Relentless Hope (Resilient Hearts) (12 page)

About four days after he’s put on life support, Lou tells me it’s time to let the family know, in case they want to come say goodbye. The idea of those people wanting to come and visit David now that he’s in a coma infuriates me.

I also dread seeing any of them, but I understand they have a right to know. So I simply ask the security guy that has been guarding David’s room since we came to the hospital, to let me know if he spots any of David’s family members approaching the room.

He burst into the room a few hours later letting me know that David’s daughter and grandkids are on their way to the room. I ask him if he can distract them for a few minutes while I try to slip from the room unnoticed, and he agrees.

We do the same thing when David’s younger son, Chris comes by and two days later when Tom and his kids show up. But I am not as lucky on the last day. The family finds out when they are removing David’s life support and to my surprise they all decide to show up.

I find it really ironic that during the whole time period I’ve known David, the only time all of his family is in the same room as him is when he’s unconscious and about to die.

I know I can’t run away and disappear this time, so I square my shoulders, holding my head up, while silently promising myself to stay quiet and refuse to participate in any drama on David’s deathbed. I sit next to David, holding his cold hand firmly in mine, and avoid eye contact with anyone but the doctor.

He comes in and removes the breathing tube first, followed by the IV. Everyone remains eerily quiet. After a few minutes, David opens his eyes, frantically moving his head and looking around the room at all the faces. Once his eyes fall on me, a ghost of a smile crosses his face and he calms down. I squeeze his hand in mine, silently telling him that I’m here. He weakly squeezes my hand back, closes his eyes, and takes his last breath.

The line on the heart monitor goes flat, the machine making a somber sound.

And I lose it.

I suddenly feel all the pressure, the sadness, the despair, and the anger of the last few months takeover and I can’t hold it in anymore.

I unsuccessfully try to swallow an agonizing scream, as wretched sobs overtake my body, my knees giving out. I feel strong arms wrapping around me, but I’m too distraught to care whose. The person holds me tight, as my body rocks back and forth. I think I hear a few mocking comments, but I barely pay any attention. After the sobs subside a little, I lift my head up to gaze into somber emerald eyes. Aiden’s eyes show compassion and concern. I could get lost in those eyes for a long time. Just as the thought crosses my mind, I hear someone in the room say “crocodile tears” mockingly, and Lou grabs my arm and leads me quickly away from the room. I walk out of that room and out of the Pierson’s family’s life, thinking that I will never see any of those people again.

I enter the security code for the top floor of the
residential tower in the elevator panel and then press the number for the thirty-first floor. I have never been to the condo David gave to me. Nick offered to take me to see it a few times, but I really had no desire to leave the house in those last few weeks of David’s life.  Today when he offered to bring me here, I decided I wanted to take this step on my own. I feel a strange urge to distance myself from everything in my past and start completely fresh.

The elevator doors open and I walk into a long hallway that leads to a single door, making me realize my house is the only condo on this floor. I open the door and walk into the largest apartment I have ever seen.

Tall glass windows wrap around the huge living room, leading to a large kitchen with luxury stainless steel appliances. The place is fully furnished in black and white colors with modern Italian furniture. A master bedroom stands to one side of the living room, with two spare rooms to the other side. One of the spare rooms is furnished as an office and the other as a guest room. I look in the drawers and the cabinets in the kitchen, and there are dishes set in each cabinet. Nothing has been spared. Everything is done in matching colors and design, the decoration and furnishing clearly done by an interior designer.

I sit on the leather couch and let the tears fall, silently thanking David for being so thoughtful and loving towards me, and feeling guilty for any time I felt trapped in marriage to him.

Life falls into a quiet routine in the days that follow, as I
slowly start
to put the broken pieces back together. I visit UCLA and talk to an advisor who helps me figure out how to reinstate my enrollment and sign up for classes. I start exercising again after a very long time, and I call my old friend Mia to catch up.

I even call my mom and have a semi-pleasant conversation with her during which she assures me that Shane is no longer after me. Apparently my marriage to David saved the family’s reputation, and now that they know David died, they’re happy he left me a fortune. I contemplate going to visit my mom after that conversation, but the thought of stopping by that house brings dreaded memories to my mind that I prefer to forget. I am just now settling into a new happier routine and do not need to dreg up any old memories or get into any new conflicts. Life seems somewhat on track and I decide not to risk it. Instead, I get myself ready to go back in the real world, hopeful that I will make new friends and start living again.

Those thoughts are interrupted once more when Lou calls to tell me I need to be present at the reading of David’s will the next afternoon. I argue with him that I know David is not leaving me anything and there is no reason for me to be there, but he insists that I have to attend, telling me that David specifically requested my presence.

And that makes me really anxious.

Why would David want me to be at the reading of his will when he knew how hostile his family is to me? Particularly since we already had an agreement that he wouldn’t leave me a penny in this will.

I don’t’ sleep a wink that night, as I start to mentally prepare myself. I decide that if I have to walk into the lion’s den, I’m going to do it with style.

The next day, I walk into Saks Fifth Avenue and ask the sales clerk to help me pick out an outfit for a legal meeting. After trying on what feels like a million outfits, I pick a form fitting navy blue dress that comes to right above my knees. The dress gives me a look that’s a mixture of sexy and professional, and I think it’s perfect.

I pick out silver heels and a matching designer purse to go with the dress and then head out to get a haircut. When I tell the hairdresser that I am going to a meeting where I know everyone in the room will be hostile to me and want to feel confident, she offers to do my make up for me too.

After two hours at the salon, I stare at the image in the mirror and feel like I don’t recognize the person staring back at me. It’s been so long since I’ve fixed my hair and put make up on that I’ve forgotten how good I could look if I try a little.

My external appearance still does not make up for the turmoil inside me, but it gives me a sizable boost of confidence. I know fully well that these people are all about appearances and I’m tired of being looked down by them. I decide to walk in holding my head up and be fully prepared for the gloves to come off, if they start throwing insults my way.

Right before I leave my condo for the meeting, I feel like I need a piece of David with me on this day, and think of the wedding ring he gave me. I go back to my room and put the ring on my finger before heading out.

I press the forty-second floor in the elevator and steel my spine. Lou told me to come in twenty minutes early so he can sit me in the conference room before the family gets there. But as I walk out of the elevator into the law firm’s reception area, I notice everybody is already there, including people I’ve never seen before.

As soon as I step out, every single head turns toward me. I plant my feet firmly on the ground and walk with confidence to the reception desk, avoiding eye contact with anyone but the receptionist. Before I make it to the desk, I hear a low whistle and I can’t help turning to look who it is coming from.

“
Damn
. She clean ups well. No wonder Dad fell for this girl. She’s drop dead gorgeous
and
not an ounce of fake,” Chris says, with a smirk.

Despite all my intensions to stay aloof, I feel my face turning red. I turn my head abruptly back to the receptionist before anyone can see my reaction.

“I’m here to see Mr. Lou Jenkins, please,” I say, in the most confident voice I can muster.

“Who may I say is here to see him?”

“Aleah…” I stumble for a minute, not sure what last name I should use, but decide on a whim that I should go with my legal one, “Aleah Pierson.”

I hear a loud gasp from someone in the crowd behind me, but I refuse to turn around. I guess these people don’t like the fact that I have the same last name as them. Too bad. They need to get over themselves.

As soon as the receptionist hears my name, she gets up from her chair, leading the way.

“Yes, Lou is expecting you. Please follow me.”

I hear a grunt from someone in the crowd. “This is bullshit. Not only is the bitch using our last name, she gets VIP treatment too. We’ve been waiting here for ten minutes and she just walks in and gets to go in.” I hear Tom’s angry voice, but don’t turn my head around.

As we are passing, I feel Aiden’s eyes on me as I always do when he’s near, and I see him from the corner of my eye, but I refuse to turn around and look at him. I know looking into his eyes has the power to unnerve me, and I need all of my nerves intact for what is to come.

Lou is sitting behind a large mahogany desk when I walk into his office. He gets up and leads me to a large conference room explaining what I should be excepting for today on the way there.

“All the family and some extended family members who are receiving something in the will have been invited. David provided the list of people who should be here today. He had specific instructions on exactly how he wanted this to go. I know you’re probably nervous, but don’t worry, we will try to isolate you as much as we can. I have already made it very clear to everybody that if they say anything the least bit insulting or try to cause any trouble, they will be asked to leave, but I don’t think we need to worry. Today is so important to these people that they will be on their best behavior, at least until after they hear the contents of the will.”

“Lou–he hasn’t left me anything in the will, has he?” I ask nervously.

“I don’t know the contents of his will. I wasn’t his estate attorney. Another guy in our office who specializes in that area helped with that, and he will be here today reading the will, but from the conversations I had with David, I doubt he left you anything in the will. Not that he didn’t want to. He just didn’t want you to get tangled up in that.”

“I understand that. We talked about it. That’s why I don’t understand why he wanted me to be here. It doesn’t make any sense and it’s making me nervous.”

“David was a very direct man and he was also a meticulous planner. If he told you he is not going to leave you anything in the will, he probably didn’t, but I’m sure he has a good reason for you being here. We’ll know for sure in a little bit,” he reiterates, as he directs me towards a chair at the end of the long table.

“You should sit in this chair. I will sit next to you on your left and one of our female attorneys will sit to your right. My law partner Steve Johnson, who is running today’s meeting will sit at the head of the table on this side. You’re pretty much well isolated from those wolves.”

A few minutes after we take our seats, a tall middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair walks in, followed by a young blonde woman with a kind smile. David introduces them as David’s estate attorneys Steve and Kate.

The family starts walking in next. The first faces that I see are Karen, Aiden, and Aiden’s teenage sister, Andrea. Karen takes the chair right across the table from me, and Aiden sits next to her. I try to avoid making eye contact with anyone, looking down at my hands on the table and playing nervously with my ring.

“IS THAT…? Oh, my God… That’s my grandmother’s ring on your finger, isn’t it?” Karen exclaims in a shrill voice.

Everyone’s heads snap towards me, the room falling silent. I try to hide my hands under the table in a belated effort to divert the attention away from me, but that makes Karen raise her voice even more. “You can’t hide that from me. Let me see that. Let me see your hand,” she almost shouts. I slowly raise my hand, staring at the ring.

She gasps. “Oh, my God... It is. That is our grandmother’s ring. I begged Dad to give me that ring all my life, even a couple of months before his death. When he said no, I asked him to give it to Andrea to make sure it stays in the family, and he still refused. Said it’s a family heirloom and too sentimentally valuable for him to give away, and then…he gives it
you
?” she asks, disbelief written all over her face.

She stares me down with furious eyes. “He wouldn’t have. He wouldn’t have given you that. You must have stolen it from him.”

My jaw drops. “
Excuse me
? Are you calling me a thief? Maybe you should ask yourself why your father didn’t want to give you the ring, instead of accusing me,” I yell back, unable to control my rising anger.

Lou tries to intervene at this point. He waves his hands at both of our faces, starting in a stern voice, “Calm down, both of you. Karen–you’re way out of line here. I was at Aleah and your father’s wedding ceremony. He gave her the ring and told her that it was a family heirloom and very dear to his heart. He specifically said he wanted her to have it and asked her to keep it. There were a couple of other witnesses there too, including the priest who can vouch for this. You should apologize to Aleah.”

Karen’s mouth falls open, her eyes getting so big they look like they are about to pop out of her head. I chance a glance at Aiden and the intensity with which he’s studying me gives me chills.

Steve takes advantage of the silence shock created by Lou’s statement to jump in. “We should get started. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Steve Johnson. I was Mr. Pierson’s estate attorney and helped prepare his will and trust. I will be reading you the will today, but before we start, I want to reiterate again that any interruptions or inappropriate comments will get you removed from the room. We have a few extra security guards here today waiting outside this room who are ready to escort people out. I know this may be an emotional time and some of you may not be happy with the contents of this will, but everyone must remain quiet and courteous in order for us to get through this today,” he warns.

“David had very specific instructions on how he wanted this meeting to go and we will follow everything to the dot.” Steve then starts reading through a long document, the beginning parts of which are all legalese and things very few people in this room care about.

“And now the bequest part.” Everyone’s heads lift up, turning attentive ears to the reading.

Unbeknownst to everyone in this room, a few years ago, I signed Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge for Billionaires, committing to give over fifty percent of my wealth away to charity. Accordingly, I am bequeathing fifty-one percent of all my shares in Pierson Investments and my other investments to the Pierson Foundation.