Part 8: The First Official Executive Order
While we were enjoying our quiet Christmas morning in the city, the Hollister empire was experiencing a seismic shockwave.
News of Arthur Hollister’s secret codicil and the emergency trust activation spread through the family corporate network faster than wildfire. By Boxing Day, Uncle Richard and Aunt Claire realized that fighting Julian Vance’s legal team was a losing battle. The documents were ironclad, registered correctly, and backed by the explicit testimony of the late patriarch’s medical staff and legal counsel.
Eleanor Hollister found herself effectively sidelined. For the first time in forty years, the board of Hollister Enterprises voted to suspend her executive privileges pending a full internal review of corporate fund allocation.
On December 27th, my phone—a simple pink smartphone Michael had given me for my birthday—buzzed on the kitchen counter.
It was a text message from an unexpected number: Daniel, my cousin.
Hey Lily. Merry belated Christmas. Everyone here is pretty quiet. Dad and Aunt Claire are arguing with Grandma all day. Just wanted to say... I’m sorry about how things were at the mansion. Hope you’re doing okay.
I stared at the screen for a long time, surprised. I looked over at Michael, who was sitting at the kitchen island reviewing some architectural blueprints for his firm.
“Who is it?” Michael asked gently.
“Daniel,” I replied. “Grandma’s grandson.”
Michael looked up, setting his pen down. “What does it say?”
I read the message out loud.
Michael walked over, leaning against the counter beside me. He didn't tell me what to feel or how to respond. He simply placed a hand on my back. “How do you want to handle it?”
I thought about all the Christmases past, the cold water, the velvet dress, and being pushed out of the family photo. But I also thought about how Daniel had looked when Eleanor pushed me away—reluctant, uncomfortable, but too afraid to speak up.
I picked up the phone and typed back:
May you like
Thanks, Daniel. Merry Christmas to you too. Hope things settle down over there.
It wasn't an instant reconciliation, and it wasn't a dramatic forgiveness speech. But it was a start. And for the first time, I felt like I didn't need anyone's permission to exist in my own family.
