MANNY©

Chapter 41

A week later

Edward sat in his study going over his business' daily business reports when he heard loud clicking coming from down the hall. He already knew whose nine hundred dollars Prada shoes those were as he continued to read over his tablet's screen on his desk. "Edward? Edward? Where are you?" Gertrude yelled while walking through the hallway. "The same place I'm at every afternoon, Gertie. In my study." He spoke as his eyes never left the screen. "What is this I'm hearing from Levey?" She said, walking in the room. "You stopped the injunction that I asked him to give to that Rachael girl?" She spoke in a demanding tone before huffing and stopping in front of his desk.

"Just what it was supposed to be, Gertrude," Edward told her. "And she's a grown woman. Just like you. She's a mother just like you. You have no right to try to force her to let you in her life. She and her husband should decide and consider whether or not to let us in. Especially how you and our son have been acting with them and towards her. No wonder she was skittish meeting me." He said, sighing heavily before he finished looking over the work and started to electronically sign them. "Meet you? When?" She yelled when Charles passed by the room to see his parents argue.  He stopped and walked back to walk in to see what they were discussing. 

"Mom? Dad? What are you both yelling about?" He asked looking between them. His mother looked angry enough to choke and his father concentrated on shutting off his electronics in front of him without a care in the world.

"Your father stopped my paperwork with Judge Levey to get the ball rolling on us gaining full custody of Madeline and Kaleb.  That way we can raise them as the Stoldworths they were born to be." Gertrude told Charles.  "What?" Charles yelled in surprise. "Why would you do that?" He asked her. "Why didn't you do it, Charles? They are your flesh and blood! Your children! And you kept them from us and their birthright!" Gertrude said, reminding him.  "Mom, you don't understand that Maddy I wanted but Kaleb is retar-." Edward stood up and stared at his wife and son.  " First of all, her name is Maddison, Gertie. Not Madeline. Second, Charles, finish that sentence and I will whoop your ass right now. Boy, do not underestimate me! I will whoop you like I did when you were little." Edward stated in a cool tone while letting his wife and son see the anger upon his face.

"That little boy couldn't help the neurological disorder he has no more than you can help what a man whore you are!" He said, watching the shock on their faces. "Dad!" Charles said in shock. "Edward!" Gertrude spoke her husband's name with a surprised tone. "Oh, don't Edward me!" Edward bellowed out.  "You have no clue! Gertie, did you know that Tyler's step-father is none other than Todd Wolfe!" Gertie gasped as Charles looked confused. "So, who is he supposed to be?" Charles asked with a shrug.  

"Judge Todd Wolfe?" Gertrude softly said as she touched her pearls. "Yeah, the one and only," Edward confirmed and nodded while he continued to give her an icy stare. Charles just shrugged as he rolled his eyes and sat down. "Whatever," Charles stated. "Like we can't buy him. He's just another judge trying to make a name for himself." The younger man said when he was about to eat a piece of candy.  

His father knocked it out of his hands then pulled him up to stand. "He has a name for himself," Edward said, showing his son how angry he was. "Todd Wolfe has been sought after by the last three presidents to join the United States Supreme Court. And the current president is still hoping he takes the job. But I doubt it. I saw last night how he enjoys his new, huge family." Edward shook his head and pushed Charles away from his personal space. "He decided to take an open position for the New York Supreme Court. And the thing is he has more powerful connections that you could ever dream of. He was a good friend in college towards me when no one else was. So, you show some respect boy!" He yelled at them both with his focus on his ignorant son.

Charles nodded quickly as he straightened himself up. "S-sorry, dad," Charles mumbled. "That's how I found out about the injunction, Gertie," Edward said to his wife while straightening his tie. "Levey is tight with Todd and ran it by him first.  The moment injunction his desk. And don't think about finding another judge. Levey, Todd, and I talked about Charles' last court date then met with the judge also. There isn't a judge for miles that would touch this case. So let it die, Gertrude." He told his wife in a stern tone.

Gertrude sighed and smoothed her hair then cleared her throat. "Well then, I guess that's all there is to say." She said before she and Charles were about to leave. "No, that isn't. You two sit down. I have one more thing. And there she is now." Edward's frown turned into a smile when he saw Mary stand at the door's threshold. "Hello, Edward." She greeted him before meeting him halfway as she held her daughter. 

"Mary, darling, how are you? Is this her?" He asked, beaming full of pride. "Yes, this is my daughter I adopted, Ava. And I am doing well, thanks to her." Mary said cordially before glancing over at her ex and his mother. "Charles. Gertie." She greeted them stoically.  "Mary, she's so beautiful." Gertie smiled, noticing the beautiful dark brown-skinned infant girl in Mary's arms. Charles noticed the baby had a head full of thick, big, soft dark curls as she happily glowed in a soft green dress. Her matching lace baby headband made him smile as his father took notice of his expression.

"Yes, son take a good look." Edward began to say. "You screwed all of this up. Rachael, Mary, Maddy, Kaleb, all of it! If you didn't love Rachael Sumner, then you should have let her go. Pretending to be a church-going man, when you know full well how we had to drag you to service! All to get into her pants! While you went around whoring with other women, leaving Mary to wait on you." He said, getting angry again. 

"Why she did is beyond me. You should have let her move on also. I'm not sorry when I say that little girl was right. If you can't love her brother, you can't love her. Charles, you are thirty- six years old! Grow the hell up!" Edward told him then looked at his wife, stepping up to her. "I look at our only child and I blame myself. I should have stood up more to you letting him do what he pleased the moment he graduated high school. But I also blame you, because you instilled that bull shit about sowing his wild oats before he settled down and married. " He said with a look disgust. 

Edward exhaled a deep breath then walked away from her. "But what can I expect, Gertrude. Your family raised you like that. Which is what you did, along with the prestige. While, yes we knew we were Black blue-bloods, just like Mary and her family. But Mary's family and my family raised us to marry for love and family. Because the money could disappear tomorrow and once that is gone, what's left? And Tyler Sumner knows the same." He reminded Gertrude.

"Dad, that white boy isn't like me," Charles said with hate in his heart.  "He was broke until he became that model. I was born into money. We all were." Mary looked on as she soothes her now sleeping daughter when Edward stepped back up to his son and put a finger in his chest. "Tyler Sumner is a man. A man who happens to be white. A man who stepped up to the plate and began raising your biological children. A man that fell in love with their mother and them." Edward told Charles. 

"So much, that he adopted your biological children, along with adopting some other children and having his own. I saw with my own eyes that he treated them all the same. Gave the same love and nurturing care that the biological children that were yours should have gotten from you." He finished telling his son before feeling fed up. 

He went to grab his wallet then walked over to Mary as he placed a hand on her back. "Now, if you two will excuse me, Mary and I have a late lunch engagement that we were invited to at the last minute. I will see you two later." Edward said to Charles and Gertrude. "And remember what I said about Todd, Gertie, and Charles. He's very protective of his family.  He has very, very powerful connections. And Tyler is a surprise himself."

With having the final word, Edward walked out with Mary whom he'll always think of as a daughter. As they headed to Todd's and Alyssa's for lunch, the older man mentally hoped he could love her sweet baby as a granddaughter.