Chapter 1
Karly sat in the office of her modeling agency. She was staring at a picture of her parents. They were killed in a car accident a week earlier. She was waiting for her brothers to come with the family lawyer. Her sister-in-law, Hayley, was sitting with her. As was Abby, who was her other sister-in-law. They were married to her brothers, Austin and Eric. Karly had been married to Hayley’s brother, Luke, but they have been separated for two months. She had filed for a divorce. Luke keeps sending the papers back unsigned and ripped to shreds. She left him after finding him in bed with the flight attendant from his plane. He claimed he had been drugged but there was nothing found in his system.
“Eric just texted me,” Hayley said.
“How soon will they be here?” Karly asked.
“Ten minutes, but Karly, Luke is with them,” Hayley said.
“Oh great, why,” Karly said.
“Eric said that Jack told him and Austin that he was required to be apart of the reading of the will,” Hayley said.
“I’m trying to divorce your brother, my parents knew that and they didn’t fix their will as soon as I did,” Karly said.
“Apparently they didn’t have the chance,” Hayley said.
“I know their death was unexpected but they had a month to change it,” Karly said.
“Maybe they hoped you two would work things out,” Hayley said.
“I can’t work things out when I find your brother in bed with another woman who still works for him on his plane,” Karly said. “I will speak to him about that or I’ll just tell Dad,” Hayley said.
“I thought your dad retired?” Abby asked.
“He still has authority over everyone, he didn’t fully retire,” Hayley said. The door opened and Austin, Eric, and Luke came in with Jack, the family lawyer. Karly refused to look at Luke.
“Karly,” Austin said.
“Hey bro,” Karly said.
“Karly,” Eric said.
“Hey bro,” Karly said.
“Hello my wife,” Luke said. Karly ignored him.
“Luke,” Hayley said.
“She is still my wife, Hayley, I refuse to give her a divorce when we can work this out,” Luke said.
“She caught you in bed with Nicole!” Hayley said.
“I was drugged!” Luke said.
“Nothing was found in your system!” Hayley said.
“Because it was gone before I went to get checked out but I know that in my right mind, I never would have touched her,” Luke said.
“Let’s have a seat and get this started,” Jack said. Luke sat down next to Karly. Austin sat next to Abby. Eric sat with Hayley.
“Do you have to sit there?” Karly asked.
“All other seats are taken,” Luke aid.
“You could just leave,” Karly said.
“Karly, Luke is required to be here,” Jack said.
“Whatever,” Karly said. Jack got out the papers and began reading the will.
“Austin and Abby, you get the house,” Jack said.
“I guessed it,” Abby said.
“Yeah baby you did,” Austin said.
“Eric you get the company,” Jack said.
“I figured that,” Eric said.
“Karly, you get full control of the agency,” Jack said.
“I knew that,” Karly said.
“All three of you get the sum of $300 billion dollars to split between the three of you,” Jack said.
“So we get $100 billion dollars each,” Eric said.
“That seems fair,” Austin said.
“There is a clause, your parents made this change last month, you will only get the money if Karly reconciles with Luke,” Jack said.
“What!” Karly said.
“I guess they did make a change before they passed away but not what was expected,” Hayley said.
“A note from your mom saying, ′Karly, it’s time to work things out with your husband, I know he is an upstanding gentleman and would never intentionally hurt you, it’s time to fix things and work things out, I love you always, Mom’” Jack said.
“I can’t believe this,” Karly said.
“Karly,” Eric said.
“It’s got to happen,” Austin said.
“You have until Sunday to move your things back into the house you two shared as husband and wife and that means the bedroom as well, you will be watched and if you two are not back to normal as a married couple by December 31st, the money disappears,” Jack said.
“That’s in three months,” Karly said.
“It won’t take that long,” Luke said.
“You better keep dreaming,” Karly said.
“Do you really want to lose all that money, for your brothers to not get their part?” Luke asked.
“We all are doing just fine with money,” Karly said.
“You are so stubborn!” Luke said.
“I caught you with Nicole, in our fucking bed! Excuse me if it’s hard for me to just forget what I saw! You broke my heart, Luke, you destroyed me!” Karly said.
“It was not my intention to be caught in bed with her because it was not my intention to be drugged and end up there,” Luke said.
“There is no proof of that,” Karly said.
“I’ll fucking get proof,” Luke said.
“From where, Nicole, she won’t tell the truth, she would rather die than tell the truth,” Karly said.
“Karly,” Luke said.
“Sis,” Eric and Austin said
“Jack is that all?” Karly asked.
“I have your grandparents will as well, it was to be read in the event of your parents’ death,” Jack said.
“What does it say?” Austin asked.
“Your grandparents owned a ranch near the Adirondack Mountains, called Sky High Ranch, it’s a dude ranch,” Jack said.
“Okay?” Eric asked.
“They left it to the three of you, they didn’t want your parents to know that they still owned it, your parents wanted them to sell it to land developers but your grandparents refused so they came up with a plan, they signed it over to their foreman and put it in his name but they put a clause in that upon the death of your parents, the ranch would immediately be signed over to their three grandchildren,” Jack said.
“That ranch has been in the family for seven generations and our parents wanted to sell it to land developers,” Austin said.
“I can’t believe they wanted to destroy our family history,” Eric said.
“I’ll go up and check it out,” Karly said.
“We will go with you sis,” Eric said.
“Yeah the three of us will,” Austin said.
“Honey?” Abby asked.
“Babe?” Hayley said.
“You two are coming as well,” Austin said.
“Karly?” Luke asked.
“What,” Karly said.
“Am I allowed to come along?” Luke asked.
“Did I say that you could?” Karly said.
“Karly, he is still legally your husband and entitled to half of everything you own including the agency,” Jack said.
“Fine whatever just stay out of my way,” Karly said. She went out the door.
