So, this short story is dedicated to Carey Anne and the ladies who were in on my Zoom call, Clo, Aileen, Emma, Consuelo, Alyscia, Trina, Brier Lynn and Krida. It will be a drabblish story, with shorter chapters. Shorter chapters mean quicker updates! :-)
This is not mine. I don't own Twilight, but I wish I did. Sigh …
Chapter Eighteen
July 16th, 2020
Over biscuits, gravy and a serving of sour dough bread, Bella, Edward, and Miss Alice devised a plan to fight JR. In order to deal with his special brand of bullshit, they needed all the carbs they could get their hands on. They even got Carlisle in on the plan, as well. Carlisle was more than willing to go to bat to prove that Miss Alice was mentally capable of taking care of herself and making decisions about her life. Even with her bout with COVID, which was mild compared to what other people were dealing with.
Miss Alice's bridge friend had passed away.
The man who had infected Emmett was still in the hospital, deteriorating quickly toward the end of his isolation. He was hooked up to a ventilator. It seemed unlikely that he'd get off that ventilator. Even with that, his oxygen saturation in his blood was still dangerously low. They only knew that because Emmett was listed as the man's emergency contact. Emmett was trying to get ahold of the man's family, but if things got worse, Emmett would have to make the difficult decision of pulling the plug.
After they finished discussing and solidifying their plan of attack, Bella went back to her apartment to shower. Edward stayed with Miss Alice. He was very concerned that JR would use the opportunity to hurt his mother. He also wanted some answers about Miss Alice's son, among other things.
"I'm sorry you're dealing with this bullshit, Miss Alice," Edward frowned. "Was JR always like this?"
"He always looked for the easy solution to a problem. Preferably with the least amount of work required," Miss Alice snorted derisively. "He wasn't as bad while his father was alive. Reason being was that my Jasper looked over JR's work. He knew our son's penchant to take the easy way out."
"And, after your husband died?" Edward asked.
"He got a lot worse and buried the shipping business in bullshit," Miss Alice sighed. "Ten years after my husband's retirement and subsequent death, Whitlock Exports shut its doors after nearly a century of being in business."
"If you don't mind, I'm curious. You don't have to answer if I'm crossing some line, but …," Edward began. "How were you able to amass your wealth?"
"You're not crossing any line. I'm happy to tell you, sweetie. I was a socialite, a Southern debutante, and my money is from my family. My father's father struck oil and we wanted for nothing. After I'd gotten married, I used part of my inheritance to give my Jasper a boost to his export company. Jasper, who is honorable to his core, paid me back once he'd doubled my investment," Miss Alice explained with a wistful smile. "So, the money that my son is trying to get his paws on is from my family. In reality, it should belong to my children, but I cannot, in my right mind, give it to them. Not after they treated me when their father died."
"It's your decision to give your inheritance to who you choose," Edward murmured. "You would think that they'd be a little more endearing to you to get on your good side."
"You would think that taking care of them for all their lives would mean they would do the same for their mother," Miss Alice sneered. "But, no. They are more interested in their own little lives. Not mine. Do I love my children? Even when they disappoint me? Yes, I do. Do I trust them? No."
"But, you love and trust Bella," Edward smiled.
"If I had my choice, picking my own child, I'd choose Bella. Every day," Miss Alice said, giving Edward a warm smile. "She's everything I ever wanted in a daughter. She's smart, beautiful, kind, and strong. I love Bella so much. Probably more than my own children, which is an awful thing to say. However, with her mother being the selfish, ignorant bitch she is and the loss of her father? She needed a family. I needed a family. We found it in each other. When I met her? She was so closed off. I managed to get under her skin."
"Her mother is a piece of shit," Edward spat. "She blamed her husband's behavior on her and then had the gall of saying that … Renee makes my blood boil."
"She does that to Bella, too," Miss Alice grumbled. "Her spouting out those conspiracy theories and showing her true colors? It's a blessing in disguise."
"Miss Alice, since you're the closest thing that Bella has to a family, I figured you wouldn't mind …" he trailed off. "I love Bella more than words can say."
"I see it in how you interact with her," Miss Alice murmured, taking his hand. "You love her and ground her, provide stability where she doesn't have much."
"She gives me buoyancy where I'm usually weighted down. Miss Alice, I want to marry her," Edward proclaimed. "I want your permission to marry her."
"It's Bella's decision, but you are an amazing man. Bella deserves you and so much more," Miss Alice grinned, squeezing his hand. "You have my permission, my blessing and everything in between. Just one request?"
"What's that?" he asked.
"Plan a huge party," she smirked.
"Bella's not like that," Edward laughed.
"I didn't say invite the world. Plan a huge party, get married on a beach, do something extravagant. I'll pay for it all," Miss Alice beamed. "Now, head on home. I'm certain you and Bella want some alone time."
"Thanks, Miss Alice," Edward said, standing up with a crooked grin. He let himself out, standing outside of Miss Alice's door until he heard the lock click. Letting himself into Bella's apartment, he strode to her bedroom and stripped out of his clothes. He got into the shower with Bella, who was washing her hair. He pressed a kiss to her neck, and she turned in his arms.
Let's just say, they were both incredibly clean at the end of the shower.
xx DD xx
August 28th, 2020
Sitting in Miss Alice's attorney's office, Bella, Edward, and Carlisle were waiting to testify in defense of Miss Alice, regarding her estate. JR held true with his threat to fight Miss Alice's decision to rewrite her will. Things still weren't open, but JR rattled enough cages that the case was brought onto the docket. It was being done remotely. Miss Alice and her attorney, a young woman named Charlotte, were in the office on a secured Zoom call with the judge, a court reporter, bailiff, JR, and JR's attorney.
Bella, Edward, and Carlisle were slated to give testimony that Miss Alice was well within her right to make these changes. They weren't sure who JR had to back up his claim, but he greased some palms to get the ball rolling.
An hour after they arrived, Charlotte's paralegal asked for Carlisle to come into the office.
Bella took Edward's hand after Carlisle disappeared behind the doors of the conference room. "Do you think that JR has a case? Could he take her away from us?" Bella whispered. "I can't imagine a world where she's not living right next door."
"No, Bella," Edward said quietly. "JR is a selfish asshole, and the judge will see that his intentions are clearly not in Miss Alice's best interest."
"I hope so. I don't know what I'd do if I lost her," Bella sighed. She leaned her head against his shoulder. Edward lowered his mask, kissing her forehead. "I love you, Sparkle."
"I love you too, Glitter," he murmured.
"Try to distract me, Edward. The less I stress out about Miss Alice's situation, the better," Bella quipped.
"Okay … though the way I want to distract you would get us both arrested," he snickered. Bella rolled her eyes, blushing furiously. "Anyway, with things starting to open, have you given any thought as to what you want to do with your blog?" he asked.
"People loved our quarantine series in São Paulo," Bella said. "They also loved a glimpse in our lives. You're quite popular, Edward. According to my viewers, I'm a lucky bitch to have such a hot boyfriend. I happen to agree. You are ridiculously hot."
"Great, I'm on display as a piece of man meat," Edward snorted dryly.
"Well, you're my man meat," Bella quipped, lowering her mask to kiss his cheek.
"Do you miss traveling?" he questioned, threading his fingers with hers.
"I miss the opportunity to do something new," Bella shrugged. "I don't miss the stress of traveling. It'll be some time before things return to normal, if ever. A few readers and viewers suggested doing an American travel thing, driving all across the country. I don't have a car, so that would be difficult. I think I may have to think some more before making any decisions. I still have my editing job and I get paid really well through that company. They're even interested in taking my previous trips and putting them into a book. We'll see. I have options. I just need to pick one."
The door opened and Carlisle, Charlotte and Miss Alice came out. Bella and Edward stood up. "What did they say?" Edward asked.
"We're taking a brief recess," Charlotte explained. "Dr. Cullen brought up some compelling arguments. Mr. Whitlock's attorney tried to discredit him, but everything is solid so far. Edward, you'll be up next and then Bella."
"I'm surprised that the judge is allowing me to speak," Bella mused.
"I fought for that," Charlotte said. "You did everything to help Mrs. Whitlock during this lockdown while JR did nothing. He only flew out to see her when he got the letter I sent to him, explaining the change in the estate. It's clear that his intentions are to get his hands on Mrs. Whitlock's money."
"I would rather throw my money out the window than have my son or my other children to have it," Miss Alice grumbled. "I'm older than dirt. I shouldn't have to deal with this crap. I'm also still recovering from COVID. Am I okay? Yes, but I get so tired. The good thing is that we should be done today."
"Fingers are crossed," Charlotte smiled. "Come on, Mrs. Whitlock. You can relax in my office for the recess."
By early afternoon, Bella was in the conference room, sitting in front of a computer screen. She was sworn in by a bailiff. Taking off her mask, she blinked to Charlotte. "Please state your name for the record and your relationship to Mrs. Whitlock," Charlotte said.
"My name is Isabella Swan and I'm Mrs. Whitlock's neighbor."
"How long have you known Mrs. Whitlock?" Charlotte asked.
"I moved into the apartment a little over five years ago. We've been close ever since," Bella smiled.
"Have you ever asked Mrs. Whitlock for money or asked her to support you financially?"
"No. The only thing I ever asked her to do was to water my plants and pick my mail while I traveled," Bella explained. "Which I travel a great deal … well, until the pandemic. I'm not traveling now for some obvious reasons."
"With the pandemic, did you help out Mrs. Whitlock?" Charlotte asked gently.
"Prior to my departure, Miss Alice said she was afraid of the virus, and I don't blame her. She's older, more susceptible to the virus, and she needed some assistance. So, I made arrangements for her to get grocery delivery. I also spoke to a friend, Emmett McCarty, to help her out as needed," Bella said, frowning slightly.
"Why are you frowning?"
"Well, it was Emmett who exposed Miss Alice to COVID," she sighed. "One of his employees had the virus and at the time, hadn't been showing any symptoms. As a result, Emmett exposed Miss Alice. We managed to get her the care she needed with the help of Dr. Cullen. I did all I could, but I was in São Paulo with Edward. We moved heaven and earth to get back. We FaceTimed with her daily while in Brazil and again once we got home since we had to quarantine for two weeks. When she was released from the hospital, we provided her with a place to convalesce. She stayed in Edward's condo with Dr. Cullen. She moved back to her apartment in early July and she's almost back to normal."
"When you got back to the states, what did you do for Mrs. Whitlock?"
"I'm not sure I understand," Bella murmured.
"You returned from your trip and what happened with you?" Charlotte smiled gently.
"Edward and I quarantined for two weeks, maintaining contact through FaceTime. Once we were done with our quarantine, we went over to Miss Alice's place and scoured it, stem to stern. I also paid her bills," Bella said. "She doesn't use automatic bill pay and her bills were languishing in her mailbox. I sent them off so she wouldn't lose services."
"Has Mrs. Whitlock paid you back?" Charlotte pressed.
"No and I don't expect her to. She's my family," Bella confirmed, blinking to Miss Alice. "She's done so much for me. She's been my friend, my adoptive parent, and my rock. I'd happily pay her bills if it meant that she got to stay in my life. I love her so much."
"Thank you, Ms. Swan," Charlotte said. "Mr. Menck?"
"Do you feel any guilt for exposing Mrs. Whitlock to COVID?" Mr. Menck said snidely. "It was your friend who gave it to her."
"Of course, I feel guilt, but I did everything in my power to help her," Bella argued, narrowing her eyes at the weaselly man on the computer screen. "Her own children couldn't be bothered to come to visit her."
"But, Mr. Whitlock did," Mr. Menck said.
"Almost two months after she was diagnosed and two weeks after she moved back home. He only came to her to demand for money," Bella snapped. "He was escorted out of our apartment complex by police because he threatened both her and me."
Mr. Menck pursed his lips. "My client did not tell me that."
"That's not surprising," Bella mumbled under her breath. "He has a way of bending the truth."
"That woman exploited and has scammed my mother," JR snarled, point at Bella. "She's a parasite."
"Mr. Whitlock, I've told you on more than one occasion that these outbursts are not productive. However, based on Ms. Swan's testimony, along with the testimony of Dr. Cullen and Mr. Cullen, she is the farthest thing from a parasite or a scam artist," the judge barked. His patience was clearly gone with JR. "We're going to take another fifteen-minute recess before we listen to your witnesses."
With a sharp snap of the gavel, the screens flipped to the King County logo. Bella put on her mask, blinking to Charlotte. "Who is he calling?" she asked. "Who are his witnesses?"
"Mariah and Thomas," Miss Alice explained.
"Can Edward, Carlisle and I be in the room?" Bella asked. "We'll stay masked."
"That should be fine," Charlotte nodded.
"Bella, come with me to the bathroom. I need to get out of this room," Miss Alice said, standing up. Bella scuttled over to her, offering Miss Alice her arm. They went to the bathroom and talked about anything but the case or ungrateful children. Walking back to the conference room, they ate some snacks that were laid out.
The screens blinked to life and the bailiff announced the judge again. Mr. Menck called Mariah first. She looked exactly like Miss Alice, but half her age. She answered questions and seemed indifferent to the whole situation. When Charlotte had her turn to ask questions, she went full throttle toward Mariah.
"What do you think about your brother and this challenge he brought against your mother's estate?" Charlotte asked.
"I think my brother is an idiot," Mariah answered honestly. "He's the one who squandered all his money. Now, he's trying to squander our mother's money. I've met Miss Swan. She's not a scam artist like my brother proclaims her to be. Am I pissed that I'm getting less money? A little, but I'd rather keep my mother than have the money. I know I suck as a daughter. But, I love my mom. I know she loves me, and she wouldn't have made this decision lightly, without weighing her options. We've been so self-absorbed that we couldn't even fly out to see her when she was sick. Bella did. She's been more of a daughter than any of us combined."
"Mariah!" JR bellowed. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm serious. Let this go and be grateful you're getting anything, JR. Thomas feels the same way that I do," Mariah hissed. "Your honor, this … I trust my mother to make decisions about her life and she made her decision regarding her estate."
"I'm ready to make my decision," the judge said. "I also agree with Ms. Whitlock's statement. Mr. Whitlock, your claim has no validity in this court. Your intentions for this were selfish and if I'm being honest, cruel. Mrs. Whitlock, your last will and trust will be distributed as is delineated in the paperwork submitted to this court a month ago. I wish you nothing but the best. Court is adjourned."
The screens all went black and Miss Alice's cell phone went off from her handbag. She took it out, seeing texts from Mariah and Thomas. They apologized for JR's actions. However, the win seemed bittersweet. Because of this hearing, the relationship between JR and Miss Alice had irrevocably changed.
Bella, ever the pessimist, believed that JR was not going to give up that easily. Even with the judge's proclamation that Miss Alice's decision stood, they were all wary about JR. He was a loose cannon, an unknown.
Shortly after that, Carlisle drove home while Edward drove Bella and Miss Alice back their apartment building. Bella asked if Miss Alice wanted some company, but she said now with a sad expression. She hugged Bella, scuttling back into her apartment.
Once inside Bella's place, Edward looked at his girlfriend. "Are you okay, Glitter?" he asked.
"I'm worried about Miss Alice. Despite her indifference toward her children, she loved them tremendously. What JR did was tantamount to disowning his own parents," Bella explained. "He's not going to let this go. He's going to get that money, even if he has to take it."
"Then, he'll have to deal with the cops," Edward growled. "Come on, love. Let's try and relax. We'll be there for Miss Alice, no matter what. She needs time to process, as do we."
"I don't know what I would have done without you there, Edward. I love you," she smiled, pressing a kiss to his soft lips.
A/N: Do you think that is the last time we'll see JR? Leave your thoughts.
We're getting close to the end, kids. I'm thinking, maybe, we'll have one or two more real chapters and an epilogue. Up next will be Bella's birthday. Say it with me … CITRUS ALERT!
Thanks for reading!