Enough is Enough

Joann and Preston POV

Joann POV

There. I said it. There's no going back now.

Val is silent as we sit in the gazebo gazing out across the pond. I have nothing else to say at this moment. My mind is numb and has just kind of stopped and I'm afraid to look at him, fearing the look of disgust that I am sure will be on his face. After a few agonizing moments of more silence I feel a shift in the air and feel his eyes on me.

"Joann, look at me. Please." The tone of his voice is firm and feels more like a command than anything.

I'm not totally sure if it's from shame, sadness, embarrassment or fear of seeing disappointment in his eyes but I'm hesitant. I don't know if I could handle seeing that. He's like the brother I never had. It took a while to get used to having a shadow but once I did I always felt relaxed and safe and like I was with my best friend. We've been through a lot the past couple of decades and I've never felt safer than when Val is around. As odd as is sounds, he's my 'bodyguard' but he's only a few years older than me. Maybe that's why we get along so well. I did fight him a lot when he first started and was pretty adamant about not needing protection. I would disappear and play what I call adult hide-n-seek. Val would get so frustrated that he'd run around barking orders at everyone to search for me. It was quite amusing. To me anyway. I'm not sure how Preston felt about it. Sometimes I'd see him roll his eyes and shake his head with a small smile on his lips. Other times he would seem irritated and on the verge of being angry with me. It was usually at this time I would make my location known and the game would be over. It was only when there was a real physical threat that I realized I probably shouldn't play the games I did because they'd probably not take my 'missing' seriously. I wasn't prepared for the reality to sink in that someone may just want to harm me to get to Preston. It was at that time I stopped playing games and 'behaved' so I didn't cause undue stress for everyone.

Sighing, I turn to him, and see the concern in his eyes.

"That's better. Thank you. I need you to look at me so I know you understand what I'm saying." He gives me a gentle smile and continues. "You did nothing wrong. You didn't fail anyone. If anything you've been the person to provide a safe place to be and to be comforted. While you may have had no idea what was going on, you were still there for her. What she needed was someone there for her and you were, even when she didn't ask you to be. When her mother didn't show her that she loved her YOU did. All the time you and Preston spent with her just her made her feel loved and wanted. I've seen you and her interact and I can tell that's all she's ever wanted. That's something that is remarkable, witnessing the connection between grandmother and granddaughter without words being exchanged."

I start to say something but he stops me.

"I'm not finished." He says with a smile. "Was it not you who made sure she was happy and taken care of when she was here? You did whatever you could to make sure she was safe and happy. You were the one who saw the struggle she was having with James and the way he was treating her. You made the change happen to have the kids come visit separately. That made a huge difference. It was pretty brilliant how you turned the tables around to have the kids visit under the ruse of having more one on one time. You made it happen and it's made a huge difference." He pauses for a moment.

I'm not sure if he's waiting for me to say anything at this point so I remain silent. Good choice. I think to myself as he continues.

"You can tell by looking at both kids it was the best decision for both of them. Obviously the reasons were different but I think the alone time with James helped instill good traits into his conscience. I doubt he would ever get that at home with Veronica. Oscar can only do so much when she only lets him spend time with him when she decides to, which is not often enough. I don't think she realizes she's causing more damage than anything. Then again, she might be enjoying the pain she's causing."

When he says that my face falls and the sadness seeps out. Why does she have to be such an evil person? I never raised her that way. Is she defective? Was she just born that way? You hear of people who were 'born evil' and you see them portrayed in movies. Do people like that really exist or are they created by their surroundings?

When I don't respond he places his hand on mine and gives it a squeeze.

"Come on, let's go see Preston. You need to talk to him and let him know your feelings and thoughts about all this. I will say this, you HAVE to be completely honest with him. Don't hide anything or hold back. He needs to know the depth of your concern is about this and together you can come to a resolution, no matter how hard that resolution will be."

Slowly we rise up from the bench and start our way back to the house. I glance over my shoulder again toward the pond and see that the swans have distanced themselves from their offspring. I really don't think they're abandoning them but maybe they need their own space. It seems fitting, like they are mirroring my thoughts.

Approaching the front door, I hesitate for a moment. Val snakes his arm around my shoulders to steady me.

"You ok?" He asks, concern etching his face.

I nod, "Yes, just trying to get the courage."

"You know, you're one tough chick to handle Preston and all his shit. You've been holding everything together for years, both family and socially. You've got this. Besides, I'm not going in there with you, unless you want me to. But please say no because I'd prefer not to." He grins and gives a wink.

"Jerk." I respond with a small laugh. That's one thing I always liked about Val. He always makes me laugh. "I'll be ok. Thank you though. For everything and being there for me." I give him a hug and turn to find Preston.

Heading down the hallway I seek out my husband. He's my rock and my best friend. We've been married for nearly fifty years and can read each other like a book. That's one thing I'm worried about. I know he's going to know something is wrong the minute I step through that door. The door is closed when I come to it and I stop to gather my thoughts and calm myself before I knock.

"Joann, come on in, you know you don't need to knock." His voice is muffled a little because the door was closed.

Trying to calm my nerves, I take a deep breath before pushing open the heavy mahogany door. As I'm entering the room, he stands up and starts to come around his desk toward me. He's smiling as he opens his arms to me and says, "There's my girl."

His open arms beckon to me and I walk into his embrace, seeking his warmth. As I wrap my arms around him I let out a shaky breath and squeeze him as tight as I can, burrowing my face into his chest.

"Hey. Hey. Hey. What's wrong?" He asks, taking a step back and nudging me away by my shoulders. "Come here and sit with me." He removes one hand from my shoulder and takes my hand leading me to the couch.

"Please look at me." The tone of his voice makes me finally look at him. I can see the concern clouding his beautiful eyes and marring his warm features with slight creases in his skin. "Are you ready to talk?" He asks. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"

We're silent for a few moments and I take a few deep breaths to calm my inner turmoil. I start to tell him everything that I talked to Val about. Preston has never been the most emotional person but I will say that when it comes to anything or anyone to cause me distress he's a formidable force to protect me. It's sweet but can be annoying at times. I'm not a damsel in distress, though I have played that role before to humor him; Or to avoid doing something.

As I'm recounting the conversation I had with Val earlier at the pond, I watch Preston's facial expressions flash through a myriad of expressions. When I finish, the final expression is anger.

Oh I hope he isn't angry with me. I feel the sting of tears start to form and close my eyes so he doesn't see. I hate to seem weak and vulnerable. Feeling the warmth of his strong hands wrap around mine calms me and I open my eyes to see concern on his face.

"Joann, please don't think I'm angry with you. I'm not. I'm angry because I can see how this has affected you. I'm angry because everything that's happened is because of the ungrateful children we have. I'm angry that they are still not the decent people we have tried to raise. I'm beyond angry seeing you upset like this and that this has happened for years. This is going to be my priority and we're going to solve this immediately." He places both hands on my cheeks and leans in and before he kisses me he says, "I love you." He then stands and walks back around his desk and sits down in his chair.

I watch as he picks up the phone and calls Michael our attorney asking him to come in immediately. He moves with brilliance like a mad man through his desk and filing cabinet like a whirlwind yet leaving no evidence of papers and folders being moved. Next, his fingers fly at lightning speed across the keys of his keyboard and the mouse moves as a blur with the clicking of the button sounding like morse code. I've never been more impressed watching him in motion that I can't help but smile. I don't realize how caught up I was watching him until I hear his voice break through my thoughts. His voice makes butterflies erupt in my stomach and his words melt my heart.

"There she is. My beautiful girl with the most beautiful smile. That's what I like to see." When I look at him he winks and smiles. "I really don't like seeing you like this. You don't deserve it. You've done everything you can to bring those ungrateful spoiled brats right and all they've done is hurt you. I haven't helped by continuing to give them allowance when they were younger. I should've stepped in years ago but I didn't and I failed you. However, that's stopping right now. I'm not letting them hurt you any longer."

I can see the anger on his face but it contrasts with the sadness in his eyes. I know it hurts him to punish our children but something needs to be done. I can't do this anymore and he needed to know how I feel.

There is a knock at the door and Michael walks in with his laptop and a box of files. He nods at Preston and smiles at me, "Hello Joann. You look lovely today. How are you?"

Standing up, I smile at him, "Do you need some help Michael?" I take a step forward and reach out to help but he stops me. "No, please, I've got it. You just sit. Besides, Preston would kill me if I let you carry anything. You know that." He smirks at Preston and winks at me.

"You damn well better remember that too Michael. I'm not above beating down my attorney." He growls with an empty threat. We all have a good laugh for a few minutes and it feels good to cut the tension I've been feeling.

"Can I get you gentlemen anything?" I ask looking between the two of them.

"Joann, we'll have someone come in with drinks in a little while. First I'd like to get this mess settled and the sooner the better. I'm not letting this go on any longer." Turning around he pushes the call button on his intercom and summons beverages to be brought to the office.

I watch silently as Michael pulls out files and places them in stacks on the meeting table where there is more room to work with. While he's doing this, Preston is opening various documents on his computer and the two of them are like a fine oiled machine. I would hope so because they've worked together for over 40 years and have been friends even longer. Michael was Preston's best man at our wedding and they went to college together before that.

There's a knock at the door so I get up and open it and one of the servers brings in a tray of coffee and water. "Thank you Marie. Please, just set it on the coffee table and I'll take care of the rest." Marie nods, sets down the tray and leaves the room, closing the door behind her quietly. When she leaves I pour the coffee and leave them on the tray considering there's no room on the conference table or desk.

"What is all this?" I ask, confusion marring my face matching the question in the tone of my voice. Michael is on his phone, texting like a mad man.

No one looks at me for a few moments, then I see them pass a secretive glance at each other.

Preston responds, his voice calm and soothing but the distinct undertone of anger is apparent. "Darling, we will talk about that in a few moments. There are a few things that need to be taken care of first. I just need to make a couple of calls. There will be some other people joining us in a few minutes. Would you be willing to go help set up a sandwich tray and maybe another offering of refreshments? We'll be here a while. I'll explain as soon as everyone gets here."

I'm even more confused but I agree and leave the room. As I'm walking down to the kitchen, the doorbell rings. Marie comes out of the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron to answer the door. I'm taken by surprise when I see 5 men entering through the doorway. I recognize Michael's assistant and a few others by face but their names elude me.

"You must be here for the meeting with Preston and Michael." It's a statement more than a question.

They nod in confirmation and Chad, Michael's assistant replies, "Yes ma'am."

Turning to Marie I tell her, "Marie? Please join me in the kitchen. I'll be right there." She nods and returns to the kitchen.

Turning back to the men I shake my head at Chad's formality, smiling, "Chad, SIR, you know you don't have to be so formal with me." I laugh and roll my eyes. "Please follow me." I hear him chuckle as they follow me down the hall toward the office.

I feel like I'm leading the troops into battle with the sound of the men's purposeful footsteps echoing behind me. I knock on the door and hear my husband's voice, "Joann, would you please stop knocking. You know you don't have to do that. Come on in everyone."

"Gentlemen, go ahead. Honey? I'll be back shortly." Turning around I close the door and head down the hallway toward the kitchen. I have no idea what sandwiches he's wanting but I guess I need to look to see what we have and go from there.

Preston POV

Un-fucking-believable! I can't believe what I've let these children of ours do to my wife! My heart hurts after hearing what Joann revealed to me, the tears staining her beautiful face. Had I known she was hurting this much, after all these years, I would have done something and taken care of things years ago. Those ungrateful people I hate to call my children have hurt the love of my life for the last time. I'm supposed to take care of her and not let anyone cause her harm, and that includes our own flesh and blood. I'm not sure where things went wrong with those two but it's evident there is definitely something wrong with them.

Veronica always wanted to live like a celebrity and have the world idolize her. She didn't have any sort of talent or knowledge of anything other than being self-centered and money hungry. She loved attention and having everything revolve around her. She still does because she's always making sure she's in the middle of every situation. She is always involved in every social circle and is one of the biggest gossips there is. I don't think she realizes that while she's in all the social circles gossiping, everyone else is gossiping about her and her infidelities.

Oh yes, we've known about everything she's done this entire time. This all started over 17 years ago, shortly after James was born. We noticed when Oscar was out on assignment she would take that child everywhere with her in the beginning but within a year she was having us babysit him more often. When she dropped him off it was usually in the afternoon and she'd say she was going to dinner with girlfriends. It wasn't long before she would start picking him up later and later until she decided to just have us keep him overnight. We didn't mind considering we were able to spend time with our grandson. It was bittersweet though. It was obvious he was his mother's child because he acted exactly like she did. We did whatever we could to discipline him, when it was needed, to offset the way his mother raised him.

Once we realized there was a pattern that correlated to when Oscar was on assignment, we had one of our attorneys arrange for someone to gather information on her and report what they found back to us. It didn't take long for us to figure out she was having affairs and leaving James with us or friends of hers to babysit while she went out and screwed half the sailors on base. I was honestly shocked that Oscar never knew she was cheating only to find out later that he knew all along. We've had a pretty good relationship with Oscar and his parents so we would have dinner regularly and at one of these dinners he told us he was also investigating everything and gathering evidence. I find it humorous that he stayed with her and even provided an 'allowance' for her all the while letting her think she's getting away with things. I don't think she realized just how many connections Oscar and his parents have; Naval, personal and legal connections. It was with these connections he was able to get full custody of Rhiann in addition to being able to raise her with assistance from family, coworkers and friends. We were more than happy to help out whenever needed because no matter what, that beautiful and sweet little girl is still our granddaughter. While she may not have felt love from her mother she made up for it ten-fold through Oscar's family, co-workers, friends and us.

Veronica is getting ready to have reality slap her in the face and I'd be surprised if she didn't die from the shock. Bruce, on the other hand, hasn't had access to any luxuries like Veronica has because he's been in and out of jail and prison. The only financial help he's had is through Veronica. I don't understand how she could support him in any way after what he's done, but that's coming to an end. I never thought I would see the day that I would say my own flesh and blood deserve to suffer but they deserve everything they have coming to them. I'm going to make sure of that.

After hearing what Joann had to say I focused on getting things taken care of but I needed to send Joann off to keep her busy and out of the way, with the best intentions possible. I didn't want her to get caught in the way of all the chaos that was about to take place. After making my first call, I knew things would get busy so I didn't take the time to explain what was going to take place. It wasn't because I was angry with her, I was angry with the pain she was feeling and that I did nothing to stop it. I used that anger to fuel my determination to put an end to all this bullshit today. The first call I made was to my attorney.

"Michael, I need you to gather whatever legal documents you have regarding my children and any assistants you have available to help. I've got some things I need to get taken care of immediately and need every hand on deck for this. I need all files, both digital and hard copy, brought over. This is going to take a while so I'll have Joann make some lunch, we'll need all the fuel we can get. I want this done immediately. It will be handled before the end of today." I hang up. I didn't even give him a chance to speak, I just needed to get this done.

Once everyone arrives, I send Joann to make some lunch. She doesn't need to sit and listen to all the business dealings. I know it seems a little cold after what she told me but I can guarantee in the long run she'll understand why and will appreciate it in the long run. We've got a well-oiled machine happening here, between the shuffling of papers, the tapping of computer keys, the words being tossed about with determination and the sound of ink being scribbled across the course grain of dozens of papers. In less than three hours we've completely altered the future of a multitude of people; most importantly, our granddaughter.

"Is everything ready Michael?" I ask, just needing confirmation we've got everything covered.

Turning to look at me he nods and raises his hand that is holding his cell phone. "Yes sir, I do believe we have everything taken care of. We just need two things so we can complete the paperwork and make things official." I watch as he holds his phone to his ear and begins to speak to the other party.

I nod and pick up my own phone. "Val. Will you please bring Joann into my office?" I pause listening to his answer. "Thank you."

We're only waiting for a few minutes when we hear footsteps and the muted voices of a man and a woman.

"Do you know anything about what's going on Val? Please tell me. I can't handle this stress." I hear Joann's strained voice and can hear the worry and sadness in her tone.

That's the last thing I ever want to hear again. Just the sound brings the anger I subdued a couple of hours ago back to life like a roaring inferno. I will never let anyone hurt her again.

"Joann, things are going to be ok. I promise you. There's no reason to be worried. Preston would never do anything to cause you harm in any way. You know how much he loves you. Take a deep breath and go on in." Val's response is right on point and I'm thankful we hired him years ago. The two of them are like best friends and I trust him implicitly with her safety.

There's a soft knock on the door. "Come on in Joann. You know you don't need to knock." I roll my eyes and can't help the chuckle that comes out as I look at Michael who is smiling and shaking his head. In all the years we've been together she's always knocked before entering my office. Even when we first started dating Michael always thought it was funny.

The door opens and Joann appears. I take in her appearance and feel a tug on my heart when I see the fear and sadness in her eyes. How in the fuck did things get this far?

"Come here dear. Let's sit on the couch." I guide her to the couch where on the coffee table Chad, one of Michael's assistants, has laid out all the paperwork we've been working on into neat piles.

The look of confusion sets upon her face and I feel better to see that instead of sadness but I would rather see her happy more than anything. Holding both of her hands in mine, I give a gentle squeeze, "Joann, I can't let you go through this any longer. I should have done something to stop this sooner but I didn't. I thought I was doing the right thing by taking care of my family, which includes our children, but I neglected to see they were the ones who were hurting you. It must have seemed like I didn't care about how you were feeling when I was still providing finances to the children even when we decided to put stipulations on them. That was the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted to make sure they were taken care of until they were able to be completely independent. It's obvious, after all these years, they will never be independent. Nor will they ever be decent human beings, caring about other people above themselves."

I watch as sadness wraps its cloak around her, causing her shoulders to drop and her eyes close.

When she looks at me I can see the sadness in her eyes and the tone of her voice is heart breaking. "Preston, there's no reason for you to feel like this is your fault. You were doing what you thought was right and that's all that matters. We don't have any control over who or what our children become. We can only do what we think is right and hope they take that knowledge and use it to become better people. It's obvious that they failed to do that. I'm not sure if we failed to reinforce that or if they were unable to grasp it and apply it to their lives. I'm at a loss of what to do to fix this. It seems like everything I've tried has been ignored or deflected. I don't know what else to do."

That's it. This stops now. I can't see her hurt like this anymore.

"I do. I know exactly what we are going to do to fix this." I look over at Michael, who gives a sad smile and a nod. "Joann, do you see these piles of papers?" I ask, looking at her and gesturing to the papers on the table with my hand.

With a look of confusion, she looks at them for a moment, her eyes sweeping across the papers. When she turns her eyes to me the confusion sets in once again.

"We, my dear, are ending all avenues of funding to both children." I try my hardest to refrain from sounding vengeful because I don't want to sound like I hate my children, but I do hate what they've become and most importantly what they've done to Joann. I can't just sit back and allow this to happen anymore.

"What do you mean?" She asks, looking at me with confusion clouding her face, her eyebrows pinching together.

I place a pen in her hand and pick up a stack of papers. "Joann, we are putting an end to Veronica and Bruce having access to any of our investments, properties, insurance policies and finances. In essence, we're removing them from our wills and any inheritance they were going to get is no longer going to be left to them. The only thing they will have access to are their trusts which, as we both know, Veronica has been going through hers like water and it won't be too much longer before that well has dried up. Then there's Bruce, who still has his untouched because he has not been able to stay clean and out of trouble for five years." I'm not giving her an opportunity to change my mind on this.

To say she looks stunned is an understatement. I'm not sure how she feels about all this being thrown at her but I'll give her a few moments to gather her thoughts. I decide we need a drink so I stand up and walk over to the bar and pull out a bottle of scotch and two glasses, placing two ice cubes in one; She likes hers on the rocks and I like mine neat. Turning around, I'm about to walk back over to her but I stop and I watch as she is in the middle of signing the first stack of papers I gave her. When she looks up, her eyes have hardened a bit and her face is set with determination.

"Once I sign all of these, what is the next step to make it official? Do we have to wait for a certain amount of time?" She asks, her tone sounds like she's asking a waitress if her breakfast comes with pancakes. Not waiting for a response, she continues in a more determined tone, "I'd really like to have this done as soon as possible. Bruce hasn't had quite as many opportunities that Veronica has due to the lifestyle he's chosen. Veronica, on the other hand, has lived her entire life expecting the world to bow down to her like she's some kind of princess. She's in for the shock of her life if she thinks I'm going to let her walk all over me, all over US anymore. It stops right now."

I watch her, Michael and his assistants move in sync like the gears of a clock. Michael hands her a stack of papers and briefly explains what they are. She nods in understanding, signs the documents and passes them off to one if his assistants for further handling. Each pile of papers represents our assets and as she signs them and passes them on, the lives of our children are changing and they don't even know it yet.

I feel elated when the last document is signed and handed off and I can't help the smile that breaks out on my face. I walk over and hand her a glass.

"I was worried for a moment there. I thought you would disapprove and fight me on this. I'm thankful that isn't the case." I place a glass in her hand and gesture to her to raise her glass with me. She smiles and does as I ask and we both take a drink. No words are needed to convey our feelings at this moment.

After a few moments of silence, Michael clears his throat. "Preston? We've got everything prepared and ready to go. Would you like me to call Roger so he can make the changes final with the courts?"

I nod, "Yes, call him and tell him and we'll get the papers to him immediately."

Joann places her hand on mine. "Preston, we should probably call Oscar and let him know what's going on. This is going to affect a lot of people's lives and preparations need to be put in place."

I nod in agreement and pick up the phone.