Satisfied with Love

Satisfied With Love Ch. 17

by MDSW©

Author's Notes:

Keep the comments coming. I read each one. I do hope you enjoyed the novel.

MDSW

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As Brad continues on his jovial course, he receives a question he does not expect. Nobody on the Packard team expected this one.

"Moving right along," Brad says, "in some cases, I'm smart enough to know better, but I'm also still young enough to do it anyway, as you just witnessed. I hope to stay that way for a while at least, as life goes on.... I better turn this over to Larry before I get into more trouble."

"Brad, before you release the reigns back to Larry, would you answer some questions from us please?" an employee asks.

"I need to check with Larry on that."

Brad turns to Larry and he nods, giving him the floor.

"Okay, I guess I can. What question do you have that I can avoid answering?" he asks as they all laugh.

Then it gets quiet as she asks the question.

"I can't help but feel it must have been difficult for you and your sisters to learn you are family. Would you share with us how you dealt with that as adults?"

He turns to Larry.

"Larry, did you put her up to that?" he asks, wondering.

"I did not Brad, sorry."

Brad returns his attention to the employees.

"Sorry guys. Larry has a history of asking me tough questions and I thought...."

"Well.... thinking usually gets me in even more trouble.... May I ask your name please?" he asks as a few giggles come from the group.

"It's Pam," she replies.

"Why would you ask such a personal question Pam?"

"You said you want to be personable and using first names is part of that. I ask because we want to be personable too. It helps me, and us, connect with you on a personal level," Pam replies.

"Would you come up here please?" he asks smiling.

Pam, feeling nervous, gets up and makes her way to where Brad is, but he meets her half way. Brad opens his arms, as if asking for a hug. Pam does not hesitate, she goes for it immediately. They give each other hug, as she feels a world of relief.

While he is hugging her, he asks," Pam, is it okay with you if I give you a hug?"

Pam bursts out laughing as she still hugs him and everybody joins in, then she gives him a tighter hug. When Brad breaks the hug, the group applauds, then they both return from where they came, Pam to her seat, Brad to the podium.

"See folks, I'm not all bad," he said as they laugh. "Well, that is a question I never thought would be asked. Anyone on the Packard team have a problem with me answering?"

They are all okay with it, especially his sisters. Kristi too.

"Wow. I can't believe I'm going to do this.... Okay. This will take a while. All I ask is that you keep my answer in the family please."

He pauses, collecting his thoughts. He decides to change the story slightly so it will flow better, but the all the facts are still there.

"As you can expect, it was not the best of times in our lives," he said in an emotion filled response.

He pauses again.

"I guess the best way to tell this story is to start at the beginning, so let me take you through the steps of my new life discovery as it happened to me. I can only assume it happened to my sisters in a similar manner because we have not discussed this between us."

"I was at the office working a project that dreadful Monday morning. Fact is, I never left the building since I arrived for work the previous Friday, except to grab a bite to eat. I had not seen anything from the outside world since then, being corralled in the office for the last three days straight. I got very little sleep that weekend."

"I spent most of the time working to get the project done. It was due for completion that day and I still had one more item to research before I could wrap it up. I was under some heavy pressure because it was the only project I had been assigned that would be late, if not completed by the end of the day. The company is counting on me to get it done, but did not give me adequate time or staff to do it, nor did they seem to care. I could have got it done, but the day went to crap very soon for me."

"When two company directors showed up out of nowhere that morning, that goal went out the window. They were very interested in what I was doing and asked many questions, which took time away from completing the project. I was not a happy camper."

"About five minutes after they left, I was unexpectedly called to the front desk because I had a visitor, a lawyer, on one of the busiest days of my short career. The pressure was on me to complete the project. For me, it was a chaotic scene. I did not need the distraction of this lawyer, or the company directors. I had to get this project done to maintain my record of on time performance."

"I sat down with the lawyer in a conference room on the first floor expecting to get rid of him quickly and get back to work. Instead, he told me he had a story to tell me."

"First, he told me the directors are here to take over my project, so it is out of my hands and no longer my responsibility. That is why they spent so much time with you and asked so many questions."

"I asked him who he worked for and he said he would answer that question a little later. The lawyer seems to have a some kind of authority over the company."

"He began his story by telling me I was adopted, something my Mom and Dad never discussed with me. I knew he was full of it at that point and I was ready to get up and leave, but he showed me adoption papers which reflected my current name and the names of my Mom and Dad."

"I was shocked seeing that, but the proof is right in front of me. Still, I did not believe it and had to verify it with my Mom and Dad before I would consider proceeding with the lawyer."

"I called and had a short conversation with them. They did verify it. I sat in front of the lawyer in total disbelief. What a predicament to be in. I was tired as hell and got this bomb dropped on me."

"I immediately began to wonder who I am. It was a difficult decision for my Mom and Dad not to tell me and I understand why they didn't. I forgave them. I still love them very much and they will forever remain my Mom and Dad."

"Then, I was told my birth Father's name is Daniel John Packard by viewing a series of legal papers proving it, one of which was my original birth certificate. I knew of the celebrity and business executive because I would briefly followed his career in the business news, but I never met him. I was literally blown away."

"Next, I was told he passed away from pancreatic cancer, proven with a death certificate dated two days prior. At that moment, it sunk in that my birth Father has died."

The group reacts to the news. You can hear a pin drop.

"As I showed signs of recovering from that news, the lawyer handed me a sealed envelope with my name on it and asked me to open it. I did and discovered it is a personal letter from my father. As I read it, tears came to my eyes.... My father wrote me a letter explaining what he did for his family, but not why he did it."

"I felt so alone at that moment.... I'm slowly beginning to realize I am the son of Danny Packard, billionaire, entrepreneur. When I finally looked back at the lawyer with tears running down my cheeks, he told me he is my Father's attorney and that of the Packard Empire."

"My thought process was getting impaired by my physical condition and all the shocking information I had to process. Slowly, it dawned on me I inherited the Packard Empire, which Danny built from the ground up, pretty much by himself. That much I did know."

"I remember not being particularly happy about being in that predicament. I was overwhelmed by the reality of it all for a while. My life had been turned upside, twisted, pulled in multiple directions and I did not know what to think, or what to do, or what to say."

"If that was not shocking enough for me, I learned my Mother passed away from car accident with a drunk driver at the young age of twenty-five, about three weeks after Peggy was born. It was proven to me by viewing their marriage certificate and her death certificate."

The group continues in silence now that they learn Brad has lost his birth parents. Some have tears and felt sorrow for Brad and his sisters.

"Now, the realization of having lost both birth parents struck me as more tears formed in my eyes for people I did not even know, but, they are my Mother and Father."

"Then, there was another bomb dropped on me. I learned I had sisters, two sisters."

"I was shocked more than I could take. The reality of learning all of those facts within about ten or fifteen minutes shook me to my core. I was seriously overwhelmed with disbelief and wonder. I questioned who I was for the first 23 years of my life. I closed my eyes as I sat in front of the lawyer. I felt like I was in crisis, like the first 23 years of my life has been a joke. I could not think logically and I was getting a headache on top of it all, most likely from lack of sleep. I had difficulty focusing. I was literally a train wreck waiting to happen."

Kristi is listening intensely to Brad. She did not have knowledge of the introduction to his new life as given to him by Craig. She knows Brad met with Craig but did not know the details of the lawyer's presentation to him. Her eyes are getting teary and she reaches in her pocket for some tissues.

"Then it struck me it was very real.... My sisters and I have inherited the Packard Empire."

"To this day, I still have difficulty believing it happened to me. Sometimes, reality hits you fast and furious. I've heard that several times and brushed it off thinking that kind of thing never happens to me.... How little I know."

"As the lawyer continued his story, my headache wasn't going away. I had no choice but to believe what I was being told. He was very convincing and had everything he needed to prove everything he said. I also talked with my Mom and Dad about this as well and they were aware this day would come."

"As I accepted my predicament as fact, according to the lawyer, my next step is to go to Danny Packard's private island to meet my sisters, get to know them and the huge corporation my Father created. After saying that, he gave me a credit card, some cash, and stayed with me as I had things I had to purchase and pack before we fly to the island."

"We were left in the hands of a chauffeur masquerading as an armed body guard, maybe the other way around, complete with a limo. Suddenly, everyone I dealt with showed me respect, like I was the USA President or something."

"I can't tell you how shocked I was by all of this. I was chauffeured around everywhere I had to go and the chauffeur never left my side."

"The first stop was for cigarettes and I took up smoking again. As I spent the rest of the morning and the afternoon shopping, I was buying designer clothes, something I normally don't do, and I was dining in a high class restaurant, something else I don't normally do. Then, I was whisked off to the airport where they loaded the things I just purchased onto a jet, a private jet, a private luxury jet!"

"To me, that day was one shock after another. But, that was not the end of the shocks. I was seriously overwhelmed. My headache did not disappear and I'm getting weak as the time passed."

"In the VIP lounge near the private jet, the lawyer and I waited for the announcement the flight is ready. He answered several of my questions while we waited, one of which was about my sisters. He answered saying we will all meet on the island later today.

"Once we were onboard the private, luxury jet, we departed shortly after and headed toward the island. The lawyer gave me a tour and even though I didn't really care about the jet, I was impressed with it."

"I was withdrawn. I was alone, maybe even scared. I did not trust anyone. The lawyer, Mr Alden, was a stranger to me and we were the only passengers on the private jet. At this point, I was in a daze. I already started smoking again, something I gave up a couple years prior, but it did not take long for me to start again. I was still tired as well. I was not in good shape. Mr Alden kept my attention and we talked, mostly about my future and what I might expect."

"As he was talking to me, I fell asleep. I could no longer keep my eyes open. I had all I could take for one weekend."

"Before I go any further, I want you to understand something. When I boarded that private, luxury jet, I did not feel like an owner of a huge business empire. I did not feel like a billionaire. I did not feel like a boss, or a leader. I did not feel like a businessman, nor did I feel like myself."

"But, most of all, I did not feel like a brother. I still felt like a pee-on at work. I was dazed and alone at best. All I knew when I boarded the private jet was, I had to meet my sisters and make a decision about my future."

Several sighs came from the group as his level of stress is realized by them.

"I was awakened by Mr Alden about an hour before we landed near the island and I opted to take the helicopter to the private island. When we landed on the private island, we went to the pier and waited about an hour for my sisters to arrive. Mr Alden stayed with me to keep me company.

Stacy and Peggy are tearing up as Brad continues with the story. They also are re-living that experience all over again. Anita and Jeni are listening and reacting to what they went through. Rick just listens with his head bowed. Kristi is showing tears and keeps dabbing them away with a tissue. Several others in the room are tearing as well. Kristi passes out tissues to most of the team.

"A little while later, it seemed to me, my sisters arrived and I was scared to death to meet them. I never had a sister and had no idea what to say to them, what to do, what to feel or how to act. They were total strangers to me. I searched within myself for answers, but had none. I learned later my sisters experienced the same emotions and concerns I did. I was so wrapped up in myself I was not thinking about anybody else, or anything else. I was all about poor Brad. I continued to freak out about meeting them. It was a very awkward moment for all of us, more so for me."

"When I met my sisters, I did not know how to react when I first saw them. My initial observation was, I have two very beautiful sisters. So, not knowing what to do, I simply did what I do best -- make a fool of myself. They, unlike myself, arrived on the island by boat. After shaking their hands as they got off, I took a wrong step and fell backward into the ocean, just missing the boat that brought us to the island. I was so embarrassed I felt like a total fool."

More giggles break out.

"That was my sisters' first impression of me. I was assisted back on the pier and, as I stood in front of everybody dripping wet and embarrassed beyond belief, I made another blunder. I shook the water out of my ears and got everyone else wet in the process. Remember, my hair was pretty long back then. I was so embarrassed I felt like crawling into a hole and die," Brad said and a smile appears on his face.

Brad laughs at his own embarrassment, but feels sorrow for his predicament. So did everyone else.

"One by one, they slowly began giggling, then laughing at me. Eventually, I laughed with them."

"I was so embarrassed I did not want to see anybody ever again, but I got over it, primarily because I had no choice. I wish I had more time to deal with it though, but it taught me a very important lesson early on in my new life. I learned, even if you are a billionaire, you don't always get what you want," Brad said.

The group laughs at his story and applauds his survival.

"I did not think it was funny at the time, but some of it sounds pretty funny now that I tell it."

His sisters nod and agrees with the story, smiling with him as tears run down their cheeks. The group understands his embarrassment and gave him some slack.

"The biggest mistake I made, we all made actually, was we did not hug each other when we first met. I will never forgive myself for not doing that because I believe it caused more problems between us down the road. None of us said to each other what we were truly feeling."

His sisters get up, moves to either side of him and hugs him as he stops talking. A short pause in the story results, then Brad continues as he continues to hug his sisters.

"Even though I did not know them at all, they are my sisters and I should have told them I love them. But I didn't...."

"Things are different now and they know how I feel and I know how they feel. They are my left and right arms for life, along with some other people that are here with us."

"That's what I was facing, same for my sisters. Now, how did we deal with it?.... Not very well at first."

"The first two days on the island was spent in one class after another, learning details about the Packard Empire mostly, and about being billionaires, about security and about the media. Kristi was also involved in my education. When not in classes, she instructed me on the Packard Empire business world. My sisters and I had very little time to spend with each other outside of the classes."

"As it turned out, getting acquainted as adults was not an easy chore, but we managed, somehow. It was a long process of mistake after mistake. But, once we began talking to each other on a personal level, things began to change for the better and we became a family that never before existed."

"If you are thinking our lives have changed as a result of this, you just might be right. But, you have no clue what we went through to get where we are right now. What I just told you is an over simplification of that process. I left out many of the details we faced and overcame to be where we are today."

"To this day, I still do not feel like a billionaire. I'm not sure I want to embrace that, but I am beginning to feel more like a leader and even that is a tough pill to swallow."

"For many people, money is power. I believe money makes you more of what you already are and sometimes, that's an even bigger pill to swallow."

"You all know I spent some time immersed in office politics. My experience was not as good as I expected it to be. When we, my sisters and I, realized we can make the rules, it had a major impact on me and us. I learned we can have a major impact on how our employees feel about the company they work for. That brightened up my day like you can't believe."

"The good news is, things are different now. Today, we are so proud to have the support of each other and that of the Packard team. As we stand before you, the leaders of a multi-billion dollar corporation, we no longer have any pressure on us," he said rolling his eyes and smiles.

The Packard Team breaks out laughing as Brad hugs his sisters again. The room is filled with laughter, then slowly give Brad, Stacy and Peggy a standing ovation as they embrace each other very tight. Their staff also joins the hug.... Finally, they collect themselves and continue the meeting as several people in the group clear their tears. His sisters remain with him, but the staff returns to their seats.

"I've never told that story to anyone, not even my sisters.... This is the heart of what a family, and a team, is all about. Personal and professional relationships. If you have not learned that yet, you will understand it in time."

"I struggled for several weeks building my team, primarily because I really did not know what I was doing. I just followed my gut. I set a goal from a desire, then created a plan, executed it, built the team and here we are today as one happy family. I struggled in many areas, but I worked through them, one at a time. As a result, I am a happy Brad. If you are not happy with yourself, you will likely have a tough life."