My Grandpa Left Me His $250M Company, Then My Stepdad Took Control

Reclaiming My Own Path

After I hung up the phone, I looked around my room at Grandma’s house.

My textbooks were scattered across the desk next to a stack of company reports, and photos of me with Dad and Olivia smiled back from the bulletin board.

This wasn’t the life I imagined a year ago. It wasn’t perfect; there was still a lot to figure out and plenty of challenges ahead.

But it was real. It was mine.

I thought about Mom, now alone after all her plans and manipulations. I felt a little pity, but it was mostly replaced by a sense of justice.

She made her choices, and now she had to deal with the consequences.

As for me, I had a family that loved me, a company to run, and a future full of possibilities.

It wasn’t the path I expected, but standing at the start of my new life, I realized something important.

Time flew by as I balanced college and managing a multi-million dollar company.

Before I knew it, I was halfway through my degree, buried in textbooks and financial reports.

The weekdays were filled with lectures and late-night study sessions, but the weekends were sacred.

Every Sunday I packed my bag and headed home to Dad and Olivia.

The moment I walked in, Olivia would run to me yelling:

“Laura!”

and tackle me with a hug.

At 12, she was all long legs and boundless energy.

Dad would step out of the kitchen, usually wearing an apron, just in time for dinner. He’d grin and say:

“Just in time for a meal.”

Those weekends became my anchor. We’d eat dinner together with Olivia excitedly talking about her week at school while Dad and I discussed the company.

After Olivia went to bed, Dad and I would often stay up late going over business strategies.

Thursdays were always spent at Grandma’s, where she cooked up a feast, filling the house with the smell of roast chicken and apple pie.

After lunch, we’d sit on the porch talking about everything and nothing.

“I always knew you had it in you, Lauren,”

Grandma would say, squeezing my hand.

As graduation got closer, I felt both excited and nervous.

Dad, true to his word, was running the company smoothly while also preparing me to take over. One evening, he told me:

“I’m ready to hand over the reigns whenever you are.”

I hugged him tightly.

“Thank you, Dad, for everything.”

Life wasn’t perfect, and there were still challenges ahead—decisions to make and a company to manage.

But as I looked at my little family—Dad, Olivia, and Grandma—I knew we could face anything together.