Step on Me Pt. 01

We'd been sat in the attorney's office for the past few minutes. The attorney in question, Mr Andrews, was at his desk, shuffling through some papers. Over the phone, he'd made clear that our attendance was not necessary and he could forward the paperwork to us, however, my mother had insisted. "I want to see the look on her face when she gets nothing," she'd said with glee, while arguing over the phone.

I noted that the corners of his desk were covered in a layer of dust, that would disgustingly kick up and float through the air every time he flipped a bundle of papers down. His suit jacket seemed fraying at the corners and there was a strange musky scent wafting around the cramped office, particularly the shelves of eroding cardboard boxes filled with case files. The image didn't sit well with my father's professional persona, though him and Mr Andrews had been long-time friends.

My mom was at my side, clutching her handbag in anticipation. News of my father's death had hit us hard, but not as much as if we'd still been a happy family. That image had been shattered many months before when dad had cheated on mom and left her. I still loved him, through my disappointment, though mom had seemingly lost all positive emotions towards him. Now, all she saw was what he apparently owed us. "He'll make good," she said. "You're his daughter, after all."

Other than Mr Andrews, my mother, and I, there was only one other person in attendance: her. The atrocious bitch that my father had left my mother for. Daddy, as I'd always known him, had met her while he was on a business trip in Thailand and within weeks he'd filed for a divorce from my mother. The girl must have only been a couple of years older than me, but her youthful looks made her look like a teenager. Of course, daddy cheating on mom was bad enough, but to do it with someone so young was frankly disgusting.

I'd found the whole situation bizarre and it had seemed to breeze past me before I could fully process what was happening, such was the pace that things had progressed. At times I didn't believe it was actually happening, and since I was so focused on my studies, at the beginning I figured it was just daddy acting up and he would come back to mom. However, he brought the Thai floozy over with him for a visit, and with his wealth and pull; he'd divorced my mom within weeks. Shortly after, wedding photos were all over Facebook. Mom was beyond heartbroken, whereas my image of daddy was shattered.

I was fiercely loyal to my mother and seeing how hurt she was, I, of course, remained at her side. So, when mom began lashing out online and bashing the woman who had stolen her husband; I joined in with the insults. Neither of us held back, making sure everyone knew what a whore the woman who had stolen daddy away was.

Nam, as I'd learned she was called through Facebook, had never actually responded to any of the vile taunts, and though we'd been invited over for dinner once, so my father could clear the air, we'd never actually met her as mom had rebuffed the invitation with a barrage of insults.

Nam had sent me a message once to my Facebook, prior to my online onslaught, which I had noticed in my message requests. In it, she apologised for what had happened, but swore she was going to be a loving step-mother to me. I'd snarled at her audacity and swiftly deleted her delusional message without response. A step-mother, to me, a girl practically her own age? She was beyond crazy. Shortly after, I'd sent my father a text telling him to go to hell for betraying us and that I never wanted to speak to him again. He'd tried reaching out a number of times in the past months, but I'd ignored every attempt. Texts were left on read, phone calls went unanswered and if I spied him at our apartment door; I'd crouch and hide behind the couch.

Now, here we sat with daddy having passed away from a heart attack. He was way older than Nam, but young enough that his passing had come as a complete shock. He'd seemed in such good shape and full of life that his death had come seemingly out of the blue.

"That whore probably did it," Mom had said earlier that day on the way to the attorney's office. "Once she got her claws into your father, that was it. He was blinded by his lust and there was no reasoning with him. She probably slipped something in his drink and offed him."

"Mom," I'd said. "They said it was a heart attack and there was no foul play. I mean, I know she's awful, but I don't think she's capable of that. Surely they would know if she was responsible?" I wanted Nam to pay a price for what she'd done to us, but I was still processing daddy's death and upping it from natural causes to a homicide was, at that point, something beyond me.

"Who knows," Mom had snarled. "She probably has some Thai poison or something she smuggled over in her venomous snatch."

I'd shaken my head, feeling best to leave it at that. It hadn't been easy dealing with my father's impromptu death, especially since we'd been no contact prior to his passing. Of course, our lack of communication was due to his behaviour, but I still felt panging's of guilt; he was my daddy after all. I'd still lie awake at night and sniffle into my pillow, not fully accepting that I was never going to see him again. Despite the previous months being hell, the years that came before were filled with love and joy.

The funeral had been awkward, with our entire family on one side of the grave as the coffin lowered in. Meanwhile, Nam stood a lone figure, decked out in black designer gear, including a black sunhat, shades and knee-length boots.

"Look at that whore," Mom had whispered in my ear as daddy's coffin was lowered into the ground. "Who turns up to a funeral dressed like that? Has she no shame?" I knew my mother was on the verge of screaming and throttling the foreign floozy, and had we been anywhere other than daddy's funeral then she most likely would have. Mom had trudged across the cemetery in search of her after the ceremony, but Nam was nowhere to be found.

Days later, we received a sympathy card from her, written in an elegant scroll. Once again, she apologised and attempted to extend an olive branch. We're family now, she claimed, despite the way we had come together, and family was extremely important in her native Thailand. She wished for us to get over our differences now that daddy had passed away and was hoping to meet her step-daughter: me. I was taken aback by how perfect her English was, and figured that she'd had someone else help with writing it. Mom promptly ripped the card in half and returned it to sender: our old address, which Nam was living in alone until daddy's estate had been finalised.

Which brought us to the attorney's office and the reading of daddy's will; a most awkward affair while in the presence of the beautiful mistress who had taken him from us. Mom had said one time while catching a glimpse of one of their wedding pictures on Facebook. "Look at them. It's disgusting. She must only be your age, Dawn." I'd nodded in agreement, shyly looking at the photo of my father, his beer belly spilling over swimming trunks, while, Nam, at his side, showed off a finely toned body that supermodels would be jealous of. Whereas my mom was raging, I was jealous; I wished I had a body as hot as that.

However, those pictures I'd seen on Facebook still didn't do her justice. In person, this Nam was a complete vision and I almost gasped at her flawlessness as she'd taken the seat adjacent to us. I was about to whisper, no wonder daddy was completely smitten with her, when I realised exactly what I was saying and who I'd be saying it to: my own mother, who had been hurt more than anyone by daddy's betrayal.

"Okay, thank you all for joining me today. We're gathered here to settle the estate of the late Robert Wilson according to his last will and testament. I was in the presence of Mr Wilson, as well as two witnesses, when he affirmed his will and I can confirm that he was of sound mind and was not under duress. Now, regarding the inheritance of Mr Wilson's assets." Mr Andrews paused before clearing his throat, then running his finger along the length of the page. He then licked the fingertip and turned the corner of the page, taking a look at the one beneath before dropping it. "It appears that Mr Wilson has designated all of his assets, including cash, stock and property to one, Nam Cherinphon." The attorney collected the papers in his hands and shuffled them. "Are there any questions?"

I was sat in my seat, motionless, unable to fathom a coherent thought as the magnitude of my father's will overwhelmed me. It must have been a joke, surely? There's no way that daddy would do such a thing to me, especially with the way he had divorced mom in such a brutal way.

"What the fuck?" My mother said, which caused me to turn in surprise since I wasn't used to her using such profanity outside of our private conversations. "This has to be a mistake?"

"There is no mistake," Mr Andrews said, his expression neutral. "Mr Wilson amended his will a few months ago and I had numerous discussions with him prior to the changes that were made."

"But...but..." I finally managed to utter. "What about me? How am I supposed to pay for college?" I tugged at my mother's sleeve. "Daddy promised he would pay for my college fees."

"This is bullshit," my mother said in a venomous tone. She then turned her attention towards the young Thai girl sat on the opposite side of the room. "Did you make him do this, you filthy slut?" Nam looked back and stared down her nose at my mother in disgust.

"Mrs Wilson," Mr Andrews said while rising to his feet. "Please, less of the hostility. These are Mr Wilson's final wishes and they should be respected."

My mother turned to the attorney and pointed a finger at him. "This is a load of shit and you know it. Twenty-five years I spent with that man. We have a daughter together, for Christ's sake. She needs that money for her schooling. Then this"--she pointed the finger towards Nam--"whore comes along, wrecks my marriage and now you're telling me he's left her everything?" She then threw her head back and burst into an absurd laughter. "My God, Robert, what the hell have you done? You stupid man." Her laughter soon turned to tears while I sat awkwardly, attempting to comfort her with a stroke on her back.

Meanwhile, Nam remained completely silent. I stared over at her in shock, still not fully accepting that this young Thai girl, with her ample boobs stuffed into a figure-hugging dress that showed off the curves of her prominent ass, was apparently the sole heir to my father's estate. What caught me was how specifically well-groomed she was, from her elongated eyelashes to her brightly painted nails. Her eyes and cheeks even appeared like they'd had glitter sprinkled on them, such was the way her skin shimmered whenever she turned her head beneath the light. It must have taken hours for her to get ready, and I wondered if this is what her job truly was: ensnaring my father with her looks and profiting in the process. If so, from the care she had put into her appearance, it seemed that she was dedicated to her work.

I recalled the sympathy card, where she has declared her desire to be my step-mother and found the idea completely absurd. How could I have a step-mother barely a few years older than me that looked like...that? She dressed like she belonged in a strip club or something and it was painfully evident that my beloved father had spent the last few months of his life thinking with his dick. Still, despite Nam's obvious sexual attraction, like my mother, I was baffled that my father could actually do such a thing to us. Had he hated us all along or something? To cheat on my mother was one thing, to divorce her for a younger model was another, but to up and leave us with nothing at the end of it? That was downright sadistic.

While my mother was still berating Mr Andrews, Nam tucked her handbag beneath her arm, rose to her feet and put her hands together at her chin while slightly bowing her head towards him. Even in her high heels she must have barely been above five foot. "Kob khun ka," she said in a youngish voice which grated my ears. She then turned towards my mother and I, before doing the same gesture and saying with an almost patronising smile, "Sà-wàt-dee ka."

My mother tossed her wedding ring at her in response, which bounced off her shoulder and caused the girl to flinch. "Here, don't forget to take this too, you gold-digging bitch," she said, leaving the girl looking bemused. "Since you're taking everything else, you may as well have that too." She then turned towards me. "Come on, dear." My mother tugged at my shirt, before turning her attention back to Mr Andrews. "I'll be seeing you in court," she said with a pointed finger. "This is a complete carve up."

My mother had been on the phone for a good few hours when she sighed and dropped her head in her hands. "Your father has ruined us," she said. "That stupid bastard, thinking with his dick."

"Can't they help?" I asked while squeezing her knee. "Surely, there's something they can do? I mean, he hasn't even known her a year and now she's getting everything? It doesn't make any sense."

"The will is watertight," she said. "He included all sorts. Us going no contact with him and even some of our Facebook messages where we called him, well, things better left unrepeated. It seems he turned into quite the bastard while under her grip. She was probably sat next to him while he was writing it, orchestrating it all."

"We can sue or something though, right? I mean, I'm his daughter? Surely he owes me something?"

"If you were under eighteen, then yes. Since you're twenty-two, he doesn't owe you jack shit according to these attorneys."

"This is ridiculous," I said, completely outraged. "How can we be entitled to nothing? Even though we haven't been speaking to him he's still been paying my college fees. He promised he was going to pay them for me."

"It appears that promise died with him."

"Mom," I said while grasping her leg and looking at her with a serious expression. "What the hell are we going to do?"

She shrugged. "We can go to court, and we might win, at least get half, but that's going to cost up front." She looked at me with a sympathetic grimace. "Your next fees are due in a couple of weeks and they said this could take years to settle."

"Fuck, Mom," I said in shock. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't have the money to pay them, darling. My bank account is pretty much empty after the rent and bills and I'm barely making anything at the restaurant."

Suddenly, a chill was running down my spine and the thought of being kicked out of college was becoming very real. I had my heart set on being a dentist and I still had another few years to go before I graduated. "What are we going to do?" I asked again.

Mom sighed again, then she shook her head in defeat. "One of the attorney's suggested mediation."

"Medi-what?"

"We should meet with that bitch and discuss what to do going forwards. Maybe we can come to some kind of arrangement where we get our fair share. I mean, he's left her everything. There's more than enough for all of us."

"What about the divorce though, didn't you get half?"

A tear left her eye. "We had a pre-nup, darling. His parents insisted. They were a wealthy family before we met. He gave me a couple of thousand but that's already been used up on day to day bills. He was making good though, paying your fees and the like, but according to the attorneys, she's not bound to his promises." She sighed and her entire demeanour looked visibly defeated. "I can't do it, darling. I just can't go begging to that young girl. Not after everything that has happened. My pride is too much."

"I mean, I could go--"

"Don't you dare," she said. "I won't be seeing you begging that slut for what should rightfully be yours anyway. I'll call some more firms. Maybe we can find one that'll do it pro-bono or something. Promise me you won't go to her, okay?"

I nodded my head, but squirmed away from actually saying the words.

Despite my agreement not to go to Nam, two weeks later I found myself stood outside what used to be our house. It was a large, regal-looking townhouse that had been in daddy's family for years. The expansive halls and multiple bedrooms were filled with many happy memories from my childhood. While I looked up at the tall and intimidating building, it seemed completely ridiculous to me that such a home now housed a tiny Thai girl as its sole occupant. She must have thought she'd won the lottery, having come here from her native Thailand less than a year ago and already being set for life.

For the first few days after the will reading, while mom phoned various attorneys and sought legal advice, I adhered to her wishes and kept the idea of approaching Nam out of my mind. I too had my pride to think about anyway, and the thought of coming to the woman who had destroyed my parent's marriage and begging for a handout, of my own money no less, was so irrational a thought that I gave it no energy. However, as the days ticked by, and I witnessed my mother's frustration growing, I became abundantly aware that the deadline for my college fee payment was approaching. Due to daddy's wealth when I applied, I didn't qualify for either a loan or grant, and though I now likely qualified, there was simply not enough time for me to arrange anything before the deadline. My college was notoriously strict when it came to non-payments and they had removed students who had only been a day late. Throughout the weeks, I'd been crossing my fingers and hoping that an attorney would take up our case and offer an advance that would cover my fees, having realised the likelihood of us winning such an obvious tragedy of justice. However, we hadn't banked on Nam having already lawyered up herself. Clearly, my mother's threat at the reading, though directed at Mr Andrews, had not fallen on deaf ears. It was a judgement on our part, but due to her appearance, and the fact she was in a foreign country, we'd figured she was naïve. To our surprise, with my daddy's assets now in her arsenal, she'd hired one of the top attorneys in the city and most other attorneys lost interest when they realised who they'd be going up against. Even if we did manage to get the case to court, it was no doubt going to be dragged out for a long time, just as my mother had feared.

It was for this reason that I'd come to Nam myself, despite my mother's protestations that our pride was worth more than daddy's wealth. Our pride may have been worth something, but it certainly wasn't worth my education. While I stood outside the door and reached for the bell, I thought about all of the encounters I'd previously had with Nam. The Facebook message where she'd reached out, the sympathy card where she'd sought a relationship with me and, of course, our close proximity at the funeral and will reading, where even through my mother's meltdown she'd been nothing but polite and maintained her dignity Perhaps Nam was in fact a reasonable girl after all, and there was the chance that she'd see things from our side. We were of a similar age, and I hoped that we could put our differences aside, especially since we were both still dealing with the loss of my father.

I rang the bell, then waited patiently for Nam to come to the door. It was a few minutes, and another doorbell ring, before I finally heard the latch unlock. The door, large and heavy in its form, swung open at the hand of this dainty, bare-footed Asian girl, and it was at this moment that I first witnessed her without any heels, that I realised just how tiny she actually was. I towered over her, despite being stood on a step lower.