Page 13 of Begin Again, Part 1

He kept his cousins as his second in command. They had as much right to the company as he did. His decision proved to be his most controversial yet, pitting him against his sisters. They thought he was foolish for giving the brothers so much control. But Liam quickly pointed out, "it's their company as well. If Dad didn't push Uncle Sullivan out, they'd have their fair share."

"Uncle Sullivan was weak. He didn't have the balls to take this business forward," argued Willow.

"Dad made the company what it is today." Holly sounded painfully naive.

Cringing on her behalf, Liam decided to school them a little on the past. "Dad isn't God. He didn't build the company on his own. Julian and Matthew lost their world when Uncle Sully killed himself, and we all know Dad is responsible for his death. He may not have given him the gun to blow his brains out. But he pushed him into it."

"Stop it!" His sisters yelled at once, their eyes dark with annoyance.

"Whose side are you on?" asked Willow.

"I'm on the side of the truth. If Dad didn't sideline Uncle Sully, he wouldn't have had any reason to kill himself."

"Do we have to talk about this right now?" Holly's question only added to the tension in the room. "What good will it do to dredge up the past?"

"You don't have to acknowledge it, but I do," Liam said. "I can't lead this company with a clear conscience if I don't fix what Dad did. We all know Jules and Matt have done way more for Anderson Logistics than any of us in this room. If you fail to see that, your moral compass is severely impaired."

The argument continued throughout dinner, ending when their mom sniffled in her seat. "Enough! Liam is right. Matt and Julian are part of this family. We should never have excluded them."

Holly dumped her fork on her plate and crossed her arms. "I won't give up my shares."

"Matt and Jules have their own shares. No one wants your three percent!" Liam was quick to put his little sister in her place. "And your life of excessive spending is over. You'll no longer close stores for private shopping sprees. Using the company jet to party in Ibiza is over. As for that penthouse you never live in, you'd better use it soon, or I'll help you get rid of it."

"Mom!" Willow screeched in her seat.

Lois shook her head. "Listen to your brother—"

"But he can't make me live like a poor person!" Holly yelled.

Liam stormed to the living room to grab his messenger bag on the couch, returning in a flash. He fired up the laptop and brought up the family trust's financial statements.

Bemusement flashed on Willow's face as she scanned the documents on the screen. "What am I looking at?"

"Yeah, what is this?" Holly asked.

Liam figured they wouldn't know how to read financial statements, let alone understand them. How could they when they didn't even know the price of toilet paper? Admittedly, until a few weeks ago, he didn't know it as well. Now that he sat in Julian's budget meetings, he was well aware of the cost of every little thing. From the coffee and tea their staff took for granted, to the reams of printing paper they all seemed to love so much.

"What is this?" Willow pouted like a petulant child. For the oldest daughter, she sure acted like the baby sometimes.

"That's us swimming up shit-creek soon if your excessive spending doesn't stop!" Liam replied, the crease between his eyebrows deepening.

Tears welled up in Holly's eyes as she turned to their mom. "Are we poor? Do we have to move to a duplex now?"

Liam scoffed. "Not yet. But I'd say in six months, give or take."

His announcement was so devastating, his sisters ran out of the room, claiming they needed a nap.

Lois frowned at him when they were alone. "Why would you lie to them like that? You know how they are."

It was wrong to mislead them, but Liam wanted to frighten them a little. There were so many things he used to take for granted before taking the helm. Things he never had to think or worry about. Like all the people working behind the scenes, making sure the Andersons lived their life of luxury. It wasn't fair to them. Most would never see a million rands in their bank accounts, but they still worked hard and gave their all to the company.

"You have to tell them we're okay," his mom said.

"No!" Liam replied. "I meant every word. No more company jets for private business. Overseas shopping trips have to stop. They need to join the fold if they want all those nice things."

"But they love what they do. Your sisters will die if they have to give up their careers!"

"What about me?" Liam asked. He didn't regret his decision to take over the company. But he was still mourning the loss of his dreams.

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