Thank you for the continued support. Now on to a new chapter!
x
Chapter 9. Strong willed
On the way home Stephanie made a detour to McDonald's and bought a celebratory meal. She ate it in the sofa watching a movie on her laptop. After the meal she called Mary Lou and told her about her new job.
After removing the phone from her ear to avoid instantaneous deafness caused by the enthusiastic squealing, she also asked Mary Lou to not tell anyone yet.
"I'm convinced Vinnie will have his opinions. Loud ones, too. And right now I just want to relax, knowing I can support myself, that I won't have to wear pantyhose to work, and hopefully just take it easy for a while."
"I hear you, Steph. I promise not to tell anyone, and we better plan a celebratory outing in the next weeks!"
"I promise. I'll even buy the first drink!"
They laughed and decided to get in touch when Steph had worked a couple of weeks. Since Mary Lou heard a suspicious sound from one of her boy's rooms, they hung up.
x
Since it already was Friday, Stephanie decided to lay low over the weekend, avoiding her mother's calls. She let them all go to voicemail. She was pretty certain that she would be berated anyway on the will reading, so didn't see any reason to talk to or meet her mother more than necessary. Even her father had a cell phone nowadays, so she had called him and talked briefly the day before, not mentioning anything about work. She hadn't had any calls on her voicemail about her work from either Vinnie, Lula, Connie or busybodies from the Burg, so she was pretty certain the news wasn't bandied about. She hadn't heard anything about Joyce Barnyard either. If that was because Joyce were doing a good job or not any job at all, Stephanie didn't care. Live and let live. Preferably as far away from each other as Trenton allowed.
The next day was a Saturday, and Steph decided to go through her wardrobe. Some outfits were damaged beyond saving, some were distraction outfits she never planned to wear again, and some were outdated. She soon had cleared out a good portion of her wardrobe. Throwing away the clothes that were too damaged she packed up the rest and drove away to the Salvation Army and gave them the clothes. She looked through the store, and found an as good as new business suit in a dark grey that fit like a dream and was more suitable for a chillier time, and a couple of tops, and drove home in a good mood. She also bought some beer on the way home, and swung by Dillon, the building's supervisor, and gave him a six pack.
"Thanks, Steph! But I haven't had any extra work because of you or your stalkers for a while."
"And here's to having a peaceful existence for a long time to come!"
"I'll drink to that!"
On Sunday Steph prepared the clothes for the next days, read another of Edna Mazur's trashy novels sitting in the sunshine outside on the fire escape, and just had a very boring day. She toasted herself in beer, hoping for many more boring days. Or at least a couple of months of them until Batman comes home, she thought.
x
Monday morning Steph dressed in the same linen suit she had worn to Sebring, pairing it with a lacy top in off white. When she parked outside the solicitor's office she thought that maybe her luck really was turning. Normally her parking karma resulted in a long walk from her car to the place she wanted to go to, but today she found a parking space just outside. When she got inside her mother and sister hadn't arrived yet. She sat down, and soon after Mrs. Clifford herself came out in the waiting area. They talked for a while, mostly about Edna's funeral. Mrs. Clifford had been present at the service, and exclaimed about the beautiful minutes to eleven o'clock Helen, Frank, Valerie and Albert arrived.
"We couldn't find a parking space closer than over a block away," Helen sniped. "I saw that you were more fortunate, Stephanie…"
Helen looked at her.
"What are you wearing? I mean, after all we're in mourning."
Stephanie looked at her family and saw that they all were in the same clothes they had worn at the funeral.
One minute in her family's company, and all she had was snide comments and criticism. Steph didn't know what to say, but Mrs. Clifford intervened.
"The parking options here are unpredictable. I'm sorry you couldn't find a space nearby."
She gestured with her hand towards a door.
"Please, let's go inside and have a seat. I'll just ask my secretary to accompany us."
It looked as Helen wanted to say something, but she closed her mouth, glared at both Stephanie and the solicitor and was the first through the door. When she passed Stephanie she thought she could smell whisky on her mother's breath.
The conference room had chairs around a big table. Helen sat next to Frank and Valerie, with Albert on Valerie's other side. This meant that they occupied all the chairs on one side of the table, leaving Stephanie alone on the other side. She couldn't help but wonder if this was deliberate, or just a coincidence. Mrs Clifford then sat down next to Stephanie, rather than at the table's short side. As she had to move some documents from that space Stephanie rather thought that the solicitor had seen and disliked the seating arrangements. The secretary sat down on another chair, with her laptop.
"Welcome to the will reading of Edna Mazur," Mrs. Clifford began. "Before we continue I just want to say that I was at the funeral, and it was a beautiful service. Since I could see that Edna's wishes were fulfilled, we don't need to use any of the special clauses Mrs. Mazur had put in place. This gives us a rather straightforward will."
She took a sip of water before she continued. Her secretary gave her a file.
"Before I continue I would like to add that you all will be given copies of the will. I was wondering if I could omit the legalese in the beginning and go right to the bequests? I will also summarize these in a more easy to understand language."
She gave Albert a look.
"I know that you are a lawyer, Mr Kloughn. I in no way want to withhold any information, and as I said, you will all get copies of the will."
Albert looked a bit nervous, being singled out, but answered.
"In my opinion it would be more than fine to get down to the bequests."
"Anyone against it?"
Mrs. Clifford did a quick scan of the table, and then proceeded.
"Will you take to the record that no one objected, Ms. Lewis."
Mrs. Clifford then started.
"Mrs. Mazur won money on the Powerball this spring. She came to me soon afterwards. I helped her arrange some things according to her wishes, and she made this will. She also wrote a letter, that is included. I'll start by reading it out loud:
"Dear family,
I must say I never thought that I would need to write a will. I had the pension and a small savings accountant efter my husband, and Helen got all the rest at the time since I would be moving in with her and Frank.
I have thought long and hard, and this is the way I want to leave my money:
Valerie, I have arranged for your daughters to have their own accounts. I hope they will use them for their studies. If they don't use them for studies they will be able to access the money after they have turned 21. You yourself will also get the same amount as the girls. Since Stephanie doesn't have any children as of now, I have decided that she will get twice the money you yourself, or the girls' individually, will get. Helen will also get the same amount as Valerie and the girls.
My jewellery…"
Mrs. Clifford was cut off by Helen.
"Do you meant to say that I will only get half the money that Steph will get? I will not approve this will."
She gave Valerie a demanding glance.
"And neither will Valerie."
Mrs. Clifford looked at Helen.
"If I could finish reading the letter and then explain the will, we can then talk about how one goes about contesting or approving."
Helen was blotchy in the face, and well on her way to a good rant.
"Why should I sit here and listen to this!? I will not approve of anything that gives me less money than Stephanie!"
Valerie gave Mrs. Clifford an embarrassed look.
"Mum, if you let the solicitor read the letter and explain things it will hopefully be easier to understand. And Albert can help us afterwards, if needed."
"If needed. If needed!"
For once Frank opened his mouth to do something other than put food in it.
"Helen, why don't you listen to the solicitor, and then you can ask her any questions you've got. It is only sensible to get the whole picture."
Helen was so surprised by Frank talking that she was quiet for a moment. Then everybody could see her beginning to rev up again. For once Albert said something.
"I agree with Frank and Valerie. It is much better to listen to the letter and the will now. Contesting or approving won't have to be done today, as a matter of fact I would say that you shouldn't do either right now."
Steph didn't say anything, but inside she felt something break a little. She hadn't known anything about Edna's winnings before she got the money. She was very close to just open her mouth and say that her mother could have all the money, just so she could be left alone. Before she got the chance Mrs. Clifford continued.
"If you let me finish reading the letter and the will, you can ask your questions afterwards, Mrs. Plum." She looked down on the paper in front of her.
"My jewellery is mostly of sentimental value. I want Valerie to have my engagement and wedding rings, Stephanie to get the pearl necklace, and Helen to have the gold necklace I got as a present from Harry when she was born. Knowing my daughter I want to add that I had the value of the jewellery appraised, and the most valuable pieces are the gold necklace, then the rings. The pearl necklace is not especially valuable in money, but in sentiment. It was a gift from my parents when I married, and I would like Stephanie to have it. All the other jewellery, mostly bijouteries, I want Valerie's girls to have. I'm sure their mother will divide it fairly.
I also have a few pieces of furniture that has been in my family for some generations. I want Stephanie to choose a piece first, then Valerie, and then Helen and so on between the three of them. The paintings are not worth any money, but Valerie is to choose first, then Stephanie and then Helen.
Finally, Helen, I wouldn't be surprised if you are upset and angry over this will. I know you thought you would get it all. I suppose the fact that you now will get a lot more money than if I hadn't won on the Powerball isn't factoring in for you. When Harry died he left it all to me, but you got most of it in exchange for me living at your home. Considering that, I could easily leave you out of my will totally, but I do want you to have the possibility to afford a little extra, maybe splurge on a cruise, kitchen appliances, nice clothes or better whisky."
Helen got red in the face, before she got the chance to start a new rant Mrs. Clifford continued.
"I have made sure that this will is iron clad. If you protest it, or try to convince Stephanie to give her money to you, Valerie or the girls, I have used the same strategy as I did for my funeral. Since I wasn't able to oversee it in person I can't say whether you got less money for not having the funeral according to my wishes, but I can assure you that a protest or harassing Stephanie will result in no money at all for you, and the money will instead go to Stephanie. To insure that Stephanie isn't harassed by someone else on your orders I have given Mrs. Clifford and an anonymous person the means to supervise. One could say that you are put on probation.
Valerie, I'm sure that you will be more sensible than your mother, but if you harass or try to convince Stephanie to give the money to you or your daughters, your money will be split evenly between your daughters, and put into their accounts. I'd also like to point out that your family together got two and half times the money that Stephanie did.
Stephanie, the money already given to you was an advance. The remaining part will be three times that sum. Please fly, never crawl.
And to all of you, thanks for this time, and I hope to see you again, but not for a long time.
At least my last years were a pip of a time.
Love,
Edna"
