Chapter 38 Lady Zola’s Will
Mr. Norton was about to say something, but was warned by Mrs. Sadie, Mrs. Viona – Norton’s adoptive mother motioned for him to stay calm, to sit still and listen to the will that lawyer Vance was about to read. Vance looked around the room for a moment and took out the will and read it aloud:
“Testament…
I am Zola Beswick, wife of Sir Norton Bollton, owner of a chain of fashion stores called Ritaya and the largest shareholder of Palamoka Trading Company, the current company of which my husband is general CEO replaced me. I am a woman who loves and trusts my husband very much, so most of the assets I hold are in his custody, including the Bollton mansion. The place that belonged to me before. But out of boundless love, I gave it back to Norton.
And today is a good day and also the happiest day for me when the Zomasha hotel chain has been completed, it will be put into operation by the end of this year. That is the result that I have after a long time of accumulating money and building. My mother is so proud of me that her daughter has done that.
But because to have it, I sacrificed my health, I found myself getting weaker and weaker. So to prepare for the following days in the future. I decided to make this will one night after the day Zomasha was active. That’s when I send some of my midnight time, quietly watching Norton sleep in his bed after a hard day’s work. I went to my desk and wrote these words down.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.
My dear Henry, I want to give the best for you and right now too. You are a priceless gift that God has brought into my life. I know you are a smart and talented child, since you were three years old, you have shown your genius ability. And that makes me happy, proud and confident in my son. I have come to the biggest decision of my life that I will give the Zomasha hotel chain and the Palamoka trading company to Henry Bollton when you turn twenty-four years old, and at the same time you will marry with a beautiful wife and have children with her.
It’s strange for you to hear me say those things but everything I want is good for you. As Henry matures, you become a real man and the fact that you have a small family of your own will be a motivation and responsibility for you to shoulder more. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to be around to take care of you anymore, so I need a girl, a wife by my side to take care of you instead of me. I want to see that in the future. And when you have a child, you will understand my heart and how much love this mother has for her son.
I am not a harsh woman forcing my son to do it. This is just a will for the future. If by this time, you have not done so, the two properties above will be managed by your father, Norton Bollton. He will decide it and replaces me. But I trust him so much, whatever the reason, Norton will give it to you when you fulfill the above requests.
Love you, Zola Beswick…”
After hearing the words that lawyer Vance had just read, everyone in the room was extremely surprised, Mrs. Farim glanced at Mr. Norton angrily, it turned out that he had already known it and still kept it a secret. But what can she do now when it’s all too late. Mrs. Sadie went a step further, finding lawyer Vance to announce three weeks before Henry’s twenty-fourth birthday. Let him know what he needs to do to get his mother’s property back from his treacherous father.
Attorney Vance still will kept the will in case Mr. Norton stole it because he had used despicable tricks during the past time to make this will invalid. And one thing more special, it’s a pity for Zola to have misplaced trust in Norton. An unfortunate incident happened, when two weeks after the will was made, Zola witnessed her husband having sex with Farim in bed when he went to a remote hotel in the suburbs only to meet Farim secretly while Norton lied to Zola on a business trip for a few days. When witnessing that scene, Zola was shocked and had a stroke, she fainted when she went down the stairs and unfortunately everyone tried to take her to the hospital for treatment but everything was too late.
Days later, after Zola’s funeral, Mr. Norton revealed himself even more. He appropriated all the properties that Zola gave him to manage and brought his lover Farim and his stepchildren to the Bollton mansion to live. He sent his son Henry away, he sent someone to take the boy to Sadie’s place so that she could take care of everything herself.
And Mrs. Sadie really hates Norton from that, through the process of investigation, she discovered that Norton was the one behind her daughter’s death. Sadie definitely won’t forgive Norton. And some time later, when Norton learned of the contents of the will, he went to Mrs. Sadie and apologized to Sadie begging for her forgiveness, and welcomed Henry back home to serve the purpose after that. He put Henry on the side to manage and control him more closely. In order to let Henry help her get revenge on Norton, she quickly agreed to his request.
Now Farim understood all the things he had done to Henry all this time was to forbid him to love and date girls. That is also the reason that Henry was asked by him to go to a boarding school for boys to study and also because he did not want Henry to do what Zola wanted in the will. Norton sent people to trouble and make it difficult for the girls Henry had secretly dated, forcing them to end up with Henry and move away when he gave them large sums of money. Farim happily thought:
“In three weeks? How does he find a girl to love, marry and have children with? While he is closely monitored and controlled by Norton from afar.”
She thought so and turned to Henry and inquired:
“Zola’s request might be a bit too much for you. I don’t think you can find someone to quickly get married and have children in just three short weeks.”
Henry was really angry now, after hearing the words of his mother’s will. Henry changed his attitude and facial expression. He looked at the people sitting in this room, especially those living in the Bollton mansion, he couldn’t sit still and watch them blatantly live under what his mother had left. Henry will definitely not forgive them, including his father, the most cursed traitor. He will slowly take back everything his mother has from them. Henry resolutely replied:
“Your stepmother can rest assured. Right now I like a girl and will propose to her soon.”
Mr. Norton smiled coldly and added:
“Really? Why I don’t know that? Are you lying to me, Henry?”
Henry gently replied:
“That’s a question I can’t answer right now. I will prove to you whether what I say is true or not?”
He smiled brightly, stood up from the table, put his hands in his pockets and waved goodbye to everyone:
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave here. Goodbye…”
Mrs. Sadie also had no reason to stay, she and her companions quickly left the table and walked out to return home. Now, there were only members of the Bollton family left, they looked at each other with angry and annoyed expressions. They are helpless before the current situation because they have heard the words in the will, but they will not give up and will find ways to stop Henry.
Henry was also not happy with the request in his mother’s will, he drove while thinking to himself:
“Marry? What am I supposed to do with you now, Wendy?”
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