Sweet on You

Chapter 1

Lydia never thought she would be back here. She looked up at the tall, ever-growing building, her neck arching so much it ached. It was dark, the grey cement and tinted windows had a sense of foreboding that made her want to turn around and pretend this wasn't happening.

"Welcome to Hollis Enterprises." She muttered under her breath as she swung open the door.

Her heels clicked against the marble floor as she walked through the lobby. It hadn't gotten past her that nearly every employee had been following her with their gaze. One, however, stopped her as she attempted to get past the front desk to the elevators. He rolled back his shoulders and narrowed his gaze on Lydia. "Where might you be going, Miss?"

Lydia arched an eyebrow and pointed to the elevator. "Up?"

"May I see your staff identification card?" The man, Lydia peered at his name tag which had Dale engraved on it, asked harshly. 

She supposed she couldn't blame him for asking for some ID. She couldn't even remember the last time she had step foot in this building. But by the hitched breaths of the nearby staff, Lydia suspected that no matter how much time had passed, they still knew who she was. All but Dale. Lydia fumbled through her tattered purse, one she had since she was fifteen and had an affinity for anything vintage from the thrift shop. She pulled out her ID, not one identifying her as a staff member (because she wasn't one) but rather her driver's license. Lydia handed the man her license and said, "I don't have a staff card, but I hope this could suffice."

Dale read the license and his face fell deathly pale. "M-Miss Hollis, I'm terribly sorry."

He sidestepped, letting her past him so she could access the elevators. She hastily pressed the button and the elevator let out a loud ding, the doors opening swiftly. She pressed the button for the top floor and released a shaky sigh. 
She could do this.

###

The elevator door parted and Lydia took a shaky step out. Despite not stepping foot in this building in years, Lydia knew the way to her mother's office better than the back of her hand. In two lefts and a right, Lydia was greeted by her mother's assistant, Zachary. "Lydia, good to see you, under the circumstances of course."

"Thank you, Zachary," she replied, her voice dying in her throat when she recognized her mother's lawyer was present, along with her half-sister, Kelly. "What is going on?"

Zachary let out a sigh of regret. "Maybe it's best you sit down."

Mr. Phillips was seated where her mother would have been, looking a little bit perplexed. Kelly, on the other hand, looked pissed. Lydia almost cringed at the sight of her, at just how much Kelly looked like her mother. Her bleach blonde hair was slicked back in a tight bun, her icy blue eyes refusing to meet Lydia's. After a moment of silence, Mr. Phillips began to speak. "Miss Hollis, I first want to extend my condolences for the loss of your mother."

Lydia bit back a snarky response. Of course, she never wished for her mother's death, but it didn't seem to impact her as others expected it to. Truth is, Lydia never really knew her seeing as she left when Lydia was two. Sometimes, her mother would call her up for a lunch here and there, but even then, Lydia could count on one hand the number of times she had those lunches. The only reason she went was that her father always wanted to give her mother the benefit of the doubt, even though she broke his heart. Still, Lydia suppressed any negative response and settled for a thank you.

"Now, it appears your mother had left some things for you as requested in her will," her mother's lawyer said, carefully reading over the documents. He smoothed out the paper and peered over his glasses. "It seems that she left Hollis Enterprises to you, Lydia."

Without thinking, Lydia burst out in a fit of nervous laughter. However, when she noticed no one else was laughing at what she perceived to be the world's cruellest joke, she faltered. "What? No. No, that can't be right. I don't know anything about owning an enterprise, hell, I hardly even know anything about my own mother."

Lydia looked over at Kelly, who looked as though she was trying with every fibre of being to not lash out at this whole situation. She shook her head vigorously. "Look, I don't know why she would do that but I don't want it. Kelly has been raised to take over this place, I know nothing about it. She deserves it. I am perfectly happy with my little bakery, she can have the big enterprise to herself."

Kelly rolled her eyes.
"Oh, please. You've hated me because Mom liked me better. I bet you're revelling in the fact she chose you over me."

"No, I'm not," Lydia argued, she wanted to reach across and comfort her but she decided it was best not to. Lydia never was close to her mother, but she was close to her father who passed away two years ago, she knew the pain of losing someone she loved unconditionally and she hated that Kelly was now going through the same thing. "Kelly, I want you to have it. Is there any way I can give it to her and be done with this?" 

Lydia stared at Mr. Phillips expecting him to say yes, no problem. Anything that could get her out of this office.

Instead, he sighed. "I'm afraid your mother put in a clause that dictates whoever is left with the company must keep it for at least a year before selling."

"You have got to be kidding me," Lydia groaned,  looking completely defeated at Kelly. "I don't want this. I never did. When the year is over, it's yours."

Instead of saying thank you or some semblance of comfort, Kelly arched an eyebrow. "Care to put that in writing?"