since they met 16 years ago at Chilton, something drew her to him. The sparks and desire she felt for him intrigued and frightened her. She wanted to have a relationship with him, but Rory worried if this job would interfere with her future with him. Tristan was a busy, successful surgeon, and she wondered if he expected her to stay home, keep a beautiful home, raise their children and become a member of the DAR, golf club, join a garden club and other committee's like his mother does.
What was she willing to risk…?
Was running Hayden Publishing worth her happiness/ her future relationships, even a family?
Was she ready to face Logan in a competitive, cutthroat market?
Logan had given her a glimpse of this world when she attended some of the parties, galas, events, fund raisers and saw firsthand the back-door politics. She watched and listened as the trust fund babies discuss their latest conquests, homes, vehicles and business mergers. She tried to hold conversation with some of them and the "accessories" that the men had on their arms.
This was one of the reasons why she refused Logan's proposal. She didn't fit in. Her mother did not raise her to be another Emily Gilmore or Shira Huntzberger. Hartford Society was not the world she was comfortable in. Rory was happier in the bubble and the safety of Stars Hollow.
But now, Rory wondered if she worked for the Hayden Publishing company could she be happy working and attend those meetings, the galas, the events and play the politics that was required. Would she and Tristan adjust to that life?
Then there was the biggest question of all: Why was Rory never told about the trust until now
This was a question only her grandmother Francine and her father could answer.Straub Hayden's stubbornness and disappointment caused her mom and dad a chance at happiness together.
Rory realized that she needed to talk to someone and the only one who would understand was Jess. She picked up her phone and pressed his phone number. It rang three times before he answered it.
"Mariano," he answered.
"Hey Jess, it's me. Do you have a moment to talk?" she asked him.
"Ror, what's up, is everything okay? How did things go at the doctor's today?" he asked her with genuine concern in his voice.
"Yes, I'm fine, and I have permission to drive again. Listen, I didn't have time to talk long with my dad today because he had another meeting, so I spoke to my dad's lawyer. I have the documents in front of me."
" Well, is it a good deal?"
" Jess, my great grandfather, and grandfather Hayden set up the company when I was born, which also included a trust fund. All I can think of is how my mom struggled financially, and all that she gave up for me, and I don't know if she was ever told. I don't know if my grandfather ever told my father, since for many years he struggled financially too, going from one job to the next."
" You're telling me your grandfather's set this up and both your parents were never told?"
" Yes, the company was called HSP or Hayden and Son's Publishing, and it was started in 1983 by my grandfather and great-grandfather. They dropped the Son, but I don't know when. They own three primary publishing houses and recently invested heavily in the digital platform. Dad said they let the last CEO go and recently hired Eric Brady to be the CFO. Have you heard of him or HSP?"
"I have heard of HSP; they tried to get us to merge with them when my book became published and hit the New York Times Best Seller List. Eric Brady, I don't know, but if he is a CFO, Matt would know more about him and be able to find out information. That's interesting that they invested in the digital platform. That's a big deal for a company like them. Usually, it is the younger companies or smaller companies that embrace digital platforms. I know that HP hasn't yet. Do you know what their book revenue is?"
Rory quickly shuffled through the papers. "It is about 41%," she answered.
She heard Jess move things around and heard him typing on his keyboard. "HSP…. well it is a Global Publishing Leader, no wonder Huntzberger is sniffing around it. It's a big company, Ror. So, what is the problem?"
"The problem is that I know nothing about this type of publishing. I am used to newspapers and magazines, not research, professional development, and education. Yes, I worked on a digital platform when I send things digitally, but publishing is a different world. I'm a writer, Jess., a journalist.
I know that my dad became involved in this company after his grandfather passed away. According to Dimitri, my dad was the one who encouraged the Board of Hayden Publishing to go digital. I keep thinking about how Logan was groomed by his father to run HPG. I have no skills at all to run a company as large as this successfully."
"Doogie I think you are getting ahead of yourself. Are you thinking about working there?"
"I don't know…, Paris told me that I am a coward, that I am hiding out and will turn into a lonely cat woman. You should have heard her Jess. Paris thinks that this is my birthright and that it was about time I became the Queen Bee and let all the worker bees do my bidding. She called me a people pleaser and that I'm worried about pleasing everyone. Am I a people pleaser, Jess?"
Jess chuckled when he pictures Paris talking to Rory. "Paris is right, Rory. You need to stop doubting yourself and letting everyone dictate your life. What are you afraid of? You're a smart, talented, and published journalist. Here's your chance to show the Huntzberger men that you Rory Gilmore is their greatest competition. What are you terrified of?"
" Failure...being alone, disappointing everyone my grandmother and father. I don't have the training or knowledge to succeed."
" That's ridiculous, Rory. You need to step out of that bubble that your mother put you in. Life is a risk...take a chance."
" But what if I lose the chance of finding love again."
" Are you talking about Tristan?"
" Maybe," she whispered into the phone.
Jess sighed into the phone," Rory if this is serious between the two of you, you need to talk to him about your fears."
"We are taking our relationship slow… it's different from what I had with Logan. Jess, I don't know if I could be happy running a large business. Tristan is a successful surgeon; he doesn't want a partner who is working full time, traveling, attending galas, banquets, or board meetings."
" How do you know? Did you ask him?"
"Well…, no…, but he has a trust fund that he has given to his parents to run. So how would he feel about me now that I have a trust fund?"
Jess sighed again and rubbed his face, "Doogie, hey. I want you to listen to me. You need to talk to Tristan and tell him what you told me. Are you seeing him this week?"
" Later tonight, he is still at the hospital, and he doesn't get off until seven. We are going over to see his father. He is a lawyer, and he is going to look over the contract with me. I wanted someone who wasn't involved with my family to review it."
"That is a smart idea. Get a fresh set of eyes to review it."
"But Jess, should I show this contract to my mom? Should I confront both mom and dad about this? I mean you remember the hell my grandmother Gilmore put my mother through while I went to Chilton, and while I attended Yale."
"Ror, that's ancient history and what good would it do now? It would just bring up old wounds. In my opinion, you are doing the right thing by bringing the documents to Tristan's dad. The question you should ask yourself is what role they want you to have in this company and have them spell it out in your contract so that there will be no confusion. Then you and Tristan need to sit down and talk. If you two are going to be in a relationship, you will need to support each other. Ror, is Tristan willing to give you the support you need while working in this company? You didn't have it with Logan."
Jess paused waiting for Rory to say anything, she was quiet, so he continued. "Rory, I can't tell you what will make you happy. Only you can do this. This is about you now, not about your grandmother, father, mother… but you. What will make you happy."
"Yea, your right."
"Of course I am. I wouldn't lie to you."
Rory smiled when she heard this and thought about the smug look Jess had on his face as he told her this. She missed him so much and wished he was there so she could give him a hug.
"Thanks, I'm glad I called you. Will I see you soon?"
"I'll be there this weekend. I'm glad you called too, Doogie. You know, you can call me anytime. I'm here for you."
"Thanks Jess. I'll see you this weekend."
They said their goodbyes, and she ended the call. She sat staring at the blank computer screen, for ten minutes, thinking about what Jess said. Finally, she grabbed her empty coffee cup and went into the kitchen to see if she could help Eunice.
At four Christopher walked into his house with his youngest daughter Gigi, talking about his visit with his mother. As they walked into the kitchen, he saw Eunice and Rory standing at the counter, their hands in dough and flour. Rory was standing at the kitchen counter wearing an apron and using a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Chris smirked when he saw that and noticed the pie plates out with a bowl full of sliced apples with sugar and cinnamon between them. They were chatting away, and Eunice was giving her hints on how to roll the dough so it wouldn't stick to the counter.
Looking at them, he turned to his youngest daughter and whispered, "Quick Gigi, get out your phone. I never thought I would see the day when Rory would be in the kitchen wearing an apron making a pie crust."
Gigi quickly took a picture of Rory and teased, "Rory, what's Tristan's phone number I think I will send him this picture."
"You will do no such thing, if it gets back to him that I learned how to cook, then I will have to cook for him," Rory responded raising her eyebrows at her. Gigi laughed and continued taking pictures of her sister.
" Dad, what is Aunt Lorelai's number? I bet she would like that picture."
Rory picked up some flour and threw it at her and soon the girls were laughing and throwing flour at each other. Eunice looked at the two of them and shook her head. It was so good to hear laughter coming from the two sisters. It had been a very sad and quiet household before Rory came to stay here. Eunice was not upset that the girls had made a mess of her kitchen. Since Rory had arrived, Christopher and Francine seemed happier.
"Rory, I think it's time to put the pie crust in the dish and fill it with the apples," Eunice told her when the girls stopped throwing flour at each other. Gigi took off her coat and backpack that she still had on, which was covered with flour. She hung it up in the back entranceway but kept her phone beside her as she sat down at the counter, watching her sister put the pie crust in the dish. Eunice cut up some more apples and handed them to Gigi to eat, while Chris left the kitchen smiling walking to his office to check his messages, emails and return some phone calls.
When the pie was in the oven, and the kitchen was clean, Rory walked back to her father's office and knocked at the door.
"Dad?" she asked when he looked up and saw her there. "Is everything okay? You look upset."
"No, hon, everything is fine. I just spoke to your mother and Luke; they are returning the car around seven after the dinner rush. But I won't be able to go car shopping with you tomorrow as I planned."
"Oh, that's fine. I'm sure I can figure something out. Can I ask you a question?"
Chris sat back in his chair and looked at his daughter; he had been wondering when she would ask him the question about the trust fund that was set up for her.
"How long have you known about the trust fund that was set up for me the day I was born?"
"Your mother and I knew that trusts were set up for you by both my parents and her parents, but when your mother refused to get married and left with you, we both figured that they dissolved them."
"I knew that I had a small trust fund that grandpa Gilmore left me, and great grandma Lorelai left me one too. I also knew mom did not want me to be a part of the life in Hartford society, so she gave up the rights to her trust fund I guess, the day she left with me," Rory said quietly to her dad.
"Yes, and so did I. But Hayden and Son Publishing kept making money and your grandmother Francine insisted that it be available for me to take over. Your great grandfather also convinced my father not to disinherit you, but my father never told us. It wasn't until I took over the company in 2004 that I knew anything about Hayden and Son Publishing. A mutual friend or associate of the Huntzberger and my father was running the business. When I joined the board, I encouraged the board to begin looking in the digital software direction. Your grandmother had the controlling vote and attended all the board meetings. Mom would listen to me, and the members of the board on Hayden Holdings as we discussed the changes that were going on in the publishing industry, so in 2014, she agreed to start investing in the digital platform. I had no idea that you had a trust fund until you were in the hospital. That's when your grandmother told me about it. I was angry at first knowing how you had been struggling to make your way in this industry, and here was a job you could have had right out of Yale."
"I guess Mitchum never knew about it either because if he knew that I was a Hayden, he would have let Logan marry me, Then eventually he would have encouraged Logan to take over the company," Rory stated as she leaned back in her chair too.
" Things have a way of working out for a reason, Rory," her father replied.
"I guess in the long run it was better this way. By watching Logan's parents, I realized that the life that they live is not the life I want."
" Rory, have you thought more about working at Hayden Publishing?" he asked hesitantly.
" Dad, I started a pro/con list. To be honest, I don't know if I can do this type of work or if I want to live this type of life. Mom didn't raise me to be shallow, heartless, or manipulative. I tried that life when I lived with grandma Emily."
"But you are not Emily. And you don't have to live or be like her. Rory, I don't want you to rush into any decisions yet. There are many things about this business that you can learn, and you don't have to run your business as my father or Mitchum Huntzberger does."
Rory sighed and looked at her father, "Tristan's father is a lawyer, and I am going to meet with him tonight and talk to him about this. I have nothing against DJ, but I need someone who is outside the business to give me advice."
"Okay, that's fair. I can respect that. I want you to look at the whole picture before you make a decision." Christopher got up out of his chair and walked around to where she was sitting. She stood up, and they hugged each other.
" Dad, how's grandma?" she finally asked.
"She has made enough improvement that they are moving her to Trinity Hill Care facility tomorrow afternoon. That's why I can't go car shopping with you tomorrow like I promised."
" That's okay day, but that is excellent news about grandma. I will go and visit her once she becomes settled."
"Good, Hon. I know she will like that. She worries about you." He kissed his daughter's forehead then looked at her.
"Ror? Are we good?"
"Yes dad, we are."
Rory returned to her room and sent a text to Tristan.
Rory
"Hey, can you take me car shopping tomorrow?"
Tristan had just walked into the surgeon's locker room when he felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out of his scrub's pocket and looked at it. It was from Rory. Leaning on the lockers, he quickly sent her a message.
Tristan
"Of course. Are we still on for dinner tonight? My last surgery was canceled, and I can be at your house by five thirty. I thought we could grab something to eat before we stop by my fathers at seven."
Tristan hit the send button and began to change out of his scrubs into his street clothes.
"Well, you look happy," Ethan said as he walked into the lounge.
Tristan just smirked as he pulled on his black v neck sweater and then his jeans. He was putting his phone back in his pocket when the phone vibrated again.
Rory
Perfect. See you at five thirty.
Smiling Tristan looked back at Ethan. "I am! I am taking Rory to dinner tonight. So, what's up?"
"Are you on call tonight and tomorrow?" Ethan asked him.
"Nope, I am off until Wednesday, why?"
"Just wondering, by the way, when are we going to have guys' night? Connor is driving me nuts."
"Funny you should say that," Tristan said giving Ethan a smirk. "He says the same about you. So, I recommend you two get along." Tristan finished dressing and grabbed his coat and things.
"See you on Wednesday," Tristan said and slapped Ethan on his shoulder as he walked out the door.
Tristan left the lounge and walked to the elevator. He hit the button for the parking garage and was leaning against the back wall checking his text messages. The elevator stopped on the fifth floor, and Logan Huntzberger walked on with a couple with two young boys. Tristan looked up from his phone and nodded. Logan was busy talking to the woman, and he heard her say, "Logan, how long are you going to let this fake engagement go on?"
"Honor let's get mom home first and get through Thanksgiving. I'm swamped with work, and now that Hayden Publishing is not for sale, I have to figure out how I can work with them."
"Didn't you say that they hired a new CEO?" she asked him.
"Yea, Eric Brady. Josh, what do you know about him?" Logan asked the man who was with the two young boys.
"He's from the Midwest, worked for CNN before coming here," Josh responded.
The elevator stopped at the second floor and Josh took the boys by the hand saying," Come on boys, lets visit grandma."
Tristan watched as they walked off the elevator following Logan and his sister down the hall.
