[Back At The Grayson Manor]
"I shall now proceed with the will as instructed," said Sir Austin Bush solemnly. "I humbly ask that I am not interrupted until I finish reading this section."
He cleared his throat and began, "In the event of my untimely or timely death, the following is to occur with regards to my belongings both in estate, monetary, and corporate value."
"All my three wives will be relieved of their duties in Mirage Corp," Sir Austin continued steadily. "Stephanie Grayson, my third wife, will be relieved of her duties as the head of public relations, and her shares of 5 percent in Mirage Corp will be liquidated."
"Bertha Grayson, my second wife, will be relieved of her duties as the head of corporate events. She, as well, will have her shares of 5 percent liquidated."
"Madeline Grayson, my first wife, will retain her role as a board member in Mirage Corp, but she will lose her 10 percent shares in return."
"All these should be no surprise to you all as you willingly signed the documents outlining this arrangement in the presence of your lawyers before hand."
"That is all for section 1.1 of the will," Sir Austin concluded, neatly putting away the document.
"I can't believe he was actually serious when he brought that document and made me sign it," said Stephanie, her frustration evident in her tone.
"I honestly didn't think he'd make all of us sign it," she added, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Well, it was either sign or walk out the way you came - you know how he was. It was either things are done his way or no way at all," Bertha remarked.
"Have faith in your husband, you two," Madeline interjected calmly.
"Easy for you to say, Miss First Wife - you get to retain your position in the company," Stephanie retorted, her voice filled with bitterness.
"Well, that's to be expected. I was with him the longest after all - it's only natural that I retain my place in the company. I helped him build this company, after all," Madam Madeline asserted confidently.
"We helped him too, so this is still unfair," Stephanie countered, her frustration visible in her face.
Aurora thought to herself, "Why did he take away his wives' positions in the company? What's his angle here? I'm starting to think the old man is not as simple as he seems. I just can't figure it out yet."
Meanwhile, Elijah was lost in thought. "Father was not a careless man. No decision he ever made was backed by emotion. Everything he did had a reason," he mused silently.
"It's just the way he is - or was," Elijah chuckled to himself, correcting his thoughts. "I suppose even I am a bit hurt that he's passed away. Nonetheless, there's no time for mourning - nor is there merit in doing so. I need to remain strong - emotions will only get in the way of my goal," he reasoned.
He reminisced about a childhood memory, recalling a game of chess with his father. "I remember when I was little, we played a game of chess," Elijah recalled. "I had spent the entire night before learning opening theory so I could gain the advantage when the game started. I've always wanted to best him at it."
"When we started, I instinctively moved the pawn to d4 to begin the game. I'd never seen him so disappointed in me before - at first, I thought he was overreacting. 'It's just a game,' I thought," Elijah reflected.
"But then he asked me, 'Why did you choose that move, Eli?' It was the most natural move for me, I said."
"'Is that your final answer to my question?' he asked. 'Yes,' I replied," Elijah continued. "But then he told me, 'You still have much to learn.' I asked him why he judged my move when he himself hadn't made one yet."
"'The game itself isn't important,' he said. 'All that matters is winning.' But what surprised me was what he said next: 'Your reason for choosing this move lacks depth. You'll win against lesser opponents, but not against me if you think like that.'"
"I honestly didn't get it," Elijah admitted. "I spent weeks pondering what he meant, and like an epiphany, it hit me. He wanted me to eliminate instinct in things that required intensive thought."
"When I told him I'd figured it out, all he said was, 'Don't let your mind think for itself - then your reasons for moving to d4 will be based on thoughts you're aware of, not thoughts your mind convinces you are the most natural,'" Elijah concluded, reflecting on his father's teachings.
"I take it you've figured it out, huh big brother?" said Athena, observing Elijah's unwitting smile.
"Of course I did. No one in this room understands father's intentions better than I," replied Elijah confidently.
"Hmph, you give yourself way too much credit, big brother," retorted Athena.
"You know better than anyone that I, Elijah Grayson, am incapable of losing to anyone other than father." said Elijah.
"Hang in there - with the way things are going, it appears I'll have the honor of handing you your first loss," Athena remarked challengingly.
With a chuckle, Elijah replied, "It seems I'm not the only one who sees father's intentions."
"Ooh, look at you two acting like you're better than us," Michael interjected. "Don't get cocky, brother, just because you happened to beat me once. I was off my game that day and you know it."
"I do not concern myself with the words of a loser. You don't qualify to look me in the eye yet, young brother, so take your time and crawl yourself up to my level," Elijah retorted calmly.
"Guys, please stop arguing in the presence of our mothers. Doesn't it shame you that they're here and you're acting like children?" Helen interjected.
"Yes, listen to Helen," Elijah added, glancing at his siblings. "I mean you too, big brother," added Helen as she glared at him.
"I really can't stand this nonsense. I have better things to do than listen to childish squabbles. Can I leave now?" Meleta stated, clearly frustrated.
"No, you can't, sister. Elijah practically declared war against all of us," Paul retorted sharply. "And you might be the oldest, but that doesn't mean you'll end up being the heir," he added, directing his words at Elijah with emphasis.
"You've been quiet all this time. I was wondering when you'd get in on this," Michael chimed in, looking at Paul.
"I'm just sick of being looked down upon by him, that's all," Paul replied tersely.
"What about you, Shawn? Got any wise words for your big brother too?" Elijah turned to Shawn.
"Leave me out of it. I want no part of this. You want the throne so bad, you can have it," Shawn said, his tone indicating disinterest.
Aurora watched the unfolding drama with a smile on her face. "Well, well, well, things just got interesting," she thought. "Mom was right; I was impulsive. I approached this all wrong. I didn't account for this. I always assumed it would be them against me, but after that display, it's clear it's every man for himself. We're all fighting against each other.
Thanks to this wonderful family dialogue, I finally understand why he relieved his wives of their positions in the company. In the next section of the will, he'll rearrange the management of the company, giving all notable positions to his children. That's what he wanted all along - he wants all of us to compete for the top. What an insane parent you are, Kenneth Grayson," Aurora thought, shaking her head in disbelief.
Elijah looked at each of his siblings, including Aurora, and thought, "There's one thing you were wrong about, Father. This will not be a competition. I'll do absolutely anything to achieve my goal. If anyone gets in my way, I'll destroy them with everything I have, even if they're my own siblings."