Lund Drottning

Chapter 3

My twin is an idiot. Isabella is so busy dreading going to Forks that she doesn't even realize what we are escaping. She has always been closer to Renee than Dad. I'm probably the only one who knows that Renee engineered that. She didn't want Isabella going home, so she subtly referred to every single thing about Forks or Dad as a negative. I know that people sometimes do that unintentionally, but she and Marie had spoken about it when we were very small. Marie had died when we were six, and honestly I'd been thankful. Matthew Higginbotham was much less likely to put up with Renee's shit. She had stayed in the house until he died two years ago just after our fourteenth birthday.
The reason why had become clear when the lawyer had explained that Matthew Higginbotham had bequeathed a monthly allowance of one thousand dollars as well as one million dollars to be held in trust for Isabella for a first car, and school tuition. She would have the rest given to her when she turned twenty five. The rest of his assets, including apparently several houses, a monthly stipend, and over forty billion dollars, also held in trust, were left to his eldest granddaughter. There was only a letter left to his daughter. It was not a happy letter and the lawyer had been instructed to read it aloud in front of us all. He was then instructed to hold on to the letter in case Renee decided to try to fight the will. She had refused the option to live in the house until I was eighteen, stating that she didn't need to live off of her daughter's inheritance. Then she had started dating men who could take care of her financially rather than men who could offer her fun and adventure.
Isabella had finally decided that Renee was suffering too much by staying home, where she no longer had to work, while Phil was traveling to play ball. Honestly, the woman had zero responsibilities. She did the adult version of playing all day and then expected Isabella and I to split the chores. I had taken over cooking, after teaching Isabella the basics, and frequently froze meals so that they could be put on at a certain time even if I was otherwise occupied. Isabella does the laundry and usually puts the frozen meals in the oven while I am still out of the house. Then I do the dishes and sweep before bed because Isabella is usually expected to spend time with Renee before bed. It's lucky when Isabella can manage bed before midnight. Far be it from Renee to actually encourage her children toward stable healthy practices. Yes, I am bitter about the situation. It is better than the Dursley's, but that's only because she isn't violently inclined and lets me eat. I'm convinced that she likes me about as much as they did; also that she thinks I take from Isabella just as they thought I took from Dudley. This life is oddly similar to my last, but I am so grateful for the differences.
Right now I am sitting on a plane headed toward Port Angeles where Dad will be waiting to finally take us home. No more three week visits and long distance phone calls. I could go the rest of my life without ever seeing or speaking to Renee again, not that I will be afforded that luxury. She tries to fake it for Phil, but he had gone so far as to ask me if I was okay.

~~Flashback~~

"Lund? Sorry you prefer Lundie right? Your Mom keeps telling me that, but I forget."

"It's fine, Phil. I actually prefer Lund. She's been trying to convince me otherwise all my life." I smile looking at him and patting the couch beside me. He looks at me confused for a moment.

"Okay. Then I will keep calling you Lund until you tell me otherwise. This is actually what I wanted to talk to you about. You and Renee seem to have trouble with each other, and it seems to come from both sides. I wanted to make sure you are okay. Is there something I'm doing that is making it worse? I don't want to come between you." I laugh lightly and shake me head.

"Don't worry, Phil. There is no love lost between Renee and I. She wasn't expecting twins. I think she latched on to Isabella, and just never really considered me. She's petty toward me because she has convinced herself that I take away from Isabella. I've always been ahead of Isabella academically, which she couldn't curb after I entered middle school because of how they schedule classes. I'm also more comfortable in public. I don't know that Isabella actually holds these things against me, but Renee has never liked them. In return I am petty toward her for those things that she holds against me and for all of the horrid things she says to Isabella about our home and our father. He is a good man who worked to try to fix his marriage. Anyone in Forks can tell you that he was devastated when she left, but she tells Isabella that he didn't care about us. She tells her that he didn't help her. I know that he supported us financially from the moment she left. The final nail in the coffin though was Grandfather Matthew. We were never overly close, but he was observant. He didn't appreciate the way she behaved toward us, so he left an iron-clad will. Including a scathing letter for Renee and million dollar trust for Isabella. The estate though was left to me. Its just another thing that she thinks I took from my sister. Don't worry Phil, she isn't actually a bad person. I'm just an exception in her world."