that nothing is built in its place.”
It goes on and on about how he’ll fuck every person he has touched in his life if we refuse to follow his stupid stipulations. It’s not about the money he’s leaving but about having the last say. I’m trying to read as fast as I can to find at least one loophole.
There’s nothing.
“Can you contest the will?” Blaire asks me. “Modify the terms, so you can donate everything to the town, and they can run their own lives.”
I glance at her and then at the table because so far, I can only say that we’re fucked.
“Pierce, can you find the loophole?” Hayes insists.
This is too long, too wordy, too calculated for a man who was dying.
Mr. Parrish says, “Other than contesting and seeing if you can win, there's nothing else that you can do. You have thirty days from tomorrow to get your affairs in order and move into the property.”
“Can they buy out William’s assets?” Blaire grasps for straws, and I swear she’s the only one who is thinking with her head and not her anger.
“No, only approved buyers can do it,” he answers and gives her a more detailed explanation about who can do it.
Of course, Blaire tries to find her little loopholes. “When you say we have to live here, does that mean we can’t travel for business or pleasure?”
By now, Mr. Parrish is somehow annoyed with us and asks, “What do you mean?”
“Well, I’ll be happy to move into Baker’s Creek if that’s what he wishes, but I have work to do, and I want to make sure that I can continue.”
She then looks at me with an agonizing face that almost reminds me of Leyla when she’s about to put down an animal, “Could you contest the will, or do you know anyone who could at least help us modify it?”
I nod, and I wonder if I am wrong about her. I wish Leyla were here. She’s better at reading people than I am. While everyone argues how their lives can’t be uprooted, I continue reading. Father expected us to live on his property and become residents of Oregon and Baker’s Creek. We’re free to work on our businesses remotely. However, the factory, the resort, and managing the properties are our priority.
I burst into laughter when I get to the stupid stipulation that fucks me. “Fucking William. That too. We have thirty days to gather our things—my wife will be happy about this.”
But, in fact, this is perfect. “You know,” I pause, tapping my chin and staring at the ceiling. Thank you, God. This is precisely the thing that I was expecting. That change of air…even if I can stop the stipulations, I can just show this to her, and she’ll sign. This is her hard limit. “This might work. Leyla will give me the divorce immediately. She hates small towns. I might be in.”
Once I compose myself and pay attention to the discussion, I realize that Blaire is freaking out. Scanning the document, I find some stipulations made for her. He is fucking with her more than with the rest of us.
Why?
“Sorry, Blaire,” I announce, and I feel bad for her. “But you can only use the next thirty days to make an appearance. He restricted you a lot. You’re not allowed to travel—not even short trips. Portland is as far as you can go and only for the day. You don’t get thirty days after the first six months are over like the rest of us.”
I focus back on the will. What is Carter’s Kids Foundation? I google it, and fuck if I’m not wrong about little Blaire and the gold-digging bullshit my father and Hayes’s mom spewed when my brother died. She’s freaking Mother Theresa.
Can she even afford to do all this with the bit of money she receives from the trust fund?
“If you need money for the operation, tell me how much, and I’ll just write a check,” I offer.
She smiles and says, “I might accept your money.”
“What about those thirty days?” Henry asks, desperate. “Do we have more than that to pack?”
“No. We all have to be here in thirty days,” I say and explain to them how they’d work out. Unfortunately, Blaire doesn’t get that either.
Henry protests, then Hayes. I’m already scanning the will with my phone to send it to Nyx. She’s good at finding loopholes.
Beacon complains about his upcoming tour. It starts in September. Should I ask him to reimburse