I held my mom’s shaking hand under the table. Unlike many of my parents’ friends and close acquaintances, they’d married for love.
Hearing about my dad from someone she’d only just met had to be hard, especially while under close scrutiny from the business partners.
“Before I read Mr. Van Stern’s last will and testament, I want to remind you all that he was of sound mind when he wrote hisfinal wishes. This has been co-signed by his doctor as well as my legal team.”
I kept my eyes on the table, focusing on a tiny surface imperfection.
With no objections from anyone, Mr. Hoffman pulled out an envelope from his briefcase and started reading.
“Dear Mathilda, Lior, and all you bloodsuckers who are here just for the paycheck.”
I snorted as the room remained silent. Dad had always been a candid man, but I’d never heard him call his business partners bloodsuckers to their faces. From the shocked expressions around the table, this was a first for them too.
Mr. Hoffman cleared his throat to continue.
“First and foremost, I have to apologize to my dear Mathilda, the love of my life and the only person strong-willed enough to put up with my cantankerous ass.”
I held my mom’s hand and squeezed it tight. Her chin trembled a little, and I hated my father for making her go through this in a room full of business partners instead of just close family.
“Van Stern Enterprises started as a work of love. My father took my mother’s surname to honor her father, from whom he learned his trade. The story is well documented in our historical archives. Most of them are held in the Cliffborough Stained Glass Museum, which was once the Van Stern family home outside the city.
“When I think of it, my father held beliefs that were modern for the standards of America in the 1940s. This likely has to do with seeing so much death, destruction, and loss when he was stationed in Europe during the Second World War.
“Like many men of his time, he rarely talked of those days unless it was to recount how he met my mother and her family. How he managed to bring them to the United States after the war, and how proud he was to continue the legacy of his father-in-law, my grandfather, whose work had mostly been destroyed when churches all over Europe were bombed.
“From stained-glass windows in public buildings to private commissions to the enterprise we have today, nothing would be possible if a young man hadn’t fallen in love with the right person and found passion in the art of stained glass and the possibilities that working with glass offered.
“But enough of the history lesson.Many of you might wonder what will happen to my place in the company now that I’m gone.
“My son, Lior, whom I love more than he probably knows, took over the Stained Glass Museum after my father passed away. It’s been his literal home and his passion.
“Since Lior was a young child, I dreamed of passing the family legacy to him. Maybe I failed to bring him into the business as much as I could when I saw he shared more of his grandfather’s passion for stained glass than mine for business. Maybe what I did was the right thing.
“Regardless, Van Stern Enterprises needs a new CEO. Unfairly as it may seem, I am leaving that legacy to Lior with one condition.”
Mr. Hoffman put the letter down, much to the collective gasp in the room.
He took a pile of files from his briefcase and handed one to each person in the room.
“I beg that you let me finish reading the letter before you open the file,” he said.
My stomach churned. I always knew my father would leave me the majority share of the company. The conditions it apparently came with made me sweat under my suit jacket.
When I’d inherited the museum from my grandfather, I’d thought my role within the family and the business had been established. But my father had made it clear he wanted me to take over when he retired.
That was supposed to be a long time from now. I’d started to enjoy my involvement in the company as much as I loved working in the museum, but I’d thought I’d have longer to get used to the idea that I needed to pull away from my hands-on approach to the museum.
Was I ready to run a company that had expanded into a multinational business manufacturing everything made of glass, from housewares to decorations and gifts? Not to mention, we were still the leaders in anything stained glass.
The file burned in my hands. I wanted to open it now and know the stipulation my father had set before I could take on the role he’d left vacant.
Mr. Hoffman returned to his place at the table and continued reading the letter.
“Lior will not take on my role as CEO of Van Stern Enterprises unless he gets married within six months from now. Only then will my sixty percent shares of the company be passed to him.”
“I’m sorry, what?” I asked, coughing. I looked at my mom, who looked equally surprised.
“Please, Mr. Van Stern, let me finish the letter, and then I can answer all your questions.”
