Page 33 of Losing the Forbidden
“Good afternoon, sweetheart. Would you like tea?”
“Please.”
“Take a seat. I’ll be right with you all.”
Lauren takes the farthest seat away from me and I almost laugh. If she thinks that’s going to keep me away, she’s got another think coming.
The wood of my chair legs screeches against the tiled floor. Her eyes fly up to me and hold a warning—one I’m about to ignore.
She tenses as I pull a chair out next to her and drop down. Resting my arm over her backrest, she sits bolt upright so we don’t touch.
Leaning forward so Mum and Chris can’t eavesdrop, I whisper in her ear, “I’m sorry about last night. It was uncalled for. It taught me something though.” Turning to me, she narrows her eyes in question. “You still want me.”
Standing, she goes to leave, but I’m faster. Wrapping my hand around her forearm, I hold her in place.
“Ben? Lauren? Is everything okay?”
“Please can we just get this over with?”
“Sure. Chris, are you ready?”
“Yes,” he says hesitantly.
After ripping her arm from my grasp, Lauren sits back down beside me, folds her arms over her chest and waits for what Chris has to say.
He talks through all the waffle and formalities. He seems to really drag out the inevitable, that Mum will get everything. I assume he’s left something for Lauren, but why Chris can’t just come out and say it is beyond me.
“So, Nick has requested that in the case of his passing, this house and the business are left to…Ben.”
“What?” both Lauren and I say at the same time.
“He’s left everything to the man who walked away when things got too hard? What the fuck?” Anger vibrates from her as she stands. “What about Jenny and me?”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Ben is the only person named.”
“This is bullshit.” We all stare at her as she turns on her heel and storms from the room, and soon after, the house.
“Well, that went well,” Chris mutters sadly.
“He really left everything to Ben?” Mum asks, her face twisted in confusion. It’s in that moment that realisation hits.
“Well, he wouldn’t leave that kind of disaster to someone he actually likes, would he?”
“What do you mean?”
“The business is about to go under, and this place has been re-mortgaged to the hilt. It’s clearly his idea of a sick joke. He’s left all his debt and dirty dealings for me to attempt to sort out.”
“What are you talking about? The business is doing fine. Lauren does the accounts; she would have said if something was wrong.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple, Mum. He’s been cooking the books along with fuck knows what else.”
“How do you know this?”
“I don’t know the details, but he’s been using Erica to hide what he’s been up to.”
“Motherfucker,” Chris grunts.
Mum just sits there in total shock. “Am I going to lose the house?” she asks eventually. I expect her to break down, but there’s no emotion.
