A couple of weeks ago, Jada had gotten the notice that said the auditors, her family accountants, were coming to check over the books that Audrey had been keeping. It was their job, after all, to keep her wealthy and to help manage her affairs. Her father still controlled her stocks in her grandfather's company-- the controlling share-- but she received a portion of the dividends directly now. That meant that she had income coming in that a girl her age was not 'properly prepared' to deal with, according to many of the other stockholders. It also meant that she should be learning the business, not dawdling around going to college and aspiring to be a model, or whatever it was that she was going to do with her life this week. Yet she was not, and it was making other stockholders uncomfortable. What would happen in three years, when she gained control over half of her stocks, and then in another six after, when she controlled her full stocks? By 27 she should know the business, but if she actually clung to these pipe dreams, how would she find the time to buckle down? She needed to be a proficient businesswoman, not a little girl who hung about in a town full of terrorists. Hell, what would happen if she died? She had no children. She had no will. Her parents would be the beneficiaries- a lot of it probably to Szelem, who knew nothing about business and would probably make another marriage, and just 'let him deal with it.' Not that she chose bad husbands, but a woman her age could be manipulated by a smart enough man. She was getting to that vulnerable stage. (And she was pregnant.) It was sexist, perhaps, but the young Miss Chamberlyn was known for slipping her bodyguards-- and goodness knew a girl who couldn't even manage a can of pepper spray couldn't protect herself.
The auditors had come, scowling at her blue-haired friend and quizzing her about every aspect of the finances. Jada's large spending on makeup, and her hefty shoes budget? The boat that was being built in the Olympic size swimming pool at her parents home, the massive cost for miscellany? When Jada had warned her friend, she didn't know if Audrey would take her seriously, with everything else that she had on her plate. But she was actually kind of proud of how the girl handled herself, and tossed her a few mischievous winks over her shoulder. It was interesting, too, looking over the books. Jada liked surprising people, and she'd forgotten that no one knew just how well she hid behind the facade of being... well... T's and A. They had pored over every receipt, every penny, and scowled at everything Jada pointed out. No convenient skipping for you, boys. After they'd left the first day, Jada had raised an eyebrow. “Honesty,” she told Audrey, almost disgusted, shaking her head. “I think they'll be more worried about the fact you aren't embezzling than if you did.” the bluenette had shrugged, smiled, and skipped out to meet Elzo driving in Jada's car. (It was faster.) Really, the black-haired young woman had to reflect-- why would Audrey embezzle? Jada paid her well enough (she thought, she rarely looked at the checks she signed for her) and she hardly denied Audrey anything she asked. Then with Elzo in the mix, the girl was spoiled rotten.
They had stayed a week, until the weirdness of the city had driven them off earlier than anticipated. Her hire was given the brief stamp of approval, but her personal choices would have to be discussed. After all, this 'Audrey' was an employee. She wasn't supposed to decline her employer's purchases, just make sure she stayed able to afford them. They went back to New York, and met with the board.
“First,” the head said, quietly, “I have to say that it is intensely obvious Miss Chamberlyn is either suicidal or in some manner self-destructive.” The news startled both her parents, who were glaring at each other over the board table. “She is covered in bruises, scratches, and her medical bills are a huge majority of her spending. Her sister could not once tell me where she was, or who she was with, but we observed several nights of her coming home either intoxicated or on drugs.” If Jada had known they had staked her house out, she would have been furious. Or had she known, and it all been a show? “I don't know how much of this is her playing the defiant teenager, trying to rebel against her position, but it is a clear sign of some mental distress.” Szelem felt a brief pang of guilt for what she was about to do to her daughter. What she had done to her daughter. The divorce, and her friends deaths, and the coma, and so many hospitalized around her? And now she was alone in that town, with two siblings staying in her home, while she and her ex-husband spit poison at each other about the baby in her belly- the baby conceived before she and Michael had separated. “We have to say that her choice of employee is acceptable, but that there needs to be some constraints put back on her.”
“It is legally her money.” Michael said it blandly. “What do you suggest?”
“Have her put in an institution.” Someone else suggested. “Rehab, or an asylum. For goodness sake, if your daughter is out getting drunk every night, she needs something. Have the funds put back in trust. Force her to leave that town, give up control. She'll ruin this entire company.”
“She's eighteen.” another person stressed. “She won't get any control, any power, until she is grown up. And at twenty-one, we can do something about it without cutting her off from her funds. Force her to learn it, force her to sell out.”
“You could force her to grow up now.” the first man stressed.
“Michael, Jada has always struck me as a beautiful, intelligent girl. If she is acting out now, there is more wrong than just a divorce and the sudden flood of money.” It was Vic, Michael's second-in-command, speaking up at last. “We've all known her since she came up to our knees. “I remember Lucian bringing her into the office when she was three, and sitting her behind his desk and letting her be the 'boss' for a day. We all had peanut butter for lunch, and the secretaries were playing dolls with her.” She'd known how to win people over even then, and not much had changed. If Jada cared about what you thought, you were inundated with the good points. “She doesn't realize the severity of keeping this up. Make her see a psychiatrist.”
“We could,” Szelem said lightly, and pulled out a few pieces of paper from her folder, “Bring my father's will into consideration.”
There was silence at the table, each of them frowning again, deeper than before. “Szelem, you are beating a dead horse with that will.” Michael grunted it.
“And look!” she mocked him. “It's standing up for me.” there was more muttering, and she passed the papers down the table. “If Jada gets married, control of her stocks can be immediately passed into their hands, should the Board agree. I have a solution which can solve everything.” Michael was shaking his head, and Vic looked disgusted. “Find her a husband who can control her, gentlemen. We have someone who can run the business- and I am sure marriage will give her the maturity she needs to be the vivacious Trophy Wife that my ex-husband and I know she can be.”
There was silence. In the past, they'd rejected talk of it offhand. Szelem had been gunning for that money, or a son-in-law who would give her access to it, for years. Now Jada was eighteen, and a young adult. There was no reason to just reject it... “Do you have anyone in mind?” one of the women spoke up first, breaking the awkward, thoughtful silence.
Szelem smiled. “A few options.”
The auditors had come, scowling at her blue-haired friend and quizzing her about every aspect of the finances. Jada's large spending on makeup, and her hefty shoes budget? The boat that was being built in the Olympic size swimming pool at her parents home, the massive cost for miscellany? When Jada had warned her friend, she didn't know if Audrey would take her seriously, with everything else that she had on her plate. But she was actually kind of proud of how the girl handled herself, and tossed her a few mischievous winks over her shoulder. It was interesting, too, looking over the books. Jada liked surprising people, and she'd forgotten that no one knew just how well she hid behind the facade of being... well... T's and A. They had pored over every receipt, every penny, and scowled at everything Jada pointed out. No convenient skipping for you, boys. After they'd left the first day, Jada had raised an eyebrow. “Honesty,” she told Audrey, almost disgusted, shaking her head. “I think they'll be more worried about the fact you aren't embezzling than if you did.” the bluenette had shrugged, smiled, and skipped out to meet Elzo driving in Jada's car. (It was faster.) Really, the black-haired young woman had to reflect-- why would Audrey embezzle? Jada paid her well enough (she thought, she rarely looked at the checks she signed for her) and she hardly denied Audrey anything she asked. Then with Elzo in the mix, the girl was spoiled rotten.
They had stayed a week, until the weirdness of the city had driven them off earlier than anticipated. Her hire was given the brief stamp of approval, but her personal choices would have to be discussed. After all, this 'Audrey' was an employee. She wasn't supposed to decline her employer's purchases, just make sure she stayed able to afford them. They went back to New York, and met with the board.
“First,” the head said, quietly, “I have to say that it is intensely obvious Miss Chamberlyn is either suicidal or in some manner self-destructive.” The news startled both her parents, who were glaring at each other over the board table. “She is covered in bruises, scratches, and her medical bills are a huge majority of her spending. Her sister could not once tell me where she was, or who she was with, but we observed several nights of her coming home either intoxicated or on drugs.” If Jada had known they had staked her house out, she would have been furious. Or had she known, and it all been a show? “I don't know how much of this is her playing the defiant teenager, trying to rebel against her position, but it is a clear sign of some mental distress.” Szelem felt a brief pang of guilt for what she was about to do to her daughter. What she had done to her daughter. The divorce, and her friends deaths, and the coma, and so many hospitalized around her? And now she was alone in that town, with two siblings staying in her home, while she and her ex-husband spit poison at each other about the baby in her belly- the baby conceived before she and Michael had separated. “We have to say that her choice of employee is acceptable, but that there needs to be some constraints put back on her.”
“It is legally her money.” Michael said it blandly. “What do you suggest?”
“Have her put in an institution.” Someone else suggested. “Rehab, or an asylum. For goodness sake, if your daughter is out getting drunk every night, she needs something. Have the funds put back in trust. Force her to leave that town, give up control. She'll ruin this entire company.”
“She's eighteen.” another person stressed. “She won't get any control, any power, until she is grown up. And at twenty-one, we can do something about it without cutting her off from her funds. Force her to learn it, force her to sell out.”
“You could force her to grow up now.” the first man stressed.
“Michael, Jada has always struck me as a beautiful, intelligent girl. If she is acting out now, there is more wrong than just a divorce and the sudden flood of money.” It was Vic, Michael's second-in-command, speaking up at last. “We've all known her since she came up to our knees. “I remember Lucian bringing her into the office when she was three, and sitting her behind his desk and letting her be the 'boss' for a day. We all had peanut butter for lunch, and the secretaries were playing dolls with her.” She'd known how to win people over even then, and not much had changed. If Jada cared about what you thought, you were inundated with the good points. “She doesn't realize the severity of keeping this up. Make her see a psychiatrist.”
“We could,” Szelem said lightly, and pulled out a few pieces of paper from her folder, “Bring my father's will into consideration.”
There was silence at the table, each of them frowning again, deeper than before. “Szelem, you are beating a dead horse with that will.” Michael grunted it.
“And look!” she mocked him. “It's standing up for me.” there was more muttering, and she passed the papers down the table. “If Jada gets married, control of her stocks can be immediately passed into their hands, should the Board agree. I have a solution which can solve everything.” Michael was shaking his head, and Vic looked disgusted. “Find her a husband who can control her, gentlemen. We have someone who can run the business- and I am sure marriage will give her the maturity she needs to be the vivacious Trophy Wife that my ex-husband and I know she can be.”
There was silence. In the past, they'd rejected talk of it offhand. Szelem had been gunning for that money, or a son-in-law who would give her access to it, for years. Now Jada was eighteen, and a young adult. There was no reason to just reject it... “Do you have anyone in mind?” one of the women spoke up first, breaking the awkward, thoughtful silence.
Szelem smiled. “A few options.”
((I had Nessy's okay to 'control' Audrey as I did.))
