Joanna Goodman’s The Inheritance – Fighting a Family and the Legal System
Arden Moore never thought much about money when she was married. Her husband, Scott, had a well-paying job which gave her the freedom to stay home and raise their three children. But when Scott dies from a heart attack, Arden finds herself grieving and in debt. A phone call from a New York estate lawyer gives her hope, but would also force her to face something she has avoided since she was a child – who was her birthfather?
Arden’s mother, Virginia, married twice and prone to having affairs, swears that Arden’s father is Wallace Ashforth, a billionaire. Virginia worked for Wallace and even though he was married, they had a long affair and she got pregnant. When he died without a will, Virginia fought for a piece of his estate that would support her and their daughter. Her claims were denied by a legal system that didn’t recognize children born outside of a marriage. But with changes in the laws of inheritance, Arden might have a chance to claim what is rightfully hers.
The estate lawyer, Larry Lasker, handled Virginia’s original case, but can’t take Arden’s on a contingency basis. However, his nephew, Joshua, would. Arden meets with Joshua and is impressed by his legal knowledge and his determination to win. It also doesn’t hurt that Joshua is extremely sexy and, Arden, who has been celibate since Scott died, can’t help but be attracted. Soon, the two are spending as much time in bed as they are in court. When Larry learns Joshua is sleeping with a client, he’s not pleased. But since Arden’s not complaining, there’s nothing he can do about it.
Joshua is honest about the uphill battle they face. Proving a DNA match is the first step. Since Wallace is deceased, exhumation would be fought by his remaining son, Jamie. The older son, Bruce, died recently, but he donated his brain to the Parkinson’s Foundation for research. Joshua’s plan is to go to court and argue for a DNA test on Bruce’s brain to prove that he is Arden’s half brother.
The judge handling the case is a cypher and Arden can never be sure how he will rule. If the stress of being in court isn’t enough, Arden faces trouble on the home front with her teenage daughter, Ivey, and twins, Ali and Wyatt. Ivey, still grieving her father’s death, is self harming by using a lighter on her skin. Arden’s attempts to talk with her end in angry shouting matches. Wyatt, who has a serious peanut allergy, is upset that Arden restricts his activities, worried he may repeat the frightening seizure he once had. Tate, Arden’s half sister, is available to babysit, but she’s hurt that Arden doesn’t support her effort to have a baby through IVF.
Virginia is living with Arden after breaking her hip. Although she tells her daughters that she fell off the bed after having rough sex with someone she met on the website SilvrFox, Virginia is ashamed to admit that she was raped and beaten. Virginia’s physiotherapist convinces her to join a senior support group. Even though Virginia is reluctant, she goes to a few meetings and eventually begins to confront what really happened to her.
Hal, Arden’s stepfather and the man she considers her real father, is there every step of the way. Although he and Virginia have been divorced for a long time, they have a close friendship that serves to anchor the entire family. The peace Arden achieves is finding out that her own identity has less to do with biology and more to do with those she loves and can count on for support.
Top photo: Bigstock
The Inheritance
Joanna Goodman
