Revenge Of The Hidden Heir.

Chapter 3: Unexpected Legacies.

"How are you going to pay for this?" Sophia asked.

"I will definitely pay for it, my dear. Don't you worry about it," Jonathan replied as they left for their room. Sophia began to attend to the red spots showing on Jonathan's face.

The tension in the Anderson's house grew stronger every single day. Each day became harder for Jonathan, who was only able to bear this because he got support from Sophia.

However, their attention shifted to a more solemn matter - the long-delayed burial of Mr Aaron Anderson, the family patriarch. 

Aaron's body had been kept in the mortuary for months. This raised questions in society about why such a prominent family would do such a thing, but it wasn't their fault. Prominent people who were in one way acquainted with Aaron insisted they must be there on his burial to pay their last respects to this honorable man.

When Aaron was alive, he had been good to so many people. He had offered help to most of these prominent men without getting anything in return, so they all wanted to grace his burial. That was the best they could do, or so they thought.

Every single day before the burial had been so busy for everyone, including Jonathan. No one had the time to bully him; everyone needed the burial to go smoothly so they could lay Aaron to rest.

These past few days were a breath of fresh air for Jonathan. He had never felt this free since Aaron's death. He knew that this should be a somber moment, but he couldn't help but feel joy and happiness. 

"Thank you, old man," Jonathan said while cleaning Aaron's portrait. 

"Hey dummy, make sure you clean off those portraits very well. I shouldn't see a speck of dirt on them," Mrs. Anderson said.

"Yes, ma'am. I will," he replied.

"Hey Jo, come here and take this to the funeral ground. They need it for decorations," Leo called out.

'Just when I thought I was free from all this bullying for the time being. How dare I get comfortable,' Jonathan thought to himself.

"Okay, I will be there in a minute," he replied.

"I need you to come now," Leo shouted.

Jonathan dropped the portrait he was cleaning and headed to meet Leo. When he got there, he saw that what needed to be taken was something Leo could have just taken by himself. But Leo sat down with his legs crossed. 

Jonathan sighed, looked at Leo, and then picked up the bag and took it to the funeral ground. 

On the day of the funeral, the Anderson Estate transformed into a sea of black. Luxurious cars lined the driveway. The caliber of people who came out from these vehicles ranged from top businessmen to big politicians from around the globe. 

Jonathan couldn't help but be wowed. He was surprised that Aaron had been able to render help to these people in one way or another without asking for anything in return. 

His mind flashed back to the first time he met Aaron, the warmth he felt, that big grin from his handsome wrinkled face that had melted Jonathan's heart. 

Aaron was indeed a very good man. Before he died, he had lived a fulfilling life, except for the part about the family he left behind. 

Jonathan couldn't help but wonder how such a kind-hearted man ended up having an eye-service pretender of a son who only showed his true colors after his death. 

'Was he influenced by his wife?' 'His wife seemed to be a bad influence.' 'But Mr. Anderson was big enough to know that he had the right to choose to listen or not. He is probably just as bad as his wife, just pretending all this while,' Jonathan kept thinking. 

"Honey, it's time," Sophia said, giving him a tap on his shoulder. 

Everyone was in all black, with no single sign of another color, except for the color of their skins. 

Jonathan, still lost in thought and still nursing wounds from recent events, stood quietly by Sophia's side, feeling more out of place than ever amidst the crowd of elite mourners. 

The burial was grand; everywhere screamed money, very befitting for a man of such caliber.

The eulogies painted a picture of a man larger than life - a visionary, a philanthropist, a man who never walked by someone in need, a man who was ready to help without expecting anything in return, a man of many industries. 

As Jonathan listened, he remembered his encounters with the old man, the man who had treated him with respect, regardless of his humble background. 

After a while, the burial came to an end. Everyone greeted the family and left, except for a man who was the family lawyer and also a good friend to Mr Aaron Anderson. 

He called everyone to the sitting room, saying, "Good evening everyone. I hope we all have been doing well after the loss of my dear friend. As you all know, I have been out of the country, and before Aaron died, he told me that on the night of his funeral, I should read his will."

"My father left a will?" Mr. Anderson said.

"Yes, he did," the lawyer replied with a stern look on his face. 

"I will now read the last will and testament of Mr Aaron Anderson," he announced. 

What followed left the room in total shock and silence.

"I, Aaron Anderson, being of sound mind and body, do hereby bequeath all my worldly possessions, including but not limited to my business holdings, properties, investments, and personal effects, to my grandson-in-law, Jonathan Levi Anderson."

The shock was palpable. Mrs. Anderson let out a strangled gasp, while Mr. Anderson's face turned an alarming shade of purple. Leo slumped in his chair, mouth agape. Sophia couldn't believe her ears. 

Her hand, which had been on Jonathan's, gently moved away. 

Jonathan's eyes widened; he struggled to process the words he had just heard. "Everything?" he murmured. It seemed impossible. He asked the lawyer to check again if he had made a mistake, and other members of the family agreed that he should check well again. 

The lawyer passed the will around, starting from Jonathan until it got to Mr. Anderson. 

"No, this can't be happening. Father can't do this to us, leave us at the mercy of this trash," Mr. Anderson exclaimed.

"Jonathan, Aaron has a final message for you," the lawyer said, stretching a paper to him. 

Jonathan stood up, collected it, and read out the content of the letter so it wouldn't look like he was hiding something from them.

"Dear Jonathan, I've watched you grow into a man of integrity and kindness, despite the challenges you've faced. You've proven yourself worthy not just of the Anderson name, but of the legacy I leave behind. Take care of our family, and remember - true wealth lies not in possessions, but in how we treat others. With love and faith in you, Gramps"

Jonathan couldn't hold back the tears in his eyes. Even until Aaron's last breath, he had still held Jonathan in high regard. 

He turned to look at everyone's faces. He met different expressions from the Anderson family - shock, anger, frustration - and in Sophia's case, he couldn't tell if she was happy with this because she wore a cold expression. 

The lawyer packed the documents and left the house, leaving the family in heavy silence. This definitely marked the end of an era and the beginning of another. Would Jonathan be free now?

***