Chapter 3: Ultimatum
Abigail struggled to process what was happening. She started off the day not even knowing if her father was dead or alive. And here he was right now, offering to give her a place to stay. At least for a little while.
“Uhm,” Abigail stuttered, she really wasn’t sure what she should say in this situation. She didn’t want to offend her father just right off the bat, but she also didn’t want to commit to anything all too soon.
“You’re not sure,” Adam said, and even Abigail could hear the disappointment in his voice. He’d hoped she was going to just say yes.
“It’s not that,” Abigail tried gently. “It’s just,” she paused, biting her lip. “We’ve just met, and we’ve only been talking for about five minutes, and I know absolutely nothing about you, and you’re asking . . .”
“For you to upend your entire life to come and live with me,” Adam finished, sighing. “I’m asking a lot, it's just,” he sighed again, running his hand through his hair. “This is my life. I had to cancel three meetings to make this today, and I don’t want to schedule things with you and then cancel them last minute. I want to make this work, and this is the best way I know how.”
Abigail bit her lip, hesitating, “Alright,” she said eventually, “How about this? Since you cancelled three appointments to make this today, how about we have a good lunch, and you let me think about it for a bit? And I can let you know what I decide tomorrow?”
Adam stared at her for a moment, “And you want to have a chance to talk it over with your mother.” He guessed, but he guessed correctly.
“Yeah,” Abigail said sheepishly. “I do, actually. She’s been my whole world all my life. I’d never do something this huge without at least talking to her about it first.”
“I understand,” Adam nodded. “So, I suppose I should begin telling you a little bit about myself, huh?”
Abigail laughed, “I think that’s why we’re here,” she said playfully, and then turned to his left hand a little more seriously. “You’re married, and I’ve seen pictures of your family.”
“Yes,” Adam played with his ring. “Charlotte is my wife, and Olivia, my daughter, your half-sister.”
“Half-sister,” Abigail said in wonder. “I mean, I’d known that when your driver picked me up this morning, but still, wow.”
“She looks like you,” Adam said, giving Abigail a once over. “But your personalities seem different, I think.”
Abigail had seen pictures of Olivia before, and now that she thought about it, the young woman had looked an awful lot like her. Just the vast amount of money to use on clothes and designer accessories and beauty routines made it a bit harder to spot the similarities. But underneath it all, Abigail could see the resemblance.
“I’d like to meet her,” Abigail said genuinely; she had always wanted a sister, but had been content with what life gave her. But now that the option was being given to her again, she thought she would like to take it.
“I’m sure she would like to meet you too,” Adam answered, and his voice was sincere, at least to what Abigail could tell of it.
They spent the rest of the afternoon having lunch and speaking. Abigail learnt a lot about her father, but she could tell he was still being careful about what he told her. She understood though, she could go and sell the information for a very high price if she so wanted.
She also understood that was why he wanted her to live in his house; it was safer for the both of them to be within his protected house, covered with security, then constantly meeting all over the city for lunches or breakfasts.
By the end of the lunch, which led into dessert, Abigail was sure which decision was the right one to make.
“Alright,” Abigail said, just as they were gathering up their things to leave.
“Alright?” Adam questioned, and though Abigail felt he knew what she was referring to, he still wanted her to say it out loud.
“Alright, I’ll come and stay with you, for a while,” Abigail answered him.
And the first genuine smile broke out on Adam’s face for the first time since she’d seen him.
And Abigail felt comforted by it. Her father genuinely wanted to get to know her, he genuinely wanted to know who she was and to keep a relationship with him strong. He didn’t want this to be a once in a while feel good thing, he wanted to know her, as his daughter, as a person.
And she knew she made the right choice.
“Thank you,” Adam told her. “I will send a car to come and get you tomorrow. A room will be ready for you with everything you might need.”
Abigail wondered if he’d already prepared a place in advance, or if he could simply pull something like that off in just a few hours.
The driver that brought Abigail to the restaurant at the company offices took her straight back home. Though he looked a little hesitant to simply drop her off outside the building and Abigail had to reassure him that she did indeed live there. And then she had to convince the security not to accompany her right to her apartment door.
They came to a compromise and the security said he would simply station his car outside to watch.
Abigail then messaged her father as she was climbing the stairs, telling him that his security didn’t need to stay and watch her the entire night.
Adam, however, agreed with the security guard and Abigail thought it was best to just leave it. One night of security for her apartment block wouldn’t kill anyone.
When she came into their apartment, she found her mother already waiting by the window.
“That’s his security detail down there,” her mom whispered, in lieu of a greeting.
“Well,” Abigail began sheepishly. “I think it’s my security detail now.”
Her mom turned sharply around to her, “What do you mean?”
“I mean...” Abigail began tentatively, setting her things down.
Her mother was a very reasonable woman, so Abigail didn’t expect her to blow up, but she still thought it would be better to tread with caution here, than make a mistake and hurt her mother.
“I mean,” Abigail repeated. “Adam’s asked me to come and stay with him for a bit, so we could get to know each other better.”
For a long time her mother was quiet, and Abigail thought maybe she’d misinterpreted the situation. That maybe it wasn’t going to be so simple after all.
“I see,” her mom said eventually. “And what did you say?”
“I told him I would like to, but that I would speak to you first,” Abigail answered tentatively. It was the truth; she was always going to speak to her mother first about it.
Her mother sighed, sitting down on the sofa in their small living room. It was tattered and torn, but it held so many memories of the two of them together, they would never get rid of it.
“But you do want to go,” her mom said again. “Don’t you?”
“I do want to know him,” Abigail confessed. “And I do think this is the best way to do it, it might even be the only way to do it. He’s so busy all the time, and he has to plan everything in advance and even then he might have to cancel, and his security have to check out a place like, hours before, and there’s just so much complications in the way of us getting to know each other like that. It’s just,” Abigail sighed, collapsing on the sofa next to her mother. “I do think this is the best way.”
Her mother took hold of her hands, held both of them in her lap, and smiled at her daughter, “Our best memories together were us waking up in our pajamas and having cereal while watching old cartoons. Or late-night book discussions. Or just relaxing together after a hard day at work and school.”
Abigail breathed a sigh of relief, so her mother did understand, after all.
“But,” her mom started, her voice filled with concern and her smile fell away. “I have to warn you. This is an entirely different world that you’re getting yourself involved in.” Her mother paused to give her a moment to truly hear what she was saying to her. “Their world and their lives are so very different from our own. They don’t have friends and family, they have alliances. They don’t have lunches, they have business meetings. You will be seen as a threat to your new half-sister, to her inheritance. She might not take kindly to it.”
“Mom,” Abigail began. “Don’t you want me to get to know him?”
“I do,” her mother assured her. “And that’s why I’m going to tell you, I think you should go and stay with him for a bit. But,” her mother squeezed her hand tightly. “I am also going to warn you, to be very careful in that world. They are rich and powerful, and often, it is never enough. They will always want more, and they will always do whatever they can to achieve it.”