Bound by The Will

Isabella

Three hundred hours, one thousand eight hundred minutes, and twenty-one thousand, six hundred seconds.

That was how much time I had left to make things right. The big problem? My brain was in freaking overload, and I had exhausted most of my options. My parents were no longer alive, my brother was a barely functioning alcoholic, and my friends—scoff. Which friends? The ones who were the reason I was in this mess in the first place?

A sudden draft in the room took me out of my thoughts. I rubbed the goosebumps on my arms before looking around the room. With its pink hues, the giant bean bag, and comforting air, this had become my refuge and given me a host of memories. I would miss it with an intensity that I could not even bring myself to articulate. After sighing for what felt like the hundredth time in the past hour, I stood up straight.

A quick pat on my back, and I was out of there. It felt like a goodbye before the end. It was not going to be final, though. That was the only promise I could give myself. I had failed this time around, but it was not the end. My comeback was going to be epic.

My phone ringing pulled me out of my thoughts. I frowned when I saw that it was an unknown number. I could count the number of people who had my number on one hand, so this was strange. I hesitated so long that the call ended. But before I could let out a sigh of relief and clear the impending anxiety that came with phone calls, it rang again.

With a frown, I swiped right and put the device to my ear.

“Miss Long?”

It was a female voice, and it sounded soft but firm. If that made any sense at all.

After clearing my throat discreetly, I responded, “This is she.”

“Great! We’ve been trying to get a hold of you for a while now.” Before I could even think about the implications of her sentence, she continued. “I am Edna Huang, solicitor, and I’d like to invite you to discuss the late Mr Pearson’s will.”

My confusion grew even stronger. Was this some sort of prank? Or one of those scam calls?

“Mrs Huang, I am going to hang up now because I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Have a great day.”

“Please do not hang up, Miss Long. I have sent you several emails that have gone unanswered, so I had to take drastic measures and call you.”

“If this is some sort of prank call, I need you to know that I am the wrong person. My credit cards are maxed out, my score is low, and I am up to my neck in debt. Look for someone else to play these tricks with.” I heaved a breath after letting that out and stifled a chuckle.

It felt liberating to say all of that out loud, considering that I had no one to talk to about it.

“Miss Long, I am not asking you for anything you cannot give me. I just need you to show up tomorrow at the Pearson HQ by 2 pm.”

She was determined.

“You know what? Fine,” I said finally. At least, nobody was asking for my credit card information or Social Security number. Plus, what was I even doing the next day? Another mope session? Crying over spilt milk?

“Thank you very much, Miss Long. Have a great day,” the woman on the other end of the call chirped, then she hung up.