The atmosphere was tense in the living room. It seemed like Atticus had no issue leaving me to deal with my uncle alone because he left as soon as the burial was done. He only stayed back for a few minutes because he had some information to relay to Duke before he left.
I was too bothered trying to think about the ways I could get rid of my uncle to bother asking Duke what Atticus had told him.
“What are you doing here, Uncle? I thought you decided to cut all ties with us?” I asked him.
Uncle Jason was seated on the couch facing me and he was giving me a dirty look that I didn’t care for, and he knew it wasn’t doing anything to me.
“What type of question is that? Of course, I am here for my brother’s burial”
“Then you can leave now that it is over since that was what you came for” Uncle Jason’s jaw tensed, and he clenched his fists as though he was preventing himself from doing something. I raised my brow in mockery as I eyed his fist and scoffed.
“You should watch your tone, young lady. I will have you know that I am a lot older than you are and still your uncle” He warned as he lifted his fingers to point them at me.
“I don’t need to watch my tone because I am not speaking out of line. I just buried my father, and I am not in the mood to entertain guests so you should leave because I would like to close the gates to my property” I said making sure to raise my tone when I mentioned guest.
Something in my statement must have pissed him off because he jumped off the chair and was standing in front of me with an intimidating glare.
“Guest? Me? A guest?” I hated the way he loomed over me, so I stood up and matched his glare with one of my own, and even though he was still a lot taller, at least he wasn’t looking down on me.
“What else would you be? Family?” I Scoffed, mockery in my eyes as I stared him down. “You gave up that title the moment you tried to run my dad’s company to the ground with your gambling debts and when you walked out without looking back”
Uncle Jason laughed “I know why you are doing this,” he said, waving a finger in my face which I slapped off “You are trying to push me aside so you can inherit my brother’s company and all his wealth alone”
Bull’s eye. I knew the bastard didn’t just show up out of nowhere because he was sad that his brother had passed away.
“And why can’t I do that?” I asked with a raised brow, egging him on so he could spurt some more nonsense.
“You are a young girl. What do you know about managing such a large amount of wealth?” He practically spat in my face, and I moved away to avoid being soaked in his disgusting spit.
“My dad didn’t think so,” I said with a smirk “You must not be aware that his will says everything will be mine and we already concluded the handover of his properties into my name before he died. There is nothing here for you, Uncle dearest” I taunted him.
If there was anything I loved more than drawing, it was putting people like my uncle in their place. It made me feel so fucking good.
“What do you mean by that? Your father can’t leave everything to you. He knows better than that. You must be lying” he began to sweat and started pacing the room.
I frowned and watched him with confusion as he paced the room. He looked terrified, almost at the brink of tears.
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you but it is true. You can ask the lawyers if you don’t believe me”
“I will go to court for this. There is no way you would get sole ownership of the company” He screamed.
His behaviour was weird. He was acting like someone whose life was in danger but that wasn’t my business. I didn’t care about whatever trouble he put himself in this time, I just needed him to get out of my house.
“That would all be a waste of time because there is no way the court is going to remove the management of the company from Atticus and hand it over to you” I told him and I watched in satisfaction as he tried to figure out what I was talking about.
“Who is that?” He asked with a frown.
“The man you were talking to earlier. My husband and the CEO of Axis” I said smugly.
Oh, how satisfying it was to watch the colour drain from his awful place.
“Husband? You are married? How? When?” he stuttered, and he was about to grip me but I stepped back, so his hands dropped limply to the side.
“Yes. My dad, your brother arranged the marriage and gave Atticus full management control of the company” I should deny how it felt good to brag with his name, but I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.
“I…. it's not possible…I’m in trouble…what do I do now?”
“What do you mean by that? Are you in trouble, Uncle Jason? Is that why you want to put your filthy fingers in Dad’s company?” I practically screeched as realization dawned on me.
“Hey. Don’t insult me?” He shouted at me, and I could not deny it, my heart almost leapt out of my heart in fear because I thought he was going to hit me, and I wasn’t the only one. One of the guards we had stationed outside calmed in to assess the situation.
“You are gambling again, aren’t you? And you wanted to pay the debts with my father’s money. You are such a scum” looking at him irritated me.
I was so close to crying. I may have suspected that he came for the money, but it still hurt to know that he didn’t show up because he missed his brother but because he wanted the money.
“It’s just a small amount, Hazel. I stopped, I promise. It was just one time and I didn’t expect to lose.” He tried to explain. He wanted to touch me and once again, I stepped away from his touch.
“You can’t lie to me. I know you never stopped.”
“Okay fine, I never stopped. What’s it to you?” He began yelling again and this time he looked like a rabid dog with hands thrown in the air, wide eyes and harsh pants escaping from between his lips.
“It’s nothing to me, that’s why I want you to leave. Please leave before I am forced to kick you out” I gestured to the door.
“Okay, please help me this one time. I promise I won’t come back for help and I also won’t gamble again” he pleaded. He clasped his hands together as though he was about to say a prayer.
“How much is it?”
“Seven million dollars” he muttered.
“Seven million dollars!!! Uncle Jason, how did you manage to owe such a large amount of money? Jesus Christ!” I exclaimed.
I was expecting a lot but not this much. Sure, the money was nothing and I could afford it without feeling a dent in my account, but he had lost the money to gambling and not a valid cause.
“Why are you exclaiming? It’s not like it’s a big amount to someone like you” he had the guts to say, and I lost it.
“How dare you? Is it your money? Did you work for it? So how dare you tell me it’s a little amount?”
“Please, Hazel. You have to help me”
“I am sorry, but I won’t be paying a dime of that money,” I told him with a firm voice “You are an addict, Uncle. If I pay that money, you will come back for more”
Paying the money would allow him to gamble again because he would believe I was gullible. He would always come back with pitiful excuses and ask me to continue paying his gambling loans and I didn’t want him coming back here after today.
“Hazel, please. Help your uncle just this once and I promise that I won’t ever come back here”
“I can’t.” I told him “Leave, Uncle or I would be forced to call security to escort you out and it would be embarrassing for you”
I turned and walked out of the living room because I didn’t want to listen to any more excuses. The day was just starting but it felt way too long already.
I wanted to shut the door behind me when a hand held it, preventing me from closing my bedroom door.
“Excuse me, young mistress. Mr Hayland left a message for you before he left” Duke said, and I stepped aside so he could enter the room.
“What did he say?”
“He wants you to know that he would give you two weeks to properly mourn your dad before asking you to move into his house” I didn’t know why but I burst out laughing. It was so sudden and uncontrollable that I could not stop myself.
“Why are you laughing?” Duke asked me and I was certain he was also startled by my reaction. I could feel tears streaming down my face with how hard I was laughing.
“I don’t even know, Duke. I don’t know” I sat on my bed and placed my head in my hands.
“Talk to me, Miss” he urged. I was quiet for a while before I lifted my head to stare at me.
“This day is so funny. I have an uncle asking me to pay his gambling debts and a husband who doesn’t love me or want to have anything to do with me but feels he is being considerate by giving me two weeks to mourn my dad before becoming his side piece” My life was becoming pathetic in the blink of an eye.
“Don’t say that” Duke said softly “I’m sure Mr Hayland didn’t think of it that way” He tried to convince me, but I didn’t believe him.
“Please, leave me alone, Duke. I am exhausted and I want to be alone”
“Of course.” He gave me a curt bow and walked out while I buried myself in between my sheets and wished I could cry.