The next morning, Lucy was dressed in a black suit. The kids were still asleep upstairs and thankfully, the nanny had come early. Lucy left her a quiet thank you as she stepped out.
When she arrived at the company, the receptionist gave her a startled look.
"Mrs. Whitmore. We weren't expecting…"
"I don't need an invitation to walk into my own building," she said and brushed past her.
Lucy knew the company layout. After all, she helped build it, and it also helped that she brought Damien lunch on many occasions.
Lucy stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. She glanced at her reflection from the polished walls and she let out a deep breath. She tightened her grip around her purse.
She hadn't come here to beg, she had come to take what belonged to her.
When the elevator doors opened, her heart sank. She had never thought the day would come where she would enter this building without a lunchbox in hand.
The frosted glass doors to the CEO's office were shut, but even from outside, she could sense that something was off. As she walked towards the door, she noticed that the secretary's desk was empty.
Odd, Lucy thought to herself.
She opened the door. Inside, Xander sat behind Damien's desk, his legs were crossed and he had a cup of coffee in hand. He looked up at her with that smug and infuriating smile that reminded her too much of Eleanor. Lucy looked at the nameplate on the table, one that used to read Damien's name. It now bore a different name.
Xander Whitmore, Chief Executive Officer.
"Lucy," Xander called out. "What are you doing here?"
Lucy's eyes swept the office. Every single photo of Damien, herself, Mateo and Isla was gone. In their place were abstract art pieces and pictures of Xander, his mom and his grandparents.
"What the hell is this?" Lucy asked.
Xander stood and straightened his blazer. "The board voted me in as acting CEO last night. Given the circumstances, they thought it best not to waste time."
"Damien hasn't even been gone a week."
"I'm just trying to save what he built," he said.
"He built it with me," Lucy said as she stepped closer. "And last I checked, I'm the one holding the majority shares."
He spread his arms in mocking graciousness. "I'm the one sitting behind the desk."
"You're on my chair."
Xander raised a brow. "Aren't you supposed to be at him getting your children ready for school or something?"
"Don't patronize me."
Xander adjusted his tie. "Look, you're being understandably emotional. You just lost your husband. But you have to understand that this isn't personal, it's business."
"My business," Lucy corrected.
Xander gave a small nod. "And I admire your… dedication. But dedication doesn't equal control. The board needs someone stable, not a grieving widow."
Lucy's nostrils flared. "The board may have voted you in, but I hold fifty four percent of this company. And once the transfer process from Damien's estate is finalized, I'll be back for that desk officially."
Xander clicked his tongue.
"I'll be seeing you soon, Mr. Acting CEO," she said as she turned towards the door. "Enjoy the chair while you can. I promise it won't be yours for long."
Lucy stepped out of the office as the sound of her heels echoed through the hallway.
Three days later ~
The courtroom was cold. Lucy sat at the front desk, she was dressed in a deep navy suit. Beside her was her attorney, Mr. William Roth. Across from them sat Eleanor Whitmore, she was dressed in a lilac coat. Beside her was Xander, he looked too relaxed for someone trying to take children away from their grieving mother.
The judge entered and everyone rose.
"Be seated," the judge said. "This is a matter of guardianship concerning Mateo and Isla Whitmore, following the passing of their father, Damien Whitmore."
Lucy held her breath.
Eleanor's lawyer stood. "Your Honor, it is firmly believed that Mrs. Lucia Whitmore, while she is well intentioned, is emotionally unstable and presently, not fit to raise two young children alone. We have submitted evidence of erratic behavior and an inability to make sound decisions in the days following her husband's death."
Lucy's attorney immediately stood. "Your Honor, the opposing party's argument is based on speculation. Mrs. Whitmore has been the primary caregiver since birth. She is not unstable, she is grieving, which is not a crime."
The judge glanced at the file, then at the two attorneys, then at Lucy.
"Are you fucking with me?"
A soft gasp echoed through the room.
"Your Honor?" Eleanor's lawyer asked.
The judge slowly removed her glasses and rested them on the bench in front of her.
"I asked," she repeated. "Are you fucking with me?"
The courtroom was quiet.
"Unless I'm hallucinating, and by the way, this would be highly inappropriate in a judicial setting, you're asking this court to strip a mother of her rights in the basis of grieving her husband's sudden death, while placing the children in the care of their grandmother, who never had primary custody to begin with."
Eleanor's lawyer stammered. "We… your Honor, we simply believe…"
"You believe?" The judge raised a brow. "Wonderful. And what exactly do you know? Do you have any idea how many nights this woman has rocked her children to sleep? Do you know how many diapers she has changed? Or how many lunches she has packed? Do you even have the slightest idea the emotional damage you can cause by ripping children away from the only consistent parent they have left?"
Lucy stared at the judge. She was stunned, she had expected the judge to be in her favor, but not in this way.
The judge turned to Eleanor. "Mrs. Whitmore senior, would you like to speak for yourself?"
Eleanor stood. "Your Honor, I am only doing what's best for the children. Lucia is clearly overwhelmed. Damien would've…"
The judge cut her off. "Damien isn't here, but his wife is. The mother of his children who, I might add, has no criminal record, no history of mental instability, no allegations of abuse or neglect and no reason to be out on trial for mourning."
She turned her attention back to Lucy. "Mrs. Whitmore. Are you ready to continue raising your children on your own."
List stood. "Yes, your Honor."
The judge smiled faintly. "Custody remains with Mrs. Whitmore. This was a colossal waste of my time. Court adjourned."
Lucy exhaled as tears filled her eyes. She glanced over towards her brother in law and grandmother, they looked… normal.
They were smiling and chatting away as if they'd won the case. As if the case never mattered to them in the first place."