Mila's Men

The Truth

Mila could make out an image - it was another vision.

She could see a man wearing a felt hat, and trench coat. He was walking down the hall, towards Daylow's Office. A plump old man was waiting for him at the office door. He was dressed in an Italian suit. His silver hair shimmered, in the soft light of the ceiling lamps. Mila instantly recognized him. It was her great-uncle Boris Beauregard.

"My, my! If it I isn't Max Beauregard Jr.!" Boris smiled.

"It's good to see you too, Uncle Boris! I just wish it was under better circumstances than the reading of your will." Max replied with a brisk hug. 

"Well - this old ticker of mine ain't gonna hold up much longer." Boris said solemnly. "Say - I don't see Lily?"

"Oh..." Max stuttered. "She had some errands to run."

A woman came over to them - she was inside Daylow's office. It was Mila's mother. 

 "You remember your cousin Ella!" Boris said to Max. 

The two shook hands and exchanged smiles.

"How's little Mila? Probably keeping you guys up all night." Borris said to Ella 

"Getting big!" Ella replied.

Boris glanced at Max. "Say - Max has a boy about Mila's age." Boris explained to Ella.

"Well - you see..." Max solemnly muttered. "...Our son was... stillborn."

Ella gasped as Max hung his head low.

"What a shame!" Boris exclaimed. "I had such high hopes for that boy - from the minute I heard the ultrasound results."

Their somber rendezvous was cut short by Daylow's trumpeting voice. "Thank you all for coming." He shouted to the crowd of people who were gathered in his office. "Mister Beauregard will now read his final will and testament"

Boris sat down behind a red oak desk. "I know why you're all here." He announced with a cynical tone. "You're here to find out wich one of you 'preppy sock-heads' will inherit my unfathomable fortune!"

The small crowd gasped. 

Boris chuckled with glee. "I'm sorry to burst your bubbles - none of you are getting it! Why? Because you arrogant sycophants don't have a clue to how it should be handled!"

"Well then..." One man piped up. "...What are going to to do with it?"

"Give it to the next generation." Boris replied grinning. "I planned on leaving it to Max Juniors's son, since he would be the youngest male in the family. However, I was just informed that the baby was stillborn. So, that means that I will leave my wealth to Ella's infant daughter Mila."

"You can't leave eighty-four trillion dollars to a baby!" Another man from the crowd yelled.

"Of course not! Borris said with confidence. "She will gain access to the money through my attorney Daylow Carson. When she turns..."

The ringing of Max's cellphone cut through Boris' words.

Max ran out of the office to avoid further interruption.

"Yes, this is him." Max responded to the caller. "I've been expecting your call. You see, my wife died during labor - I can't raise a child on my own. The hospital recommended your orphanage." 

The woman on the other line continued to talk to Max for some time.

"What's my son's name?" Max asked, repeating the woman's question. "I could bear to name him, knowing that I would have to give him up."

The door to Daylow's office opened. Two men stepped out, shaking their heads.

"Your uncle's a fool!" One of the men exclaimed to Max.

"Sometimes we make seemingly foolish decisions." Max snapped back. "But oftentimes, they're the wisest ones."...

Mila woke up. She was lying on the floor, in some kind of dark room. The only light was coming from a long crack in the wall. Mila crawled over to the light. She peered through the crack. Someone was coming towards her. Mila remained calm as the light grew bigger and bigger..."Your uncle's a fool!" One of the men exclaimed to Max."Sometimes we make seemingly foolish decisions." Max snapped back. "But often, they're the wisest ones."...