ANTHONY MARCELLUS, THE SECRET BILLIONAIRE HEIR

Secrets

“Lied? What do you mean?” Tony couldn’t comprehend what was happening any longer, things were getting complicated the same night his wife had divorced and left him.

“Yeah, what if I told you that you’re not an orphan,” Walker smiled, he was enjoying the look on Tony’s face, the extraordinary surprise, he picked up the champagne bottle and poured the liquid into the glass that sat on the fine stool in front of them. The stool was an interior of the Cadillac.

“That’s impossible Mr. Walker, I saw their graves myself,” Tony retorted, pointing out why he didn’t believe what Walker was saying, he said the man’s name without even knowing.

Walker didn’t seem to be surprised by what Tony just said, he sipped his champagne and gestured for Tony to pick up the second glass.

“This isn’t funny, if there’s something you wish to disclose, please do.” Tony wasn’t having it, to him, this was a very serious matter, this man here was making him feel that there was a possibility his parents were alive.

After thirty five years? It was unbelievable. Why would his granny lie? Too many questions to be answered.

“Calm down, Anthony Marcellus, I’m trying to put it the right way.”

“The grave you saw is a facade, it’s not real. There’s no one underneath those graves, just gravestones on a ground that wasn’t even dug, although there might be someone in one of the graves,” Walker was getting a little more serious than he was before, seeing that Tony wouldn’t take any more jokes. He had to finish what he came here for.

“How can that be true? For what reason would my parents fake their deaths and leave me all alone for thirty five years, and what do you mean by there might be someone in one of the graves,” Tony was getting pissed at the parents he never knew.

“Because Sir Winconstin made you a secret heir, and he’s your only parent alive, your mother is dead,” Walker revealed, gulping down the remaining champagne in his cup.

Tony was quiet for a moment, he didn’t even know how to react to what he just heard, the same Sir Winconstin? Or some other one he didn’t know? This was becoming more and more incomprehensible.

“Do you know the last name of Sir Winconstin?” Walker asked, staring at devastated Tony.

Tony raised his eyebrows as his gaze met Walker’s, it was all starting to make sense little by little, he was struggling to believe all what Walker was saying until now.

“Granny told me there are many Marcellus here in Ohio, that I wasn’t in any way related to Sir Winconstin. No one even thought I might be the related to Sir Winconstin, even at school; they said the same thing, that there were many Marcellus in Ohio, they said if I was the son of Sir Winconstin, I wouldn’t be so poor,” everything was coming back to Tony, how he was humiliated several times when he was in high school.

He was even nicknamed the wretched Marcellus. It was because of this that made him know who Sir Winconstin was, although he had never met the man, but he had seen him on television several times.

For many years, Tony wished that was his dad, not because he liked the man, but just to prove to his teasers that he wasn’t just a Marcellus who nobody knew.

“Just like the graves, your granny lied. Now you might start to wonder why you granny told you all these lies, you cannot be angry at her, Tony. She did everything to protect you and keep you safe. If word had gotten out that Sir Winconstin had a son, you would have been dead.” Walker explained, pouring himself another glass of champagne, the night was far spent and midnight was approaching.

“Why would anyone want me dead?” Tony was confused, but he had started to comprehend all what was happening but there were still so many questions that needed answers.

“Gina Marcellus,” Walker mentioned, staring at Tony, waiting for him to ask who she was.

“Who’s that?”

“Sir Winconstin’s first wife, your mother was going to be the second; her name was Pricilla Frey, but she never completed the marriage. Actually, Sir Winconstin had an affair with Pricilla that made her pregnant and he decided to marry her as his second wife but Gina wasn’t having it. She threatened Sir Winconstin everyday that she would end Pricilla’s life if he ever married her,” Walker paused, and sighed before he continued.

“Sir Winconstin loved both women, so he decided to keep Pricilla away from danger, Gina was dangerous; she was a woman that doesn’t mince words. Your mother died at childbirth, she was a fragile woman; she loved Sir Winconstin, but it was just not meant to be. In order to protect you, Sir Winconstin lied to everyone that Pricilla died with the baby during delivery, he then gave you to your grandmother, that’s why she had to tell you those lies to keep you safe.” Walker concluded and looked outside the Cadillac window, it was extraordinarily dark with just a few street lights on.

Tony just heard the true story of his life, Walker was right, his mother’s name was Pricilla, Granny had told him that, granny didn’t tell lies all through, some were the truth.

“This is so much for me to handle, why now? Why did it take this long?” Tony covered his face with both hands and sobbed into it. If he was the heir to a wealthy man, why did he have to suffer and be humiliated for what he was.

“Sir Winconstin is dying, and he needs a suitable heir,” Walker sighed, and knocked on the window glass twice. The guard opened the car door, and Tony went down followed by Walker.

They stood in front of the duplex and Walker continued.

“There are so many controversies in the house of Sir Winconstin, and the struggle for his inheritance would end in a bloodbath if we are not careful.”

“Sir Winconstin himself would reveal all that to you, my job here is done. As from tomorrow, you’re no longer an orphan but Sir Winconstin’s son.” Walker smiled, patted Tony on the shoulder and went back into the Cadillac and drove off.

“Just like that?” Tony whispered to himself…..