The Inheritance
BY Bree Callahan
The Inheritance
This book is a work of fiction. Any person, place, or situation in the story is of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to a person, place, or situation is completely coincidental.
This book may not be reproduced in any way and if you wish to use it for any means other than your personal enjoyment, then express by written consent to the author. Any communication can come to the author by clicking here. Thank you for your understanding.
Copyright © 2016 Bree Callahan
All Rights Reserved.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Prologue
Derek glanced over at his friend, Jesse, and waited for him to explain why they were there. Jesse wasn’t just his friend, but his lawyer and after getting an urgent call to read his father’s will, he was anxious to find out what was so crucial. Yet, Jesse continued to say the same thing, much to Derek’s dismay. “I don’t know why we’re here. Max said he had some important information about your father’s will. Just be patient.”
Derek glanced at his watch. Patient? They’d been there for nearly forty-five minutes, and he wasn’t any closer to getting answers. It seemed to him that his father’s lawyer was dragging his feet, and he was only going to let it go along a little while longer before he got up and left the stuffy office. “This is ridiculous,” Derek huffed. “If he’s not here in five minutes, I’m leaving.”
Jesse groaned. “Derek…calm down. You’re not going anywhere. As your lawyer, I must advise you that leaving wouldn’t solve anything.”
“And as my friend?” Derek asked, raising an eyebrow.
Jesse tilted his head, and there was a soft chuckle that escaped his lips. “Well, today I’m acting as your lawyer.”
Derek nodded. “Figured.” He tapped his foot impatiently on the floor. He had things to do and spending his morning at the lawyer’s office wasn’t on his list of priorities. As the minutes ticked on, he grew even more impatient. “This is crazy. He’s wasting my time…and yours.” He jumped up from his chair.
Jesse sighed but stood up next to him. “Derek…wait…”
As Derek started to argue, the door of the office shut. Derek looked up, and Max’s eyes scanned over the two of them. “I apologize for being late. I was detained in court.”
“Whatever,” Derek mumbled, sitting back down.
Max shuffled some paperwork on his desk until a file was sitting before him. He looked up and smiled. “I’m sure you know why you’re here.”
Derek opened his mouth to spew out some unpleasant response, but Jesse gave him a stern look, and Derek closed his mouth. “To be honest, Max, we’re not exactly sure why you summoned us to the office. We obviously know it’s about the will, but neither one of us expected we needed the formal proceedings. Derek was the only living relative, and so he should receive his father’s assets. Are we wrong?”
Derek listened to Jesse’s speech and when he was finished, he turned back to Max. Max appeared anything but jovial at that moment. He skimmed over some notes on his desk, then slowly looked up. “That is correct. Since Derek is the only child, and his father wasn’t married, then the estate would go to him.” Max spoke to Jesse, which made Derek uncomfortable. He could see there was something pressing on Max’s mind, and it worried him.
“Speak to me, Max.”
Max slid his eyes over to Derek’s. “It isn’t as simple as you getting your father’s money. There are some stipulations.”
Derek frowned. “Stipulations? Either I inherit it, or I don’t. It doesn’t seem to me that you can get any clearer than that.”
Max looked down and rummaged through some papers, then retrieved it from the folder. He read it, taking an agonizingly long time to look it over, then finally pushed the paper toward Derek. Derek picked it up and silently read it over, until the words hit him like a ton of bricks.
“You can’t be serious.” He tossed the paper down on the desk and glared at the older lawyer.
“It’s what your father’s wishes were,” Max simply replied.
Jesse lifted the paper up and read through the sentence that Derek could still hear in his mind. “My son, Derek Worthington, shall receive his full inheritance at the time that he marries and is on the way to starting a family.” Jesse looked up, and Derek saw the astounded look on his face. It was the same feeling he also felt. “What?”
Max nodded. “It goes on to say that he has two years to get married.” He cleared his throat and glanced at Derek. “It goes on to say that you have two years to get married. If you do, then the remaining estate will be released to you. If you don’t, the estate will be released to the city.”
Derek laughed. “I’m the Mayor of this city, so wouldn’t that mean that I would ultimately get the money either way?”
“I suppose you could see it that way, but in actuality, I would have the final say as to what the money goes to. There're some guidelines that have to be followed, and we’ll cross that bridge should we get to it. Your father was very precise on how it should be handled.”
“Stipulations…guidelines? This is ridiculous!” Derek mumbled under his breath.
Jesse sternly looked at Derek out of the corner of his eye. “I have a question!” Jesse stated.
Derek turned to his friend. “Go on,” Max stated.
“This part where it says on the way to starting a family…what does that mean?”
Max fidgeted in his seat. He clearly looked as uncomfortable as one person could look. Derek was intrigued to hear his answer, but once he did…he felt nauseous. “Your father wants you to have a child to carry on your name and legacy. So, your wife would need to be pregnant, or you would need to already have a child for the deal to be finalized.”
Derek laughed in disbelief. “Wow…it just keeps getting better and better. Do you realize that I have no intention of ever wanting to get married…and I definitely have no desire to be a father? So, my opinion doesn’t matter here?”
Max shrugged. “I apologize, but those are his rules. You will get a million dollars deposited into your account at the end of the week. After that…the rest is up to you.”
Derek snickered. “My father’s worth over ten billion dollars.”
Max threw up his hands. “My hands are tied, and there’s nothing anybody can do to change that.”
“Do you mind if I look through the material?” Jesse asked.
Max nodded. “By all means. That’s your copy.”
Max and Jesse stood up, but Derek remained seated, dumbfounded. “Are you coming?” Jesse softly asked.
Derek slowly stood to his feet. “I can’t believe you would allow my father to make such demanding rules.”
Max sighed. “I understand your concern, but it was his will, and it’s what he wanted for your life. He thought it was the right thing to do.”
“My father was always trying to get me to do what he wanted me to do. It was always how he thought I should lead my life. My opinion never mattered.”
“Thank you, Max,” Jesse replied, cutting off Derek’s rant and
shaking the other lawyer’s hand. “We’ll be in contact.”
Max stared at Derek. “This is impossible news to understand. I get that, but your father loved you.”
Derek shook his head. “My father loved that I followed in his footsteps.” He turned around, ignoring the voices in the background. A lot could happen in two years, but he couldn’t imagine starting a family just because his father demanded it. He had no desire to go down that road because he knew the heartbreak it could bring and nothing would change that.
***
“Da Da Da Da…Da Da Da Da…” Tiffany sang in the background while Charity Parker looked at her reflection in the mirror. Standing in the white wedding gown was a sight she’d never envisioned for herself, but it was here, and she was only a week away from becoming Mrs. Joseph Manchester.
She spun around and stared at her sister. “Will you stop singing that? I’m nervous enough.”
Tiffany laughed. “Come on…my sister isn’t afraid of anything.” She paused, and Charity saw the speckle of tears in the back of her sister’s eyes. “You’re beautiful, Sis.”
“Now don’t you go crying. I’m way too emotional for that,” Charity demanded. She turned around and she, too, nearly lost it. She wiped a couple of tears from her eyes, as she saw Tiffany approach her from behind.
“Mom and Dad would be so proud of the woman you’ve become.”
Tiffany’s hands touched her arms and Charity slowly nodded. “You think so?”
“Of course. After all, you took care of me when there was no one. Not too many people would do that.”
Charity turned around and smiled. “You’re my sister. It was only the right thing to do. Now, let’s stop blubbering over the past and focus on the future,” Charity replied quietly. She took a deep breath and turned back around to stare at her reflection.
“You’re right,” Tiffany replied, running her hands down the front of her Maid-Of-Honor dress.
Charity softly sighed with relief. She didn’t want to dwell on the negative things that happened to the both of them. She wanted to think of the good that was about to come. When she met Joe, she had no doubt this was how her life would turn out. She didn’t expect it to happen only a short five weeks after meeting one another, but she wouldn’t knock the meaning he brought to her life.
“I’m happy for you, Charity,” Tiffany continued.
Charity smiled and glanced at her sister. “Thank you! I’m glad you said yes to being my Maid of Honor. After all, you’ll be a big shot lawyer soon, and you won’t have time for little ol’ me.”
Tiffany chuckled. “These dresses are so flattering. How could I pass up the chance?” She scrunched up her nose and Charity laughed. “Besides, I will always have time for my big sis.”
“Good answer!” They laughed as Charity stepped away from the mirror. She glanced at her watch and was about to question why her Bridesmaid was thirty minutes late when the door opened, and she rushed in. “It’s about time…I was about to send out the SWAT team to look for you.” Charity laughed as Ana Brewer came to a halt.
“Sorry, I’m late. I was…uh…detained.” A smile crossed her lips, and Charity could only imagine what the smile was about.
“Detained, huh?” Charity laughed, pointing to the dressing room. “Your dress is waiting.” Ana was known to have guys flocking all over her. Charity wasn’t the least bit surprised that another guy would be the reason her friend nearly missed the final fitting. The smile never left Ana’s face as she hurried into the dressing room.
“So who’s the lucky guy this time?” Charity called.
“You’ll never guess!” There was a long pause and Charity wasn’t really interested in trying to guess. She knew sooner or later she would find out.
“How’s everything going so far?” The dress shop owner, Sarah, asked.
Charity nodded. “Mine fits great.” She twirled around in front of the mirror. She was glad she decided to go the simple route. She didn’t need a fluffy train or layers and layers of lace. She wanted to feel comfortable. “Thanks, Sarah.”
The woman gave a pleased smile and turned to Tiffany. “How about yours?”
“Great! Thanks!” Tiffany responded.
“Ana will be a little while longer.” Charity smiled, and Sarah disappeared.
“Are you going to guess?” Ana asked behind the closed door.
Tiffany chuckled as Charity rolled her eyes. It was always a guessing game around Ana. She thought about the men they both knew, as she stepped into the other dressing room and got undressed. “Matt?”
“Uh…no…” Ana answered.
“Tommy?”
“Ewwww…gross…not even close.”
Charity chuckled. “Neil?”
There was a long pause, and she figured she had guessed it, until Ana responded, “That was last week.” She giggled. “Do you want me to just tell you?”
“That would save us a lot of time,” Charity replied. She opened the door, just as Ana’s door opened and she walked out in her dress. Charity nodded her approval.
“He asked me to give you this. Joe gave it to him. Do you want to guess once more?”
Charity stared at the envelope in her hand. It definitely was Joe’s handwriting, but that narrowed the field quite a bit. Joe didn’t know a lot of people that would also know Ana. Charity tilted her head as it suddenly hit her. “Chad?”
Ana nodded. There was a light in her eyes. “Who’s Chad?” Tiffany asked.
“Joe’s best friend and Best Man,” Charity explained. She raised her eyebrow, about ready to scold her friend, then realized it really wasn’t her place to judge. “Be careful,” she softly said.
Ana rolled her eyes and walked over to the mirror. Charity opened up the envelope and sighed as she started to read the letter. Her face fell, the further she got down the page until it fell from her hands. Ana turned around and gawked at Charity. “What’s wrong?”
Charity couldn’t even speak. Tiffany picked up the letter and read it out loud:
Charity-
I’m sorry to have to do this when there’s just a week left before the big day, but there’s something
you need to know. I’m not being honest with myself or with you. I’m not in love with you,
Charity, and no matter how much I don’t want to believe it…it’s true. I was unfaithful to you the
night of my Bachelor party. I slept with Mags, and it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes
out. She’s always been the one for me, and you deserve better. By the time you read this, I’ll already
be gone.
Joe
Her world had just been yanked from her, and Charity couldn’t coherently put two thoughts together. “I’m so sorry, Charity,” Ana said, moving closer to her and placing one hand on her shoulder. Tiffany wrapped her arm around her, and they just stood there.
“I can’t even believe it,” Charity replied in disbelief.
“Do you want me to go to Chad and find out where he is?” Ana asked. At that point, it was pretty clear to Charity that Chad had used Ana to get to her.
Charity shook her head. “I just need to be by myself.” She grabbed her purse and ran out of the shop. This was her battle to fight. She was hit with a mixture of emotions. She was sad…angry…hurt, but there was also a sense of relief. They’d rushed into planning this wedding, and she barely had the chance to breathe. Now, she could focus on what she would do next, and nothing was off the table.
Chapter 1
Almost a year later
Charity stepped into the busy club. She glanced down at her phone as it signaled another text.
Ana: Running twenty minutes late. Sorry!!
She slid the phone into her back pocket. She was used to Ana being delayed. However, on this particular occasion, she was a tad surprised. Ana said she found someone, and she couldn’t wait for Charity to meet him. Charity was surprised, to say the least. Ana wasn’t the type to get excited about some guy
. Charity couldn’t even remember two guys that she’d met in the course of their twenty-year friendship. Yet, this seemed different. Ana seemed excited and desperate for Charity to meet him.
Charity stood at the door, surveying the crowd in front of her. She spotted the bar with two empty stools and headed in that direction. She could at least order something to drink so she wouldn’t look so conspicuous. The bartender smiled as she sat down. “I’ll take a beer…something lite,” she said.
“Coming right up, little lady.” He reached under the bar and retrieved a beer bottle from the refrigerator. He opened it with a bottle opener, then slid it towards her. She reached into her pocket and withdrew her money, but before she knew what happened, some money slid out in front of her.
“Thank you!” The bartender said, grabbing the money and walking away from her.
She looked up and found herself staring into deep blue eyes. Her mouth went dry, and she swallowed a small lump in her throat. “Completely not necessary,” she said, trying to hand the money to the stranger.
He laughed. “A pretty lady mustn’t ever pay for her own drink.”
She took a slow drink. When she swallowed, she put the bottle down on the bar and chuckled lightly. “Does that line work often?”
He raised an eyebrow, then laughed heartily. “It’s had its moments. Did it work now?”
She shrugged. “Perhaps.”
He snickered. “Then I did my job.” He pointed to the stool next to her. “Mind if I sit down?”
She glanced at the stool. “Don’t ask me. It’s not my stool.”
He smiled. His teeth shone like a Roman God’s. She quickly grabbed another drink as he slid onto the stool next to her. “I’m assuming you're alone, but my question is…why?”
She glanced around, pretending to look for someone. “Who said I was alone?”
He placed a finger to his lips. “Shhhh…I don’t usually divulge my secrets, but the empty stool gave it away.”
The Inheritance (Forever Bound #1) Page 1
