Chapter 92 Forged clause
Dandelion.
My phone pinged with an email notification while I was playing with Willow in the garden. I almost ignored it, assuming it was another interview request or brand endorsement offer. Those had been flooding in since the film festival.
But the subject line made me squint to be sure I read it correctly.
WILLIAMS CORP INHERITANCE - URGENT LEGAL NOTICE
I slowly opened the email.
Dear Miss Dandelion Williams,
This is an official notification from Greenville Superior Court regarding William Corp No. 2847-WC, the matter of Genevieve Williams' Last Will and Testament.
A previously undisclosed second clause in your late mother's will has been brought to the court's attention by Mrs. Margaret Williams (legal representative of the family, and your Step guardian). This clause stipulates that to assume full ownership and control of Williams Corporation, the primary beneficiary must be:
(1) Legally married
(2) Remain in said marriage for one continuous year from the date of inheritance claim
Failure to meet these conditions results, is automatic transfer of controlling shares to the secondary beneficiary, Malcolm Williams.
Mrs. Margaret Williams with permission of Mr Maxwell Williams has filed a formal challenge (Case No. 2847-WC-CH) disputing the validity of your recent marriage, claiming it to be a "marriage of convenience" undertaken solely to meet inheritance requirements. You are required to provide substantial evidence of a genuine marital relationship within 30 days, or the court will rule in favor of the challenge.
Please contact the court clerk's office to schedule your evidence submission hearing.
...........................
I was dumbstruck, I had to scroll back up reading it again for the second time, then again. This had to be a prank.
The phone slipped from my hands and landed on the grass. Willow whined, nudging my leg with his nose.
A second clause, In my mother's will?. How did I not know about it?
Something feels off. There wasn't any other clause apart from the misconduct clause, which I had practically memorized to avoid losing my mothers company but ended up losing it anyway. So this isn't possible, unless..... Unless it's forged.
Yes, that witch Margaret forged it,
My chest tightened with rage. Of course she did, of course she would forge something like this, and use the legal system itself as a weapon.
Now even if I could prove the clause was fake, the damage would be done. The media would tear me apart with another scandal. Another reason to call me a gold digger, a fraud, a woman who married for money.
"Angel?"
I snapped out of my thoughts and turned around. Alex stood a few feet away, still in his business suit from work. His eyes swept over me, reading my expression instantly.
"What happened?"
I couldn't speak from the shock, so I just picked up my phone and handed it to him.
He took the phone slowly with a confused expression, silence stretched between us as he read. I watched his face change, into annoyance and anger underneath.
"When did you get this?" He demanded with narrowed eyes.
"Just now. It's an email because they don't know where I am anymore." I wrapped my arms around myself. "Alex, I didn't know about any second clause. My mother's will never mentioned it.The lawyers never mentioned it when they gave me a copy to go through when I got older."
"Because it didn't exist then." He scrolled through the email again, jaw clenched. "Margaret definitely made this up and got it approved by the court. She had to have, your mother would never put such a ridiculous condition on your inheritance."
"Forged or not, if I fight it in court, and it becomes public record. Another scandal may start again." I said through gritted teeth.
"No." Alex closed the distance between us in two strides and gripped my shoulders. "Listen to me. Margaret is desperate. She's panicking because you're winning, the article died without seeing the light of the day, your career is completely back, and she knows time is running out before you reclaim what's yours."
"So what do I do?" I hated how afraid I sounded, even after promising myself not to feel threatened by their theatrics anymore. "I can't prove our marriage is real without exposing that it was a contract, Alex. With rules. This whole thing started as fake."
His expression changed, as he stood there, like he was thinking about something. His hands slowly slid from my shoulders down to my hands, holding them gently.
"Then we make it real."
I blinked. "What?"
"Not just for Margaret. Not just for the court, or even Noona." His green eyes burned into mine. "We make it real because that's what I want. What I've wanted for a while now, even if I was too stubborn to admit it."
My heart hammered against my ribs. "Alex, you don't have to say that just because--"
"I'm not saying it because of the email." His grip tightened on my hands. "I'm saying it because it's true."
Willow barked suddenly, breaking the moment. We both looked down to find the wolf staring at us with what I swear was an impatient expression.
Alex laughed at the impatient Wolf.
"See? Even the wolf thinks I'm moving too slow." He released one of my hands to run his fingers through my hair. "Trust me, I'll handle this properly. So don't let it bother you a bit. Okay?"
I sighed nodding slowly, "ok."
Even though I was curious about what he intended to do about this.
Before I could ask what he was planning, he pressed a quick kiss to my forehead and walked away, already pulling out his phone to make calls.
I stood there in the garden, Willow sitting at my feet, my mind spinning with worry and yet curiosity.
.............,...............
I called Lilian around noon and told her about the current master plan Margaret hatched.
"She forged a clause in the will?" Lilian's voice went up three octaves high. "That's literally illegal! Can't you report her?"
"And say what? 'Please investigate this clause that might be fake but I have no proof'? By the time any investigation finishes, the thirty days will be up and I'll have lost the company permanently." I flopped onto my bed. "Margaret planned this perfectly. Even if it's fake, I'm still trapped."
"Damn that sly bitch."Lilian cursed. "So what's Alex saying about it?"
I sighed, "He said he'll handle it, honestly I would have refused if I knew what else to do."
She went completely silent on the other end, "Lily?"
"I'm here, just trying to process what he meant by 'handle' it, so he didn't like, explain anything?"
"No he didn't, I don't know if he plans on forging a new marriage certificate without rules and contracts, or worse paying off the court. God I don't just know and it's giving me a headache." I covered my face with my hands feeling really frustrated.
"Hmm, for real I'm getting sick of Margaret's schemes, she's lucky you have a fragile career, if not I would have loved for their asses to be dealt with in the most brutal way, even if it's illegal."Lillian fummed in annoyance.
I chuckled, she's actually right sometimes I really feel like paying them back in their own coin, but at the same time it's as if my conscience pricks me in my mom's voice, telling me not to be like them no matter what, I mean I could as Alex to deal with them at once and nobody would even find out anything about it, but after that what next?
"Trust me Lily I feel the same, but I truly believe karma would eventually catch up with them."I assured her, more like assuring myself.
"I have to go now Lily, take care."
"Sure. But don't think about it too much Dandy, I know you." She quipped.
I smiled, "Don't worry, I won't, they're not worth it."