𝐁𝐮𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 - On Hiatus

6. 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲

The last memory I had of a family was when I was four years old. The house was surrounded by ambulances as they carried my father out on a stretcher. I wasn't yet old enough to understand, but somehow I knew he wasn't coming back. I could recall brief moments with him prior; maybe a smile or a pat on the head, but those grew hazier every year.

After that, I was tossed into foster care. They had no information about my mother, no information about any family members; immediate or distant. For my entire life, I was alone. There were times when my foster siblings felt something like a family, but in the end, it was always just me.

Now I was standing in the middle of this condo in front of some decrepit white woman telling me that she was my family.

I instinctively looked down at my arms to make sure I was still black. Yep, still a black man.

"Uh, I think you might have me mistaken for somebody else lady," I chuckled.

She raised her eyebrows and began circling me. "Daniel Voss, correct? Son of Nathaniel Voss?"

Nathaniel. The sound of that name made my ears perk up. How did she know that name?

"You know my father?"

Still, it didn't make any sense. As far as I recalled my father was just as black as I was; which was pretty damn black if you ask me.

"I only met him once," She began with a solemn expression. "But I believe my niece, Victoria, was your mother."

There was no reaction from me upon hearing that. I never knew anything about my mother, so there was no way to confirm or deny it. Instead, I questioned, "If you think I'm some kind of kin to you, why am I just now meeting you?"

"Because I didn't know you existed," She responded with a sigh. The air grew a bit chilly after that. She made her way back to the sofa and had a seat. I stood still, unsure of how to react, but she soon patted the spot beside her inviting me over. I obliged.

"I'm not quite sure how to appropriately address this, but, my sister wasn't too fond of your father. She felt like Victoria was making the same mistakes that she made and bless her heart, she was already so hard on Victoria."

As she spoke, I felt like I knew where she was going with this. This story of us being related was starting to feel more believable.

"She had Vicky when she was young, and the father wasn't around much. Our parents took it very hard when Beth brought home a... Mulatto love child-"

I suddenly choked on my spit. I didn't expect her to be so blunt. I guess she could sense my discomfort because she gave my hand a dismissive pat before continuing.

"My apologies. Frankly, our parents weren't very open-minded. In turn, she wasn't very open-minded when it came to your father. Then, just when she began to warm up to the idea of a grandchild, Victoria was gone. She never let any of us know how she passed nor did we hear any news of the child being born. No one dared to ask. I suppose as life had its way with her she felt remorse for how she treated Nathaniel. At the very least she was remorseful for how she treated her daughter. So-"

Coming to a halt she patted my hand again, then turned so that we were directly facing each other. I was still trying my best to process the idea of a white grandmother when she dropped another bomb on me.

"Her will was recovered when she passed last month. Imagine our surprise when everything to her name was left to a young man named Daniel Voss, son of Victoria and Nathaniel Voss," She said with a sincere smile. "her eldest grandchild."

"Everything to her name?" I questioned with a scoff. "Damn, that's a different kind of remorse."

The woman let out a deep belly laugh. "A deep remorse indeed. Over a billion dollars in accounts, and over 50 million dollars in assets. Not to mention multiple investments and businesses all at the disposal of you, Daniel."

As she explained the magnitude of what I would be inheriting I could feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I swallowed hard feeling all the warmth leave my body. I figured there would be a little money and maybe a mom-and-pop business. I would have never expected the words million or billion to leave her mouth.

"H-huh?"

"That is once we've completed a DNA assessment," She said carelessly moving on.

I sat up shaking my head, trying to get her attention. "Wait, wait a second. Run that back for me, please. A billion dollars?"

"A bit over that, but yes. Were you expecting more?" She asked sarcastically, cupping my cheek. "Sweet boy, you are a Fitzgerald. We are born billion-dollar babies. This is merely your birthright."

I could feel my body overcome with goosebumps. A chill shot down my back like lightning. There was no way this was real. This was a dream, right?

"Well, I will let you get settled in. While you can't access your Inheritance until the DNA test, I have allocated a few thousand into an account. Please update your wardrobe, and utilize one of the vehicles in the garage. As much as William would enjoy driving you around, I tend to be a bit possessive over my husband," She spoke in a careless tone, placing a debit card into my hand. "If you need anything, you can reach me at the number I called you from. Do not hesitate to call your dear Aunt Eleanor."

"O-Okay," I stuttered, finally beginning to feel my fingertips again.

She gave me a bright smile, standing to her feet. "Also, I have some information that may be useful to your case. I'll have William bring it to you before we depart. Once you clear that mess up we can move forward with your inheritance. All of your keys are in the dish on the counter."

Before I could respond, she turned on her heels and made her way out of the condo.

Everything came crashing down on me at once. I had a family, I had an inheritance, and this condo now belonged to me. There was one part of all this that especially left my body trembling. That woman whom I'd just finished talking to, my grand-aunt, was Eleanor Fitzgerald.

Eleanor Fitzgerald was the owner of the bank I worked for, and the Fitzgeralds were one of the wealthiest families in the country.

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