The Farm

Seventy Year old Richard Butterbelly sits with his thirty seven year old Polish girlfriend Beata a five foot six blond gym bunny on a two piece plush light brown Italian leather sofa in the opulent living room of Maribel's mansion. Opposite them sitting on two matching sofa chairs are Maribel and Jennifer Butterbelly. Maribel dressed in a corporate grey pinafore dress and matching suit jacket, Jennifer in a two piece black trousers business suit. Both tailor made. Beata sat with an uninterested demeanour, her attention firmly on her her social media posts and interactions on her endless gym and pouting lip selfies. Occasionally she looks up and stares in contempt at the corpulence of Maribel and Jennifer.

Richard has arrived, the family farm is in trouble, his brother Ronald who runs it with his daughter Joy and son Toby when he isn't away serving with the Navy. They have ran it into the ground, they over stretched themselves by investing in new expensive equipment, stock and land. Now the banks are chasing them. Richard has come to Maribel and Jennifer for help.

Maribel is fuming with rage. "How dare you come here with the begging bowl after how those Yokels treated us" barks Maribel she points her right index finger at him "You knew exactly what we were getting ourselves in for and you didn't tell us because you don't care for me, which I can live with but what I won't ever accept is that you done it to your own daughter"

Richard extends out his hands "C'mon, that's not fair"

"It's the truth Dad!" whines Jennifer "When I asked you if you were going you ignored my SMS messages, you ignored my calls for help at the wedding and only three days later did you bother to call me back, even then it was short as you were more concerned with your BBQ with your friends." The hurt clear in her tone.

"Jenny I don't always check my phone for messages or missed calls, and I usually need never worry about you taking care of yourself!" he lies

Jennifer extends out her right palm towards Beata "that's a lie, how could you forget to check when she is on social media all the time. The truth is your repulsed by me!" She feels a lump in her throat at her own words.

This remark gets a muffled snigger from Beata "He's repulsed by us both Jennifer Darling!! they both are" growls Maribel

Richard places his right palm on his heart "Jennifer those words hurt me, I love you very much and am very proud of you"

Jennifer and Maribel stare at each other open mouthed Jennifer turns to him "You never once put up on any of social media feeds a photo of me or me with you, always with your friends or her or whoever your dating." Jennifer glances across at Beata. The only thing she has in common is the blonde air. Jennifer has always been comfortable in her skin, after the hotel incident her mother agreed with her that they both try and lose weight. Since the wedding she cut down on big business lunches, large meals and began light exercises. She lost 12 pounds in the three months. When she saw Beata she didn't see what she wanted to be, she didn't mind being overweight but she saw what she thought her father wanted her to be, despite her business success she often thought he was ashamed of her.

"I like to keep family private" another lie

"Enough of your lies Richard!" snaps Maribel "The amount of times you didn't bother to show up for your visitation rights when Jennifer was a child, SHAMEFUL!"

"I was younger care free, I really needed to grow up probably, though you had your faults too, you wouldn't let me bring Jenny to see her grandparents"

Maribel's blood pressure rises with the mention of them "How could I!!Jennifer was a bullied child, if I left her with you there she would get bullied more".

Beata mutters surprise surprise under her breath which no one quiet catches.

Jennifer adjusts her glasses on her nose and extends out both her palms. She didn't want to waste time on this argument "You've retired Dad, you made a lot of money from selling your construction company, why don't you save the farm, we aren't wanted there?"

"I'll tell you why Jennifer" interrupts Maribel "He would much rather party, enjoy himself with girls half his age and half your maturity, that;s why!."

"Bitch" mutters Beata again barely audible.

"C'mon, you both are big shot businesswomen, if anyone can turn this around you both can"

"Your fawning won't work on us" states Maribel in a scolding tone "Truth is you rather us lose money than you, your own daughter in particular!! very shameful!".

Jennifer feels butterflies in her tummy at the thought, she looks across at Beata who is glued to her phone, he never saw him with a smart independent girl, he never dated a girl that looked like her, overweight and glasses, it hurt her, she knew he was shallow but to be shallow towards his own daughter it hurt the most "Get us the paperwork Dad, all of it, leave nothing out, because we'll find it and no we are not committing to anything, we aren't in the business of losing money"

"And before you start cribbing about family" interrupts Maribal "It's clear your backward do not view us as family so this is business and we will go through everything with a fine toothcomb with our legal team. The devil is in the detail".

Richard nods, Jennifer adjusts her glasses on her nose and states confidently "They are going to see the smart businesswomen that we are, we won't be pushed around or bullied by them again!".

"Jenny, I promise you I will be here with you, it will be only Ronald and Joy, thats all".

"Thats all, Thats all!" gasps Jennifer terrified, she watches in horror while Beata tries to stop herself from laughing "Three months ago they wanted to beat us up. He abused us, tried to kick down our hotel room door and Joy threatened me".

"It was a horrifying ordeal for us both" blasts Maribel as her attention turns to Beata "I don't know how you find it so funny, even a skinny little gym bunny like you would be terrified too!".

Three Weeks Later
Ronald Butterbelly's one year old black Ford F50 pick up truck which the bank are also chasing drove into the car park of Butterbelly Financial and Investment Services. He is wearing a short sleeved red chequered shirt and tan pants. It was his plans to retire from the army and farm, but poor decision making meant he couldn't retire and now he was coming to the last people he wanted to get help from. Beside him wearing a pink short sleeved shirt and dark blue jeans his daughter Joy. "I hate having to bow to these fatso's" she moans.

Ronald grinds his teeth at the thought "I don't like it either but, we have to be polite otherwise they won't help us, that's if they will at all".

"If not!" Joys tone determined I am going to put Jennifer in that headlock!"

Ronald looks over at her and nearly crashes into a Lincoln town car parked "Don't do anything, they will sue, we will just have to walk out and come up with a plan."

"Kidnap Jennifer" announces Joy with determination "Marsbaribel will pay"

Ronald reverse parks into position "Don't be silly, these people have got security and we will be prime suspects now please lets just be civil.

They meet Richard outside and shake hands "look" advises Richard "They won't share anything with me so I don't know what they have planned just please remain calm and don't do anything rash. They have security present and police on speed dial, I don't want either of you getting arrested."

"We won't" grunts Ronald. They enter the grey marbled lobby area and approach the reception desk. Before approaching the reception desk a burly security guard stops them, requests their ID and tells them to wait there. Maribel and Jennifer wanted them to have as little exchange with staff, as a result receptionist Jean is terrified. He returns with visitor passes which he provides to each and directs them to a conference room just past the security pass gates. Outside the conference room are two other security guards , they are directed to sit down, and help themselves to water.

Jennifer and Maribel prepare in Jennifer's office both purposely dressed in dark black business suits. Their legal team make their way on down to the conference room. Jennifer is anxious, she feels like she is breathing through a straw as she relives the horrors of the wedding in her mind. She takes two puffs of her inhaler.

"Jennifer darling, are you alright, you know I can say you were called away on urgent business?"

"No" gasps Jennifer as her attempts for deep breathing is nothing but shallow "I don't want them thinking I am week, I am fine lets go"

Maribel smiles and and rests her right hand on Jennifers left chubby cheek "Darling it will be fine, lets waddle out confidently and show them who is boss".

Jennifer follows behind her mother, she waddles slowly but confidently towards the elevator. Internally butterflies flutter in her tummy, she dreads the thoughts of seeing Joy again, she feels her breathing labour more and more. They enter the conference room. Opposite Ronald Joy and Richard are their 3 lawyers and secretary.

Joy glares at Jennifer as she gingerly sits on the plush leather chair, she doesn't make eye contact.

Jennifer clears her throat " On front of you all is a booklet, each chapter contains an executive summary. Let me start with chapter one and the horrendous treatment both I and my mother Maribel Butterbelly received at the wedding. This outlines in the contract that we are merely pausing criminal charges and if anyone or any member of the family tries to do something to us we will take additional action as well as any reactive these charges".

Maribel intercedes staring towards Ronald and Joy "Your treatment of us is totally unforgiveable, there are many conditions here you and others named have to adhere by, read them in your own time".

She opens up the booklet "Chapter two