The Inheritance of Marcus Thomas

The four siblings crowded into the small office of their father’s attorney. None of them looked at each other, each despised the other one. They had collected to see which of the four of them would inherit from their billionaire father.

Jacob Knotts, their father’s oldest friend and attorney shuffled into the office. Seeing the four hideous siblings collected in his small room, he smiled. Jacob had retired two decades ago. He had kept his small office in the practice for sentimental reasons. The only client he saw was his childhood friend Marcus. How Marcus, had managed to raise four such loathsome children was a mystery.

Jacob cleared his throat and started reading. “As you know your father left a large fortune. This consisted of some bonds, a large amount of cash and several houses.”

“Yes, yes, get to the facts, we know all this.” Michael the eldest interrupted the old attorney.

“Yes, just tell us who gets the sodding money.” Imogen the, second born, interrupted.

Jacob smiled, at least the siblings agreed on something. From behind the desk, Jacob removed the small chest. The chest was no bigger than an encyclopaedia and was secured with a combination padlock.

“What the fuck,” Jacob, the last born, muttered under his breath.

Clever, handsome Jacob, Marcus had named him after his best friend. Hoping that some of the good would come out of the name.

“Your father has left the answer in this book.” In his hand, Jacob held a little black moleskin notebook. “Each page of the notebook is dedicated to one of you. On the page is a task your father wanted you to accomplish. Complete the task and you will obtain the code to his most prized possession and a share of the inheritance. You will only have the full code if you each accomplish the tasks. Once you have completed the task to my satisfaction you will be given a number.” Jacob had practised this speech many times after Marcus had come to him with his plan to reunite his family.

“Can’t we smash the padlock off for god sake, I have more important things to do than play one of my father’s stupid games?” Sophie said.

“Your father has left clear legal instructions. If any of you refuse to play the game and complete the task then your father’s fortune will be lost to all of you. The tasks are the only way to get the numbers. Even I am unaware of what the code is. I was handed the box and the black book.”

“The box will stay with me until you complete the tasks and get the numbers. You will work in age order and once the task is complete I will ring the next of you to come and read your page in the notebook. We will come together when all the tasks have been completed. Then you will all unlock the box together gaining your inheritance. Do you agree?”

Four faces nodded and scowled. Jacob dismissed three of the children, being left with the eldest Michael.

Michael Thomas was so angry he thought his head would revolve. This was just like his stupid father. He was the firstborn and the rightful heir to all his father’s fortune. Now he had to play this stupid game with his brother and sisters to get access to what was rightfully his.

Jacob opened the notebook, pinning back the other pages with the elastic.

Michael snatched it out of the old man's hand as he held it out for him and read the first page. He recognised his father's neat scrawl immediately.

My firstborn and rightful heir. Your task is simple. I need you to put right the wrong you committed to your wife and son. You are to sell your apartment. Ensuring that they receive what they should have received in the divorce. Once they have the money owed to them, then you will receive the number for the padlock.

Michael felt his blood pressure rise. Sell his beautiful apartment and give it to that bitch and his brat of a son. Well, stuff his father if that's what he wanted, he would sell the apartment for half what it was worth. Smiling to himself he chuckled. Yes, that was what he would do. Sell the apartment for a pittance and then give it to his stupid ex-wife.

It took Michael less than an hour to find an associate who was willing to buy his apartment for half what it was worth. When the associate asked why the property was so cheap, Michael told him so that his ex-wife would get nothing. The sale went through within two weeks. Michaels ex-wife received the check on Monday. On Tuesday morning Michael received a piece of paper with the number 3 on it.

Imogen Thomas was impatient to get on with the stupid task. Then she wouldn’t have to see her family ever again. She arranged to meet Jacob in the afternoon when he rang her. She had a hair and nail appointment that she was not going to cancel. Some things were more important than her stupid father. When she was handed the notebook she admired her perfect nails as she read.

My first girl, how I loved you when you were born. Your task is simple. You need to put aside all your materialistic ways. You need to live for one week without your luxury and belongings. I require you to live on the streets as a homeless person for one week. You will be followed and observed at all times to ensure you don’t cheat.

The old man was crazy, he had completely lost the plot if he thought she would live on the streets for a week. She grabbed her gold iPhone and hit the button to call Michael.

“Imogen, this is a surprise,” Michael’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

“I’m not doing it, the old man is crazy if he thinks I will.” Imogen raged.

“You will do it. I don’t care what he asked you to do, you will do it. If we miss out on this inheritance because of you, I will spend the rest of my life, ruining you. Imogen, do you hear me?”

Imogen slammed the phone down on Michael.

One week later, Imogen finally came to accept her fate. Reasoning with herself that it was only a week and how hard could it be. It would all be worth it for her share of the millions. She left her flat with a small rucksack of clothes and a couple of hundred pounds for food. She smiled when she thought of the expensive sleeping bag she had taken with her to keep warm at night.

The first night on the street Imogen settled down on the steps of the church, to get what little sleep she could. Even with the sleeping bag, she felt the cold seeping through to her bones. She turned several times to try to get comfortable. She felt like crying. Just an hour ago one of her expensive nails had fallen off. Still, her father was not going to get the better of her. Finally, she drifted off to sleep whilst making a virtual list of how she was going to spend her millions.

Two hours later she woke with a start, with the feeling someone was going through her pockets. She woke up and screamed as the dirty man in front of her took the £200 out of her pocket and ran off. Imogen chased him for all she was worth. All those days in the gym finally being useful. Ten minutes later, she had lost all sign of the thief. Returning to the doorway she found the rest of her stuff was also missing.

Imogen saw the man who had taken her money two days later. Tired and exhausted, she had tried to book herself into a hotel using her watch as payment. The man had appeared, removed the watch from her wrist and reminded her of the conditions of her task. Only then did she realise the man had been following her.

One week later, dirty, tired and broken, Imogen finished her task. She received an envelope with the number 7 on it. Not one of her false nails remained.

Sophie was glad when she got the phone call to return to the office. She was, even more, pleased her disgusting siblings wouldn't be there. She met Jacob in the coffee shop opposite his office. Marking the occasion with a selfie and Instagram post to her loyal followers. She tried to snap a photo of the notebook, but the stupid lawyer said this went against the rules.

You were such a beautiful baby, how I had high hopes for you. Your task is simple. You need to turn away from your vain existence. I need you to have your head shaved and then wear your new look for a month with pride. No wigs or headscarves.

Sophie drew in a deep breath and ran her hands through her golden locks. Shave her head, fine if that is what it took to get hold of the millions, what was the problem?

Jessie J had shaved her head and she had rocked the look. Sophie could do that no problem.

She took herself straight to the hairdressers. Best to get it over and done with. She could wear a wig when she had to get back in a room with her hateful brothers and sister.

The hairdresser asked her several times if she was sure. She assured him it was a charity thing. As she left the salon she snapped a selfie with the comment — ‘sporting a new look, what do you think?’

Sophie’s first shock came the next morning. She logged onto her Instagram and found that she had lost more than 1000 followers. Her followers fell for the next month until she had just a couple of hundred left. It appeared her followers were as obsessed with looks, as she was.

At the end of the month, Sophie received the number 8.

Jacob despised his father more than anyone. He had grown up with three awful siblings and a father who had constantly pushed him to be a better man. Jacob had spent his life lying to his dad and siblings and watching them fall for his stories. He stood outside Knotts and Son solicitor and smiled, it would be no different this time. When he finally read his page in the notebook the smile widened on his face.

My last born and favourite. With you, everything I did wrong with the others came right. You are to inherit my whole fortune, but you can’t tell the others.

Your task is simple. I need you to go to the police and tell them you lied about the accident last year when that elderly man was run down. The millions are all yours and will be more than enough to escape a court case for this matter.

Jacob grinned, the old man wasn’t that bad. He laughed to himself when he thought about the look on the faces of his brother and sisters next month. Ringing his lawyer he demanded that he meet him at the local police station.

Much to the bemusement of the lawyer, he sat next to his client when he confessed to running an old man down on a zebra crossing. Jacob was charged with reckless driving and death by dangerous driving. He was bailed to appear in court in six weeks. As he left the court, Jacob was handed an envelope with the number 1 written on it.

He smiled and then fired his confused lawyer. The millions would buy him the best legal representation in the country. He no longer needed this idiot.

Jacob Knotts once again sat behind his desk with four faces staring back at him. Michael, angry and impatient. Imogen looking slightly broken from her ordeal on the streets. Sophie sporting a new blond wig and Jacob as cocky as ever.

Placing the box on the desk Jacob said. “You all have your numbers now, the combination goes in age. Michael, you are the first.”

All four children turned the dial on the padlock to their number. Jacob the youngest opened the box and snatched the letter out with a grin.

“It’s okay old man, I will read this.”

My Children

You have at last done what I have asked of you and made some right in this world. As promised I will declare my most prized possession and how your inheritance will be divided.

First my most prized possession. I would like to introduce you to Heidi your youngest sister. Born from an affair I had many years ago with my secretary. Heidi is a hardworking teacher who works in the poorest part of the city. She is a joy and my most prized possession. Not greedy, materialistic, vain or a liar. She is also rather rich now as she inherited my entire fortune last month.

As always, your loving father.