Slander Most Foul

In a center city office, siblings Christina Bryant and Steven Bryant sit with their mother Susan Bryant. They’re listening to the attorney read the last will and testament of Howard Bryant. Susan receives their mansion on Philadelphia city line and the summer house at Wildwood New Jersey and half of his bank account. Each child will get half of the remaining half of the bank account on their thirty-fifth birthday. However, there is a stipulation that states if there shall be an illegitimate child or out of wedlock by either child before the designated date then that child shall forfeit his or her share. Howard was close to being a billionaire at the time of his death.

After the reading, the family rides in the chauffeured family limousine.

“Mom, how old were you when you and dad married?” Christina asks.

“I was twenty-five and he was forty-five. He thought that it was time to stop making money just for himself. He thought that it was time to create a family to leave it to. That’s the reason you two were born,” Susan says.

“You received a nice sum,” Steven says.

“I was guaranteed a nice sum,” Susan says.

“What is this about children out of wedlock?” Christina asks.

“Now, you should know by now that your father loved to stir the pot with bullshit,” Susan say.

Steven, thirty-three, understands what his mother means. His father would not accept him in his sole investment business after he became a lawyer, so he had to settle with practicing international law with a law firm.  The chauffeur drops each sibling off at their abode then takes Susan home.

Christina, twenty-eight, in her apartment, decides to relax the rest of the day. She took the day off from her management position at a hospital. However, she calls her secretary for any updates and to tell her that she’ll be in tomorrow. “If my boyfriend bothers you about me, tell him that I am home.” Julius is an emergency room doctor. She’s in a comfortable nap until her cell-phone rings.

“Hello,” Julius says.

“Hi,”

“How did it go?”

“Fine. Just that when I reach thirty-five, I’ll be in a higher tax bracket.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t sound too excited by it.”

“I’m not thirty-five yet.”

Steven tells his wife, Mary, about the will. Right away, their discussion is about early retirement, traveling, sending their two kids to five-star private schools. He does not mention the stipulation, but that night in bed, he is restless. He slips off the bed, goes to the kitchen and puts together a snack. While munching and sipping, he recalls when Christina just out of high school convinced mom and dad to let her travel Europe alone for a year and for some reason she stayed for two years. In the morning, he’ll call mom, ask her for that unknown reason.

           “Hi Steven.”

           “Hi mom.”

           “Mom, remember that time when Christina went to Europe right after high school for one year and she extended it to two.”

           “Yes.”

           “Do you remember what excuse that she gave to stay the extra year?”

           “Well, I thought that she just wanted to visit more cities over there and one year wasn’t enough time, and Howard said it was okay and put more money on her card. Why do you ask?”

           “Oh, Mary and I was just talking traveling last night and it just came up.”

In his office, Steven’s thoughts fluctuate between his task and Christina journey in Europe for more that the planned one year. “Why?” He asks himself. Joan, his secretary, steps into the office.

           “Why what?”

           “Oh, just thinking out loud. What do you have there?”

           “The brief that you requested.”

           He takes the brief. Joan turns to leave the office.

           “Joan.”

           “Yes.”

           “Does the firm still have contact with that pee eye in London? What’s his name, Frederick something or another.”

           “I’m not sure but I can check.”

           “Please do that, I just need his phone number.”

           “Okay.”

Her workday over, Christina steps out of the hospital to the taxi stand. She tells the driver Susan’s address.

           “Why the visit?” Susan asks.

           “Oh, I just decided to do an overnight with you.”

           “Okay, good, the movie channel is showing two westerns Marlon Brando starred in during the nineteen-sixties.”

           After dinner, Susan, Christina with the household servants sit in the television room, sipping wine, snacking on finger sandwiches while watching the movies. Later that night in Susan’s bedroom, she and Christina prepare to go to bed.

           “Hey, when you traveled Europe after high school that time, why did you want to stay the extra year?” Susan asks.

           Taken-aback, Christina stands silent for a moment. “I was having fun and just didn’t want it to stop so early.”

           “Oh okay.”

           “Why did you ask?”

           “Steven wanted to know.”

           “Why would he want to know?”

           “I don’t really know.”

The next evening, from her apartment, Christina calls Steven. She asks why his inquiry about her travel to Europe. It brother her the whole day.

           “Because I believe during that extra year, you became pregnant.”

           “What?”

           “Pregnant and that you either had an abortion or gave birth and put it up for adoption.”

           “That’s bullshit and you know it.”

           “Well, we’ll soon know if it is because I am having it checked out.”

           Christina snaps, loud. “You know what, dad once told me that the reason he didn’t want you working with him was that you were a too greedy punk, now you’re a backstabbing ass hole.” She ends the call.

           Mary sees Steven’s blank expression.

           “What was that all about?” Mary asks.

           Steven tells her his suspicion.

           She frowns.

           “Look, we’ll get it all if it’s true.”

           “What if it’s not?”

           “Then, I’ll eat crow.”

           “And most likely lose a sister.”

Christina calls Susan. She tells her Steven’s suspicion and that he was checking it out to see if it is true.

           “I just figured that you wanted more time to have more fun, sightseeing, checking out guys to screw,” Susan says, “but it seems that you were careful about it. However, I do recall that during that first-year you sent home an abundance of sightseeing photographs but during the second-year it was nearly nil.”

           Christina sighs. “Near the end of the first year, I met a girl. She was a year older than me; we became lovers. I lived in France with her that year. I came home because it became clear that she was just living her lavish lifestyle out of my bank card.”

           “Well, dear, it’s our secret.”

           “Thanks mom.”

Three weeks later, the London private detective’s report arrives at his house. Steven leaves the office early, hurries to read it. “Shit,” he moans. His money was not smartly spent.