Chapter Thirty-Six
The interview had been secretly booked for the end of May the following year. By then, Opal and Boyd had been together for months, living in the penthouse apartment. He'd offered to get a different place, and said he'd understand if Opal didn't want to live among the memories of his past life as a dirt bag.
But she said that despite the way he'd changed, and how he'd let that part of his life go, it was still what made him such an amazing person. "If you bury your past too deeply, you might become one of those boring people who doesn't know how to have any fun," she'd added.
"You might be the smartet person I know, baby. I can't believe how much I love you."
So, the interview went as smoothly as they'd been expecting. Felicia wasn't worried in the slightest. She knew the board members didn't have a spot of solid evidence that might sway their opinion against leaving Boyd his trust fund. And since he'd passed that interview, there was another little secret that no one seemed to have known about.
Kristy Obrien was the chair leader of the board. She was a plump and happy older lady, with wrinkles that seemed to add to her charm. She stood up and gave the final outcome of the interview, which was utterly in Boyd's favor, just as everyone had figured.
Then, she unleashed a secret clause that only she had been privy to all these years. "Now that you've proven, to your mother and father's standards, as stipulated in their last testament, that you are indeed worthy to have such power—Boyd, you are now a man in control of your own inheritance. The trust will now be absolved, and the proceeds are yours to do with as you please. It brings me great joy to give you this news, and I know you'll do your family name proud, Boyd. Good luck."
"Are you kidding me?! That's the most amazing news I've heard in my entire life!" Boyd literally ran out of the board room. That surprised everyone in the audience, especially Opal, who'd been sitting right beside him the whole time. She got up and rushed out to find where he'd gone.
"Thank you, miss!" she said to the board as she went. Carl was sitting at the back of the room, a horrible scowl on his face. Opal winked at him and smiled as she made eye contact with him.
When she got outside, Boyd was standing on the steps outside the historic building where the members had held their meetings since he'd been a teenager. He was a couple of steps from the top, so he and Opal were at about eye level when she strolled up to him. "You certainly are excited, aren't you, dear? Well, I don't blame you. You're a freaking millionaire!"
"We are freaking millionaires, you mean." He kissed her and walked up the steps, then knelt down in front of her. "That is, if you will please say yes to this question: Opal Wright, you've done nothing but good for me since the first moment I met you. Even though you were working in a strip club, and I was totally wasted, it was pretty clear our futures would be forever united, like a blaze of glory in the night sky." He brought a little black box from his pocket.
"What are you talking about, crazy man? Ask me the damn question already. People are starting to stare."
"Isn't that what you want?"
"I guess, sort of." Opal blushed but felt special with everyone around looking at her and Boyd.
"Will you do me the honor of being my wife, Opal, for the rest of our lives?" He opened the box and just about blew her head off with the brilliance of the rock on that engagement ring.
"Yes! Of course I will!"
"And after the honeymoon, will you help me take on your ex-boss for unfair dismissal, and that Owen guy for theft, framing, the works?" said a woman behind her. She turned and saw Felicia standing there, wearing a lovely formal dress. Her hair was down and flowing in a wonderful way. Opal's mother was beside her, dressed just as nicely, and Judith was there too.
"I'm so happy for you," said Vanessa.
"I can't believe you're going to marry a millionaire!" cried out Judith. "Your birthday presents had better improve dramatically, is all I can say."
"And I expect at least three grandchildren," added Vanessa.
"You guys are always hilarious," said Opal. She rushed over and planted big kisses on all three of them. "This is the best day of my life! I think I need to pass out, but I don't want to risk waking up from such a perfect dream."
"Thank you all for meeting us here and making this even more special for this gorgeous woman," said Boyd. "If you'll excuse me though, could I just have a moment to kiss my new fiancé? I love you, Opal."
"Boyd, I love you too!" They kissed then, and it was just the first of countless kisses they'd share as an engaged couple, and eventually as a married couple.
Their life wasn't perfect after that, but nothing ever was. A few million dollars always helped make things easier. And they did live very happily ever after, for the rest of their days.