Ridge Wright ☁︎ (6 years ago)
There's a saying that if you don't feel remorse for hurting people or losing people you always say you care about then, you are considered to have psychopath traits. That's what people said to me when I lost my mother two weeks ago from breast cancer. I knew she was going to die, because cancer does that to people and wishing for it to not happen is just wishful thinking and I don't believe in those. So, I was mentally prepared for it to happen. Don't get me wrong, I loved my mother, she did her motherly duties like she was expected to and I'm glad to have a parent present in my childhood growing up because my father died when I was 10 and Ely was 7. He got into an accident with his mistress and both died on the spot. The man couldn't even cheat properly. Pathetic.
So, it isn't weird to go to work the day after your mother's funeral but according to my brother, I'm an emotionless human who doesn't care about anyone's feelings. My mother is already dead, so whose feeling are we talking about? Exactly, no one.
But that doesn't seem like the case since I'm sitting in my grandfather's office in Wright Mason after receiving a call from him. And besides my grandfather stands my dear brother. My glare was enough to make him know how much I want to dig him 6 ft down with our mother right now.
"Stop looking at your brother like you want to kill him, Ridge." Richard Wright sat in front of me. The man who build this entire empire.
"Thanks for putting words to my thoughts, grandfather," finally turning my gaze towards him.
"I have some important matters to discuss with you." Ignoring my words, he starts, "I made some amends to my will."
Now, it's my time to become emotional. "What do you mean you change your will?"
"Stop screaming and sit your ass back down boy." My grandfather says in a very chill tone. Taking the clue, I sat down in my seat. "Before I officially give you the Wright Groups you need to fill three tasks."
"Oh, so now we are playing scavenger hunts, so thrilled," A scowl sits on my face.
"Stop being sarcastic Ridge, grandpa is serious." Ely finally says.
"Shut your mouth, Ely, before I break it."
"Don't you dare touch my face, it's worth fucking millions of dollars."
"That's exactly why I'm gonna break it so that you spend every single penny you earn from it to fix it ."
"Enough!" Grandfather interrupted before Ely could say anything, "Are you done acting like kids? If yes, then let's continue." He pauses for a second, " Your first task is to get a green signal from a therapist that you are not mentally ill. Or-"
"So this is all about why I didn't spend all week weeping like a puppy who lost her mother and instead went to work?" I asked in frustration.
"You and I both know very well it's much deeper than that."
"I'm not going to see any shrink, grandfather," I said in an affirmative tone.
He raised his hands, stopping me from speaking further, "Let me finish."
I leaned back in my chair gesturing to him to continue, "Or you go on a vacation for 5 months."
"Not happening. We are currently working on a big project. There is no way I'm leaving my team alone." I reply immediately without wasting much time.
"Then therapy is it." Grandfather said like it was decided. Like hell it is, I'm not gonna sit like a mentally unstable person hearing some idiot blubbering about inner feelings.
"I don't need any therapy, grandfather. I am mentally very much healthy, thank you for your concern." I said more like mocked.
Grandfather shook his head, "I'm not going to give away my lifetime of hard work to someone who doesn't even care about his mother, how will you care about your employees and workers then?"
"Uh...by giving them bonuses and raises?" I answer like it's obvious. Well, it is obvious.
"No, money isn't everything." I raised an eyebrow at that, "Stop looking like that, do any one of them or I'm giving the business to Ely."
"Okay, go ahead. But don't come to me when he goes around buying every single sports team, arena and championship or even better rename the whole business into Elliot's sports business." I said looking at my brother who is now scowling. At this, Grandfather didn't say anything which made Ely look at him like he was expecting him to defend him.
"Let's stop playing this child game grandfather, I have a meeting to attend," I said looking at my wristwatch.
"Or I'll give it to your uncle." Grandfather said raising his eyebrows like he is daring me to be opposed.
"No, you are not," I said in a lethal tone. Compared to my uncle, even Ely is a better choice. If he gets his hands in the company, it won't take him a month to sell everything just to lose it in gambling.
"Then do one of them."
"You are serious," I breathe out.
"Very." Grandfather said, sounding like his absurd words worked on me.
I am not going to shrink for sure. I went there before, but nothing happened. I'm too twisted even for a therapist. So what's left is the vacation for 5 months. 5 months sitting around and doing nothing. But maybe I can play it on my terms if I'm careful. Not knowing something won't do any harm to the old man, right? "One month." I finally said. But grandfather didn't reply anything and looked at me with a face that screams are-you-kidding-me? "Two?" I asked this time.
"Three months." Grandfather said taking out a ticket for an island called Guernsey. This old man is too prepared. And now it feels like I just fell into their trap.
"Is there anything else? If not then see you later." Standing up buttoned my suit and turned to leave.
"And Ridge, make sure you don't dare think of working remotely from your computer. Cause you're leaving all of your gadgets here."
"Are we now playing man vs wild? Then you should send me to Amazon, heard it's a great place for humans to die." Who on Earth gives this old man such absurd ideas?
"Do what I said. You're allowed to take a cellphone with no internet access with you and don't think of buying it there. I will be aware of it immediately. "
"You are being ridiculous." I opposed it.
"No more. Get out." My grandfather announced.
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I'm in Guernsey in my shorts and shirts, with a beer in my hands and no connection to London, watching people swim on the shore. I arrived here in the morning today, and just like the old man said, they checked my luggage for any devices and took the smartphone I sneaked in.
This is ridiculous. Everything is ridiculous. And more ridiculous is the girl sitting beside me at the bar and staring at me like I got a money tree hanging in my head. Women like them do have this great capability to identify rich men. Honestly, if in any other circumstance, I would have found her attractive. Those green eyes, brown hair, lips which were full and so much kissable, body hanging under than dress and for sure hiding the curves, a combination that can bring any man to his knees. On a normal day, I would have given in, and taken her to a room for the night. But I'm too pissed to think of anything else now.
Unable to take any more of her staring, I finally grumbled without looking in her direction, "Not interested."
"Oh, I'm not selling anything," she said with a wide smile raising her hands.
"Sorry?" I said turning towards her.
"It's okay. I'm not good at holding grudges." She speaks with a fucking too-bright smile. Which pissed me off even more.
"Are you an idiot?" I glared at her but she was oblivious to my anger and kept on smiling.
"You are the first person to ever ask me that because normally people ask me why am I so smart." She said proudly.
Is she kidding me? Whose fucking child is it?
"Maybe they are even bigger idiots than you," I murmured looking towards the beach.
At these, she giggled, "Who knows, maybe? Honestly, I do find them dumb." When I didn't reply to anything she started again. "My mamma and papa are so in love with me also my brother that every time they introduce me to new people they start replaying the entire speech of how good of a child I am. At some point it becomes tiresome but I love them way too much to say anything rude."
"Where are your parents? Go find them, and if you lose them go to the beach safety stand and ask them for help." I am not here to listen to some kid blubber about her happy, perfect family.
At this, she giggled, "I'm not here with my parents. And I'm not a kid even though I'm small and all but I'm 21." She said showing the number with her hands. "So are you here for vacation, I mean you don't look like a local but you have an English accent? You know, I was always envious of people from Europe because of their accents, so when I was a kid I used to fake my accent and act like I was from England. Until one day my brother said that I sounded nothing like them and needed to stop acting weird. Can you believe it?" She said laughing out loud.
It's almost an hour now and she is still speaking without taking a fucking break. How is her voice still there? At some point ignored her blubbering until now she is looking at me like she wants something from me, "what?" I grumbled.
"I asked, what is your name?" I repeat still fucking smiling ide like an idiot.
"None of your business,"
"Oh c'mon, we have been talking for almost an hour now. We crossed that bridge a long time ago." When I didn't reply anything, "you didn't answer. What is your name? Or you don't have a name? That would be funny." She fucking giggled again. Why on earth is she so happy?
Unable to take her voice anymore I finally answer hoping she will stop talking, "Ridge."
"Ridge? That's a nice name." She nods like she is calculating something. Weird.
When she didn't say anything I looked at her, staring at her fruit drinks with so many plants like some animal from the zoo. When the silence is stretching far it starts feeling weird like her voice's absence is making it more awkward. So instead I asked, "What's your name?"
"Oh...my name? I'm...I'm Mara." She answered, giving me a big smile.
"Stop smiling like an idiot," I grumble.
At this, she scrunched her nose, "you are grumpy."
"And you are a talkative bitch." I snapped.
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Soooo the chapter is here. Another update within this week 🥳🤩 Honestly for me writing Marilynn of 6yrs ago is much easier or I would say therapeutic. She is so pure and good. Anywayyyy do let me say how you like this chapter. Do you need for of 6yrs ago chapters? Do tell me. Byererrreeee💖💕💖❤️🔥❤️