Bloodline Fortune

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Bennett stared at Audra as though he hadn't heard her correctly. His mother, standing beside the kitchen counter, slowly lowered the cup in her hand.

“What did you just say?” Bennett asked.

“Im sure I was clear when I said it earlier.” She paused for a while “I want a divorce.”

A short, disbelieving laugh escaped him.

“Divorce? Have you suddenly lost your mind?”

“No. I think I've finally found it.”

His mother's expression hardened.

“Is this how you repay my son? After everything this family has done for you? You wake up one morning and decide you want a divorce because someone asked you to prepare breakfast?”

Audra looked at her.

It was remarkable how easily they could reduce years of humiliation and exploitation to one breakfast.

“I didn't say I wanted a divorce because of breakfast.”

“Then what is the problem?” Bennett demanded. “Tell me what I've done.”

Audra looked at him for a moment.

There were too many answers, but she knew none of them would matter. Bennett had spent years convincing himself that her sacrifices were his entitlement. Explaining her pain to him would only give him another opportunity to dismiss it.

“You don't need to understand,” she replied. “You only need to understand that I'm serious.”

His expression darkened.

“Enough of this drama, Audra. Go upstairs and calm down. We'll discuss this when you've stopped behaving like a child.”

He turned away, already treating the conversation as though it had ended.

But Audra wasn't going upstairs to wait for his permission.

She picked up her phone.

“Where are you going?” his mother asked.

“To make a phone call.”

“After you've finished your responsibilities.”

Audra ignored her and walked out of the kitchen.

Inside her bedroom, she closed the door and leaned against it briefly.

Her phone showed the date again.

She couldn't afford to waste even one of the remaining days before the world begins to fall apart.

The divorce was necessary, but it was only the beginning. She needed money, transportation, a secure property, food, clean water and medical supplies. She needed to prepare for disasters that most people still believed belonged in movies.

Most importantly, she needed to stop depending on people who would abandon her when survival became difficult.

She opened her contacts and found the number of a lawyer who had handled some legal matters for her family years ago.

Daniel Mercer.

He answered after the third ring.

“Good morning, Mrs. Sayer.”

“Good morning, Mr. Mercer. It's Audra Ellery.”

There was a brief pause.

“Mrs. Sayer. It's been a while. Is everything all right?”

“I need your assistance. I want to file for divorce.”

The other end went quiet.

“Have you made this decision after careful consideration?”

“Yes.”

“Very well. We'll need to review your marriage documents and establish the relevant details. Are you available to come to my office today?”

“I am.”

“Then I'll arrange an appointment.”

Audra thanked him and ended the call.

She felt no excitement, only determination.

She had spent enough years allowing Bennett to decide what was best for her. This time, she would handle her own affairs.

She changed into a simple outfit, picked up her handbag and left the bedroom.

Bennett was in the living room when she came downstairs. His mother sat beside him, speaking quietly.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Out.”

“Out where?”

“I have an appointment.”

“With whom?”

Audra adjusted the strap of her handbag.

“I'm going to meet my lawyer.”

Bennett immediately stood.

“You actually went ahead with it?”

“Yes.”

He shook his head.

“Audra, listen to me. I don't know what has gotten into your head, but you're not going to destroy this marriage over a childish disagreement.”

“You keep calling it childish. That doesn't change my decision.”

His mother burst into a sarcastic laugh and rose from the sofa.

“Bennett, don't waste your time. She's trying to get attention. Let her go. She'll come back when she realises nobody is going to take her seriously.”

Audra looked at the older woman.

For years, she had tried to earn her approval. She had cooked, cleaned, bought gifts and swallowed insults because she believed keeping peace in the family was part of being a good wife.

Now, she couldn't understand why she had tolerated so much.

“I won't be coming back to discuss this,” she said.

Then she walked out.

Bennett called after her, but she didn't turn around.

Daniel Mercer's office was in a quiet commercial district.

After a short wait, Audra was invited inside. Daniel stood to welcome her before gesturing towards a chair.

“It's good to see you again, Mrs. Sayer.”

“Thank you for seeing me at such short notice.”

He opened a file and took out a notepad.

“Before we begin, I want to understand your circumstances. Do you have children?”

“No.”

“Any jointly owned properties or bank accounts?”

“Not that I'm aware of.”

Daniel made a few notes.

“Do you have any existing agreements concerning your assets?”

Audra shook her head, then paused.

“Actually, there's something I need to look into.”

“Go ahead.”

“My grandfather arranged some financial matters before he died. I was told that he established a trust in my name.”

Daniel looked up.

“Do you have any documents?”

“I believe I do. I haven't looked at them in years.”

“Then you should retrieve them. If the trust was properly established in your name, we need to examine its terms before making any decisions about how it relates to the divorce.”

Audra nodded.

She remembered being told about the arrangement shortly before her marriage. At the time, she had been more concerned about building a happy home with Bennett than understanding the inheritance her grandfather had left her.

She had never followed up.

“I'd also like to contact the solicitor who handled it,” she said.

“Do you remember his name?”

She paused for a while and gazed up feeling her chin with her hands.

“Adrian Cole.”

Daniel considered it for a moment.

“I know the firm. I'll have my assistant verify the details and help arrange an appointment.”

“Thank you.”

They discussed the documents she would need for the divorce proceedings before Daniel explained the next steps.

When the meeting ended, Audra left with a list of things to prepare.

She had taken the first step.

Now she needed to find out what her grandfather had left behind.

Back home, Bennett's car was gone.

His mother was sitting in the living room when Audra entered.

“So, you're back.”

“Yes.”

“Have you finished your little performance?”

“I went to see my lawyer.”

The older woman's expression changed.

“You actually did it?”

Audra nodded and headed towards the staircase.

“I hope you know what you're doing,” the woman called after her. “Women like you don't understand how difficult life can become after leaving a comfortable marriage.”

Audra stopped briefly.

Comfortable.

That was the word they always used.

She remembered standing abandoned during the apocalypse, with no food, no shelter and nobody willing to help her. She remembered how quickly their comfortable family life had disappeared when she was no longer useful.

“I'll manage,” she replied.

Then she continued upstairs.

Audra went straight to the old cabinet in her bedroom.

She remembered keeping important documents there after her grandfather's funeral. She searched through the drawers, moving aside old receipts and envelopes until she found a thick brown folder.

The words on its cover made her pause.

She opened it carefully.

Inside were several legal papers, an old letter and a business card.

The letter was addressed to her.

Audra unfolded it and began reading.

Her grandfather's solicitor had written that a portion of the family estate had been placed in a private trust, with Audra named as its principal beneficiary. There were also references to company shares and other investments held separately from the trust.

She read the letter again.

Her eyes widened to their fullest, her face drained of colour. This... this couldn't possibly be real.

Then she checked the documents attached to it.

Her grandfather had made financial provisions for her before his death. They had been arranged so that the assets would remain hers.

Audra sat down slowly, her mind trying to reconcile what her eyes were witnessing.

She had spent years believing that she had nothing beyond what Bennett provided. She had allowed herself to become dependent on him, even though she had never needed to be.

Her grandfather had left her something of her own.

Something Bennett had never known about.

She picked up the business card.

Without wasting time, she dialed the number printed on it.

A man answered after several rings.

“Good afternoon. Cole speaking.”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Cole. My name is Audra Ellery.”

There was a brief pause.

“Miss Ellery? It's been a long time.”

“Yes, it has. I recently found some documents my grandfather left behind. They concern a trust established in my name.”

“I see. We still have records relating to your grandfather's estate. Would you be available to visit our office tomorrow? We can verify your identity and go through the details.”

“Yes. I'll be there.”

“Very well. I'll make the necessary arrangements.”

After ending the call, Audra looked at the folder in her hands.

She didn't yet know the full value of the inheritance, but she knew one thing: she finally had somewhere to begin.

And she intended to make use of every opportunity her grandfather had left her.

Her phone vibrated.

A message from Bennett appeared.

Bennett: My mother says you went to see a lawyer. I hope you're not making a stupid decision. Come downstairs when I get back. We need to talk.

Audra read it without replying.

Another message arrived.

Bennett: And don't forget that everything you have is connected to this marriage. Don't assume you can just walk away with whatever you want.

She stared at the screen. A derisive laugh escaped her lips.

So that was what he was worried about.

Not why she wanted to leave. Not what had made her reach that decision. His concern was what she might take with her.

Audra placed the phone beside the folder.

Bennett had no idea what her grandfather had left her. He had no idea that she was beginning to reclaim the parts of her life she had surrendered.

She opened her calendar.

Forty days.

Tomorrow, she would discover exactly what she owned. After that, she would begin turning those resources into something useful.

She had a divorce to complete, assets to reclaim and an apocalypse to prepare for.

This time, she wouldn't spend her life saving people who had already decided she was disposable.