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“Are you suggesting that I had something to do with my step-father making changes to his will, two years prior to his heart attack?” I shake my head, unable to fathom these people. “You’re both unbelievable!”
Harold shakes his head at me, but I can’t deal with this. “My client is visibly upset,” he says, his voice holding every ounce of disgust that I feel. “Which under the circumstances, is quite understandable. We both know that none of this will hold up in court, which is why the probate has, pardon my French, thrown this claim in the toilet, Miss Vasquez.”
“We’re not suggesting Miss Anderson did anything, but we would like to explore the possibilities of…”
“Oh, cut the crap, Mom!” I blurt suddenly, unable to keep quiet any longer. “You never wanted me to have anything from Alistair because you can’t stand the fact that we had a better relationship than you and me. Is that any reason to punish me?”
Mom stares at me with wide eyes. I admit, she can be intimidating, but I feel like I have to do this. I have to finally stand up to her once and for all.
“I’m not trying to punish you, Imogen,” she says, her tone neutral. “But we need to get to the bottom of this. You know we need the money more than you do with your fancy friends who have millions of dollars at their disposal.”
I shake my head. Just because Lukas Bentley is loaded, doesn’t mean that I get to spend his cash because my best friend is married to him. Where does she get off?
“Get to the bottom of why you’re so greedy? Or why you want to tarnish everything that dad built for your own personal gain?”
“Imogen!” my mom chastises.
“You can’t talk to her like that!” Anna pipes up. “He wasn’t even your real dad anyway. Of course you coerced him into signing his life savings away, why else would he have done such a thing?”
Her words can’t hurt me. I know that he wasn’t my flesh and blood father, but he was everything I could’ve wished for and more. Just because she never took the time to see what a blessing it was to be loved by him is her issue, not mine.
“Mrs. Anderson,” Harold says, sternly. “I’ll thank you not to speak to my client in accusatory terms or I will end this meeting this very second.”
“Anna is just as frustrated as I’m sure your client is,” Laura goes on, trying to smooth things over. “Since this is a mediation, we all need to check our emotions and understand that firing off insults from both sides won’t gain anything.”
I know I started it, but this is getting ridiculous. They can’t just sit there and defame my values and credibility because they have an agenda. I don’t care who their lawyer is or what she says. I didn’t want a shit fight — that’s the last thing I want, but they are being unreasonable.
I’ve waited a long time for this, and nothing and nobody is going to stop me from saying what needs to be said.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Khristian
“Nobody wins in court,” Imogen says to Laura across the table. “But my own family were quite happy to do exactly that, and now you want me to cut them some slack?”
Harold gives her a look, but I smirk to myself.
My girl has some fire in her, and that’s what she needs to do to get rid of the people in her life that cause her pain. I’m lucky I come from a loving family, something people are often surprised about. My parents are still together and madly in love. My father, while strict, was fair, and my mother loving. When I hear about other people having bad parents, I can’t quite fathom how that would’ve affected them growing up. It’s clear from the look on Imogen’s mom’s face that she is jealous of her daughter and I don’t know why that is. I feel for Imogen. I know deep down she wants a relationship with her again, but I don’t see how that can happen. We’re in mediation fighting over fifty grand for Christ sakes. It makes my blood boil.
Imogen will want for nothing; fifty grand isn’t anything to me, but to her it’s a lot. And I get that. It’s rightfully hers and she shouldn’t be made to feel guilty for keeping her dad’s inheritance.
“You know that we need the money more,” her mom fires back. “And just taking the whole lot without even discussing it with us is not fair, Imogen.”
Imogen gapes at her mom and I feel the tension in the room rising. “You need the money more? You have to be kidding me? We both know how hard Alistair worked to be successful after you lost everything. He left you with plenty, and Anna. You’ve enough to live off for the rest of your lives. To try and make out that he had a brain injury is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard.”
Harold grinds his teeth. I know he wants to be the one doing most of the talking, but I’m quite enjoying this. She needs to get this off her chest, to get closure. Even though I know she’s adamant she can get back on track with her mom, it doesn't look likely. I admire her optimism, though.
“Not as disgusting as you hoarding my dad’s money!” Anna throws back.
“Of course you had to drag her along,” Imogen quips. “Can I throw a dime every time she opens her mouth and says something derogatory to me? That’s one sure fire way to earn some cash.”
I hold my tongue as Harold intervenes, Laura’s mouth dropping open, along with her mom and Anna. They weren’t expecting her to fight back.
“My client has a proposal that we feel is more than generous,” he says.
I stare across the table at the two women who want nothing more than to see Imogen go down and I know now that no matter what happens here today, I have zero respect for them.
“I’d love to hear it.” Laura smiles without humor.
