Chapter 13
Arthur Carlin arrived at his son's law office and was happily greeted by Chelsea.
"Hi! Arthur, how have you been?"
"Fine Chelsea and yourself?"
"Good," Chelsea said.
"Is Glen in his office?" "Yes sir, let me tell him you're here." "That's okay Chelsea, I want to…surprise him."
Arthur walks in, Glen is busy with his head down reading court papers. Arthur clears his throat getting his son's attention.
"Dad what are you doing here?..." "Glen what the HELL do you think you're doing?
"What are you talk…" "GLEN!...I am not as simpleminded as you and your mother seem to think I am. I know you're representing that "Bastard," Dexter in his divorce against your sister." Glen hangs his head down.
"What on God's green earth would possess you to do this. AGAINST FAMILY!?"
"But Dexter is family" Glen said sheepishly. "GOD, YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD YOU IDIOT," Arthur yelled.
"Dexter came to me needing representation, so I accepted." By this time Arthur's blood was boiling. "Dexter could have gotten any lawyer in the state of New York, why the hell did he come to you?" Arthur asked.
"Glen flippantly told his father…" "cause I'm the best." Soon as those words left Glen's mouth, he found himself lying on the floor with a bloody mouth. "Don't get smart with me, I am still your father."
"Now, Glen I'm going to tell you this once and only once. You resign from this case, tell Dexter it has become a conflict of interest or something…I don't care."
"GET OFF THIS DIVORCE CASE," Arthur ordered.
Glen got up off the floor and looked into his father's eyes…"I can't…It's not that easy."
"What do you mean Glen?" Arthur asked. "Does your mother have anything to do with this?"
Glen's eyes widened, "No! I told you Dexter came to me and I took it. You know me business is business." Those words stabbed at Arthur's heart…"Fine Glen, I would have never in my life thought you would have done this to your sister for money. So, I'm going to do something I thought I would never do, the first was hitting you."
"From this day forward, YOU NO LONGER HAVE A FATHER AND I NO LONGER HAVE A SON," Arthur calmly told his son. "Our ties to each other are severed, I don't know you. If you want to visit your mother, do it away from my home, you are no longer welcomed there."
"I'm changing my will first thing tomorrow." As Arthur was leaving through the door, he turned and looked at his son one last time and said, "IT'S JUST BUSINESS…son."
After Arthur left, Chelsea ran into Glen's office and stood in the doorway silently watching him. Glen was never a crier, that was an emotion he refused to show… he was a man and men don't cry, but when his father left his office Glen sat down in his chair and cried like a newborn baby.
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Arthur's POV
I can't believe Glen actually refused to resign from this case. I don't care how much he denied it. I know Paula is behind his actions in representing Dexter. I can't believe how Spencer's divorce is wrecking havoc on this family and all because of Paula's malicious meddling. I'm going to have a talk with her tonight. Right now, I don't won't to be in that house. It doesn't feel like a home anymore. I think I'll go visit Heather right now. She always knows what to do to help me relax and say to make me feel better.
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Spencer and Ashley had been spending a lot of time together. Getting to know each other emotionally and physically. They talked about everything from their childhoods to Spencer's plans after her divorce and Ashley's graduating from college. As the days went by they were falling deeper in love with each other, much to Christine's dismay. She was still afraid Ashley was going to get hurt. She felt it in her soul.
Ashley and Spencer were in the living room enjoying a glass of wine when the phone rang. Ashley went to answer it. "Spencer telephone it's your lawyer." Spencer gave Ashley a kiss on the lips before taking the phone from her.
"Thank you," Spencer said.
"My pleasure Professor," Ashley said giggling.
"Hello!"
"Hello Ms. Carlin, this is Ron Townes…" "Hi Mr. Townes what's going on?" Spencer asked. "Your husband's lawyer sent a letter with the name of the witness who is willing to sign an affidavit that she's your lover."
"WHAT!!" Spencer said loudly, "and what name would that be?"
"Her name is Alexis Harthorne," Mr. Townes said.
"I don't know an Alexis Harthorne, she doesn't exist. Dexter must have gotten one of his sluts to say she was my lover," Spencer said.
"That's not all Ms. Carlin." "No! What else could there be Mr. Townes?" "The inheritance you received is also being contested. The papers have been filed with the courts already", Mr. Townes said.
"Oh my God!" As Spencer was listening to her lawyer, she looked over at Ashley. Ashley had been standing watching Spencer the whole time with concern etched on her face. Ashley mouthed "I Love You" to Spencer to let her know she was there for her.
"I can't believe this, on what grounds are they contesting the will," Spencer asked? "That the will was not executed properly due to your grandparent's mental incapacity." "That's not all is it?" Spencer asked. 'Well…um…the papers also state that you somehow coerced your grandparents into leaving you all the money."
Spencer felt dizzy, waves of nausea began to consume her, she glanced in Ashley's direction wondering why things were going so bad, and then the room went black.
"SPENCER!!" Ashley screamed.
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When Arthur got home, Paula was sitting in her husband's study. She didn't notice him come in, she was too preoccupied with something she was reading. Arthur stood there looking at his wife for a long time. Trying to remember the happy times they had as husband and wife. Paula finally looked up feeling eyes on her, noticed her husband staring at her.
"Arthur darling, you finally decided to come home from your little tryst with…what's her name? Holly…no Henrietta…no, Heather! Yes that's it Heather," Paula said snidely.
"I know what you're doing Paula. You have to stop this madness."
Paula looked at Arthur with curious eyes. "You know what I'm doing and stop what Arthur?"
Arthur was not in the mood for pretending. He walked over to Paula and roughly grabbed her by her arms. "You have manipulated everyone in this family, even me."
"Well, it's going to stop NOW!" Arthur said.
"I saw Glen today, he didn't admit it but I know you made him represent Dexter in the divorce against our daughter. OUR DAUGHTER FOR GOD'S SAKE!" Arthur yelled. "How could you do this? What evil lurks in that heart of yours to make you have your son go against his own sister?"
"Do you realize that the bond between those two can never be mended?" Paula kept quiet as Arthur continued to rant. "And Dexter, that piece of slim, what did you offer him to go seek out Glen…hmm Paula?" "Let me think…perhaps the inheritance money. You just can't stand to see Spencer with all that money. God, Paula when did you get so consumed with money. You have plenty of money…money that will last you a lifetime."
"WE ARE NOT POOR!" Arthur said.
"Arthur darling, you need to calm yourself," Paula said. Arthur just glared at his wife. "You have done some irrevocable damage to this family. Damage that can never be repaired, and for what Paula? What are you trying to prove?"
"Arthur are you finished?" "Not quite, but do go ahead if you have something to say."
"First of all I didn't talk anyone into doing anything. Dexter came to me asking if I could represent him in his divorce, I laughed at him and told him no. How could I do that against my own daughter? How could I know he would go to Glen and ask him."
"As for the inheritance, I don't care about that money. I have money…as you put it we are not poor. So, I've done nothing wrong," Paula said.
"You're lying Paula! Stop lying! You've lied through most of this marriage, well I'm not going to stand for it any longer. I'm leaving you Paula. I WANT A DIVORCE!!"
Arthur left the study, while Paula stood there with her mouth open.
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Spencer came too an hour later. "Ashley…" Spencer whispered.
"I'm right here Spencer."
"What happened?" Spencer asked.
"You fainted."
"Um…yeah, I remember," her not so blue eyes starting to tear.
"Spencer what did your lawyer say to make you faint?"
Before Spencer could answer Ashley she noticed she was in her room lying in her bed. Ashley told her Aiden had carried her up to her room after she collapsed.
"Mr. Townes told me that Dexter has a witness that will say she was my lover."
"What!" Ashley said surprised.
"And he also found a way to contest the will."
"I am so sorry Spencer," that was all Ashley could say.
"Ashley will you just hold me, please?"
Ashley climbed into the bed and just held on to Spencer as tight as she could. A few minutes later, they were interrupted by the phone ringing.
"Hello," Spencer answered.
"Spencer, it's your father…" hi dad, why are you calling so late?"
"Spencer I'm going to fly down to Reno in the morning. I want you to meet me at your lawyer's office. We need to clean up this messy situation."
"Okay dad, I'll see you in the morning," Spencer said.
"What's happening," Ashley asked. "My father's coming to Reno, he sounded angry, but he also sounded sad. I wonder what happened."
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One of Paula's legal clerks discovered how to get around the stipulations of Spencer's inheritance. He told Paula if Spencer contested the will she would forfeit her rights to any monies and it would go to Paula. Paula hearing this smiled evilly.
It didn't take her long to call Dexter. "We need to meet…find another one of your blond sluts to pose as Spencer. We're going to see a lawyer friend of mine who's a little unscrupulous in his dealings with the law. She's going to put in a challenge on the inheritance."
"WHAT!! Are you crazy? We won't get away with that," Dexter said.
"No, we won't, you're going to handle this," Paula instructed.
"Oh no I'm not!" Dexter said nervously. "I'll get caught and go to jail for fraud."
"Don't worry Dexter darling I got your back. Trust Me! Call me when you get the bimbo slut and we'll go from there."
Dexter hung up the phone thinking to himself, "Shit!" "When did I go to bed with the Devil?"
Dexter was now afraid. He knew Paula was a little crazy but now she was bordering on psychotic and he didn't want to go to jail. All he wanted was to live the good life on Spencer's money.
After contemplating his situation he decided it was best that he make a visit to his father-in-law first thing tomorrow.
"To hell with Paula, I'm going to go to Arthur and confess everything, well not everything only what I need to get from under Paula's grip."
Dexter called Arthur's office. "Damn!" Dexter said to himself, "Arthur's out of town for a week. What am I going to do. I can't do what Paula is asking me to do. Damnit! Think!
"I've Got It!"