Chapter 14 SCUBA DIVING

Chapter 14 SCUBA DIVING
"Are you sure about going back home? I think you should take the professor spot you were recommended for,” Amber stepped closer to touch my arm. “I’m worried about you.” 

I shook my head. “You know more than anyone why I cannot do that. My father willed Astor cosmetics to me,” I stared straight ahead, with a frown on my face, I added. “I belong right there.”

And there was the issue of father dying a day after unlike in the original timeline and conveniently when Scarlett was alone with him. 

“I just cannot imagine you fighting over anything,” she bit her lower lip. “This will business sounds like a nasty idea especially when there was already bad blood between you and your sister. I’m scared of what she’d do with the right motivation.”

I wasn’t. I knew.

“I’d be fine.” I smiled at her. “All I need is to get recruited at Ashford Global Holdings now.”

“If you think that me hearing that you are still interested in working for that corporate vulture will make me feel better then you are underestimating how ruthless that man is.” 

“Can you stop calling him that?” I asked. “Besides, if I’ve any chance of winning this, he might be just who I need by my side.”

SIX MONTHS AGO

“… my mansion, our primary residence goes to both my daughters, Iris Astor and Scarlett Astor and lastly,” Mr. Benedict adjusted his glasses, before he continued. “I hereby bequeath thirty percent of my shares of Astor Cosmetics to my daughter, Iris Astor.”

Even though I knew it was coming, even though I thought I’d prepared myself, I still heard my own gasp. 

Scarlett quickly stood up. “I don’t believe you,” she turned to me, pointing a finger at me. “What did you do? Is that why you chose to stay back at the hospital? You are just like your whore of a mother, a scheming greedy opportunist.”

“How about you?” My voice was icy. “Is that why you came later that night?” I asked, “Was your mother a murderer?” 

The room immediately fell quiet and Scarlett's eyes widened in shock. She was used to me taking all of her insults quietly but I was done with being her verbal punching bag besides, I needed answers. “Why is it that immediately you stepped in father suddenly went into cardiac arrest?” I sat up. “What did you__?”

Scarlett lunged at me, her fingers aiming for my face but I tackled her, pinning her to the floor. “Why did you kill father?”

She struggled against me, her eyes wild with rage. “Nobody loved father more than I did. How dare you stand there and accuse me of killing my own father?”

“Perhaps…” I said, my eyes probing hers for a weakness. “You somehow found out that he had planned to give the company to me and you were mad?”

The fight left her body completely and she weakly pushed me off her. I let her go. “I’d agree that I hate you and I never forgave dad for accepting you into our family,” she said. Then she eyed Mr. Benedict. “I also think you pulled something behind my back to change father’s will and I’d be contesting that rubbish. But I’d never ever lay a hand on dad because of some shares. Nobody loved dad more than me, not you, not your whore mother.” She said sadly, batting a stray tear from her eyes furiously. “He was the only family I truly had and now I am all alone.” 

I looked away. Somehow her words struck me as the truth. 

Mr. Benedict cleared his throat, and we both turned to give him our attention. He arched his brow at us and then he shook his head. “I’d advise that further outburst be held in until I’m done with reading your father’s will. I think you all owe him that much respect.”

Contrite, we both fell silent. 

“With these shares,” Mr Benedict continued. “My daughter, Iris Astor becomes the majority shareholder of Astor Cosmetics and is, by extension, named the future Chief Executive officer of the company.” 

Scarlett exhaled, her hands fisted at both sides but she didn’t utter a word.

In the last timeline, I’d left the room at this point stunned and overwhelmed by grief but this time I sat back.

“However, this inheritance is not without conditions.”

I blinked. That was new. I hadn’t heard anything about a condition.

“Iris Astor will not resume the position of Ceo immediately. There will be a one-year probationary period during which the company will be managed by appointed financial managers, including my attorney, Benedict. The latter will continue to act as her advisor when she finally takes over the reins of the company.

During the one year probation, Iris is expected to undergo intensive training in preparation for leadership. Upon completion of the one-year term, Miss Astor will take over as the chief Executive Officer.” He deliberately paused and then his eyes met mine. 

“If, for any reason after Ms. Astor resumes control, her management in the first year results in the company’s stock value dropping below ten percent, ownership will immediately revert to Ms. Scarlett Astor, my elder daughter.”

Scarlett was quiet now, her gaze more calculating.

I couldn’t move. Didn’t blink.

What was happening? This was the perfect picture of the rug being pulled under my feet. 

All the while I’d envisioned making my sister pay since I came back, I never saw this coming.

Was this a new development? Was the original timeline being changed mysteriously again or had Scarlett and Collin hidden this from me before? 



I threw my clothes inside my traveling bag hurriedly, not able to breath. 

Ever since the lawyer had read the will and had left, I was at a loss. 

But I knew that there was no way I could remain in this house with a sister that had murdered me in cold blood and a lying abusive fiancé that had intensified talks of our marriage immediately after my father's death determined to take advantage of my emotional vulnerability to lure me to make the biggest mistake of my life.

I still cannot believe I was naive enough not to see the crack in his facade.

He stormed into the room and in the original timeline he was coming to complain about how he was being excluded from being present during the will reading because he was not yet family, a way for him to urge me to make him one.

But when he saw me packing, I bet that became the least of his problems.

He stopped in his tracks. “What are you doing?” 

Scuba Diving.