Before the day was up Michelle decided to pay a visit to her dear grandfather. She took the elevator up to his office. She did have to wait a bit because he was in a meeting.
"I'm really sorry Miss. Hart; if you had called ahead that you'd be coming I'd have informed you of the best time to see him." His P.A said anxiously.
"It's no trouble Hank, really I can wait. Will he be done soon?" she asked as she sat on the lounge chair.
"Yes. In a few more minutes."
"That's good then. I'll just go in when he's done."
Hank nodded appreciatively returning to his work. A few minutes went by quickly and the small light on Hank's table lit up, alerting him that his boss was done with the meeting. He looked at Michelle face buried in her phone and with his gestures caught her attention.
"He's done now. You can go in."
"Thanks Hank."
Grandpa Hart's office was the same as the last time she had been in it. Gerald Hart was an imposing man even seated, yet he could not help but smile at the sight of his granddaughter. Gesturing for her to sit, he set aside the paperwork he was perusing.
"How has it been, working here at Hart Industries?" He asked.
"There have been some… struggles, but overall it has been an illuminating experience."
"Very good. I am glad that you are adapting to it as well as you are. As I'm sure I cannot emphasize enough, this company is your- our- life blood. It represents our family and our values and it is up to us to make sure it is ran smoothly." He said a somber look on his face, "If it so happens that I am no longer in this world, I want you to take over this company."
"Why me grandpa? And not your son, my father?" Michelle asked despite knowing the answer. Lucy had told her that Lionel was not her father, that her real father was Lionel's older brother- George Hart. Some part of her was hoping that her grandfather would explain everything to her, finally tell her the truth.
The law of succession of the Hart family was that the oldest or their descendant would inherit all the major assets. With George dead, Lionel should have been the oldest, but he had a daughter- Michelle. A daughter that Gerald insisted Lionel raised as his own. If Gerald took into consideration the fact that no outsider knew of this law, he should have made Lionel the next successor but he did not- instead he made sure Michelle got what was her birthright following the law of succession, plus she was a much better option either way.
"Your father tries his best but he doesn't love this company the way we do, he cannot see past the money, he chooses to ignore all the employees and their families, the thousands if not millions of lives that depend on this company. I fear if I gave Lionel this company, he would run it to the ground."
His words stunned her, she never expected that he would admit her father's incompetence in her presence.
"This old man has rambled on enough. Why did you come to see me?"
"Right, I'd almost forgotten." She replied chuckling. Then suddenly she sat up her face becoming serious, "Grandfather as I am sure you're aware the annual design meeting is coming up."
"Yes, the design team want to try submitting another design again according to what Hank has told me."
"Well, I was chosen as the one to give a report on how the previous designs have fared and somehow find a way to convince the board not to approve the new design."
"I did not realize there was need for such a thing." He responded his tone baffled.
"Well, turns out there is. But that's not why I came. I want you to be present at the meeting."
"For a design approval? Would it not be a bit much for the Chairman of the company to be present at such a small meeting?" He asked doubtfully.
"I understand that, but is important that you're there. It could be virtual but I would prefer it if you came physically."
"Hmm. Why is it so important that I'm there?"
"Well Grandfather, it's because I prepared a surprise for you." She replied with a wide smile. He laughed loudly at her response, his laughter booming in the room.
"Very well then, since you want me to be there, I shall make it a priority. When is it? This meeting."
"In two weeks grandfather."
"Alright then." He nodded his head and made a note of it in his calendar. "That reminds me, this is your last week with your parents. Are you finally ready to move out like we had previously discussed?"
"I am, in fact I may be moving in by Friday instead of the weekend like I thought."
"Oh?" He arched a brow, "Why is that?"
"Father's taking them all on a family vacation and I want to leave as soon as they do. They'll be leaving Thursday."
"A family vacation?"
"Mhm."
"Without you?" He slammed his fist on the table, "What sort of ludicrousness is this?"
"Grandpa, don't be angry. This is how things always are, I'm used to it." She said fanning the flames of his fury even more.
Gerald was fuming with rage- when he put Michelle under Lionel's care he explicitly warned him not to single her out once he started having children. He asked his son to look after her as if she was his and to love her with the same amount of love he would give his own children. At first it did seem like Lionel was trying to love her but his attitude did a 180 after his twins were born. Gerald did not realize that the blatant favoritism was so obvious that Michelle had grown used to it.
"I will speak to your father about this, I'll make sure-."
"That's sweet grandpa but no need, I don't want to go on a trip with family that would make it obvious that I was not welcome." She responded in a calming tone.
"Fine then. But I will speak to him regardless about his attitude."
"If you must grandfather, if you must." She replied bowing her head to hide her smirk.
Her meeting her grandfather went exactly as she wanted it to. She dropped a hint on how Lionel was treating her without out rightly saying so. Grandfather's conversation with Lionel would not change much but now he would know that she was in fact capable of meeting her grandfather for help if something hurts her- unlike what he actually believed from his secret conversation with Freddy.
Home was a riot, everyone was shouting over each other looking for whatever it was they needed for their trip. Michelle bored of staying in her room went downstairs for a light snack.
She was munching away happily when she heard footsteps alerting her to the presence of someone else in the kitchen. She looked up mid chew and was faced with Lucy who was staring at her with a calculating look on her face, her blue eyes narrowed.
What evil plot is she coming up with now? Michelle thought, wondering how an eighteen-year old could be capable of such malice and grow up to be capable of murder. Lucy in her younger years was quite sweet, bratty sure but sweet nonetheless. Now as she watched the current Lucy who in turn watched her, she could see no trace of the little sister who once followed her around sweetly.
"What?" Michelle asked, irritation evident in her tone as Lucy had not stopped staring.
"Big sis." She began in that sickly sweet voice of hers, "You're not upset about this trip right?" She said as she approached her where she was seated, taking her seat beside Michelle.
"Upset?" Michelle asked confused, "What would I be upset about?"
"Well, that you're not coming with. I know it must dig up painful memories for you. Being left behind on yet another family trip." Lucy said a sad smile on her face.
The memory in question was when she was twenty- they were all meant to go on a trip but on the day of, Michelle woke up to an empty house, she tried to catch up with them by going to where they had agreed on but as it turned out they went to a different place instead. All her efforts to reach out were futile and she spent the rest of that day curled up in tears. It was supposed to be a painful memory for her that always brought her to near tears anytime it was mentioned. It seemed Lucy was hoping for a similar response. Too bad for her.
"Nope not all." Michelle replied in a nonchalant tone. Her response turned Lucy's smile into a frown.
"No? There's no need to act all tough big sis. I know how much you cried on that day."
"I cried on that day, so what? This is a different situation. Why would I want to go on a trip with a people who think it's ok to forget one of their own?" Michelle asked, "I mean, what if you guys leave me stranded somewhere. No for my own safety it's better I stay back home."
"But-."
"Michelle Hart!" Lionel's thunderous voice sounded from the top of the stairs and he stomped down the stairs, rage in each step, "What did you say to my father?" He asked as he entered the kitchen.
"Grandpa? I didn't say anything to him. Why do you ask dad?" She replied feigning cluelessness.
"Explain to me why I just got off the phone with my father where he was yelling at me to be a better father and to treat all my children equally and how disappointed he was in me."
"Why are you expecting me to explain all that to you? Did you do anything that could have made grandpa mad at you?" she asked blinking her eyes innocently.
"Michelle, did you go meet him to complain that we weren't bringing you along on our trip?"
"I would never do such a thing." She responded. "All I did was let him know you guys were going on a family vacation without little old me. How was I supposed to know grandpa would interpret it as you being a terrible father?"
"I don't know where your new attitude came from," he yelled wagging his finger at her, "but I know I did not raise you to be such a disrespectful child."
That is true, he did not raise her to be disrespectful he raised her to be a doormat so that they could walk all over her.
"I am exactly as you have made me father." She responded simply, ignoring his finger in her face and taking another spoon of the snack before her. Dissatisfied with her response, he gave a loud huff and stormed out of the kitchen, grabbing his keys from the counter he closed the door with a loud bang.
Michelle called out after him, "You shouldn't drive in such a mood, you could die and I don't want that." Chuckling she returned to her snack, then she remembered that Lucy was still in the kitchen. "You're still here? Wow little sis, you must have a lot of time on your hands, shouldn't you be packing up for your trip?"
"Did you really report dad to grandpa Hart?" She asked dismissing her question, "Don't you know that could put dad in a lot of trouble?"
"If you don't want to get in trouble don't do things that you know could get you in trouble." Michelle responded polishing off her plate. She rinsed the plate off, placed it on the rack and left the kitchen.