by Kevin Kwan
“Thank you, Freddie. Shall we begin?” Eddie eagerly suggested.
“Relax, kiddo. We’re just waiting for one more person,” Freddie said.
“Who else is coming?” Eddie asked, suddenly alarmed.
At that moment, the sound of expensive designer heels making soft clicks against marble could be heard in the corridor outside, and the receptionist opened the conference room doors. “This way, ma’am.”
Jacqueline Ling breezed into the room in a deep purple wrap dress, her Res Rei sunglasses still on and a Mitford blue Yves Saint Laurent couture overcoat flung across her shoulders. “So sorry to keep you all waiting! Would you believe my driver took me to the wrong place? He thought we were going to the Singapore Land Tower for some reason.”
“No need to apologize. It’s just a few minutes past ten, so you’re fashionably late, haha,” Freddie joked.
Jacqueline took a seat next to Nick, who leaned over and gave her a friendly peck on the cheek. Freddie looked around at the anxiously assembled group and decided it was time to put them out of their misery. “Well, we all know why we’re here, so let’s get on with it.”
Eleanor smiled pensively, while Philip leaned back in his chair. Alfred peered down at the sumptuously lacquered wood grain, wondering whether the table had been made by David Linley. Nick winked at Astrid seated across from him, and Astrid smiled back.
Freddie pressed a button on the telephone next to him. “Tuan, you can bring it in now.” An assistant, nattily dressed in a red sweater vest and striped tie, entered the room, ceremoniously holding an oversize parchment envelope folder. The assistant placed the folder on the table next to Freddie, and then handed him a horn-handled letter opener. Everyone could see Su Yi’s personal wax seal on the envelope flap. Freddie took the letter opener and dramatically flicked the blade underneath the bloodred wax. Eddie inhaled audibly.
Freddie carefully slid out a legal-size document from the envelope, held it up to the room so everyone could clearly see what it was, and then he began to read:
I, Shang Su Yi of Tyersall Park, Tyersall Avenue, Singapore, revoke all former wills and testamentary dispositions heretofore made by me and declare this to be my last Will.
1. Appointment of Executors. I appoint my nephew Sir Leonard SHANG and my great-nephew Oliver T’SIEN to be the Co-Executors of my Will.
(Eddie darted his eyes over at his cousins, a little dismayed. Why in the world would Ah Ma choose them as the executors? Oliver I can handle but, ugh, now I have to suck up to that pretentious Leonard!)
2. Specific Cash Legacies. I direct my Residuary Estate to execute payment on the following legacies:
a. $3,000,000 to my housekeeper LEE Ah Ling, who has served my family with excellence and devotion since she was a teenager.
(Victoria smiled. Oh good, she deserves it.)
b. $2,000,000 to my personal chef LIM Ah Ching, who has nourished my family with her fine culinary talents since 1965.
(Victoria, shaking her head: Ah Ching’s going to throw a fit when she realizes she got less than Ah Ling. Better not eat the soup tonight!)
c. $1,000,000 to my head gardener Jacob THESEIRA, who has maintained the grounds of Tyersall Park with such loving care. I further bequeath to him all the rights and future royalties related to the orchid hybrids we developed together over the course of five decades.
d. $1,000,000 to each of my dear lady’s maids Madri VISUDHAROMN and Patravadee VAROPRAKORN along with the antique Peranakan gold-and-diamond bracelets labeled for them in the Tyersall Park vault.
e. $500,000 to my head of security Captain Vikram GHALE, who has diligently protected me since 1983. I further bequeath to him the Type 14 Nambu pistol given to me by Count Hisaichi Terauchi preceding his departure from Singapore in 1944.
(Eleanor: Wah, so generous! I wonder if Old Lady knew that he made a fortune with his day trading?)
f. $250,000 to my chauffeur Ahmad BIN YOUSSEF. I further bequeath to him the 1935 Hispano-Suiza Type 68 J12 Cabriolet*3 that was given to me by my father on my sixteenth birthday.
(Alfred: Damn, I wanted the Hispano! I guess I can buy it off him.)
g. I bequeath every remaining employee of Tyersall Park not mentioned here the amount of $50,000 each.
3. Specific Legacies of Personal Property.
a. I direct that my jewelry collection be given and distributed according to the detailed list in Appendix A of this my Last Will and Testament, and as labeled in my vault at Tyersall Park.
(Cecilia Cheng Moncur: I wonder why she bothered. Everyone knows Astrid already got all the good shit.)
b. I direct that all artwork, antiques, and other household goods not specifically gifted by my Will be distributed equally among my surviving children by my executors in as nearly equal portions as may be practicable, with the exception of the following:
i. To my daughter Felicity YOUNG LEONG, I bequeath my collection of Celadon porcelain, which I know she will cherish and keep immaculately spotless for all eternity.
(Alix: Hahaha! Felicity and her OCD. Mummy sure had a sense of humor when she wrote her will!)
ii. To my daughter Victoria YOUNG, I bequeath a small painting of a woman by her bedroom window by Édouard Vuillard. I know she has always detested this painting, so I trust she will divest of it immediately and use the proceeds to buy that dream house in England that she keeps talking about.
(Victoria: Criticize me from the grave all you want, but I’ve already been town-house shopping on Sothebysrealty.com.)
iii. To my son Philip YOUNG, I bequeath all objects in Tyersall Park belonging to his father, Sir James Young.
(Philip: Did I remember to program the DVR to record the new season of Arrow? Can’t wait to get back to Sydney. This is such a colossal waste of time!)
iv. To my daughter Alexandra YOUNG CHENG, I bequeath my collection of carved ivory-and-jade name seals, since she is the only one of my children who actually knows Mandarin.
v. To my daughter-in-law Eleanor SUNG, I bequeath a box of Santa Maria Novella Almond Soap.
(All the women in the room gasped audibly, while Eleanor simply broke out in laughter. Nick glanced at his mother, not understanding. Jacqueline whispered to Nick, “She’s letting everyone know she thinks your mother was a dirty woman.”)
vi. To my cherished granddaughter Astrid LEONG, who in every way takes after my mother’s style, I bequeath my collection of cheongsams, ceremonial robes, vintage textiles, hats, and accessories.
vii. To my dear granddaughter Cecilia CHENG MONCUR, champion equestrienne, I bequeath a Chinese scroll painting of a galloping herd of horses from the Northern Song period by Li Gonglin.
viii. To my loyal and always amusing grand-nephew Oliver T’SIEN, I give and bequeath the pair of Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann table lamps from my dressing room and my signed first edition of W. Somerset Maugham’s Far Eastern Tales.
(Oliver: Niiiiiice.)
ix. To my devoted grandson Edison CHENG, I bequeath a pair of Asprey sapphire-and-platinum cuff links, gifted to my husband Sir James Young on our golden anniversary by the Sultan of Perawak. James was far too modest to wear the cuff links, but I know Edison will not be so bashful.
(Eddie: Phwoar! But enough with this piddly shit—can we just get on to the main event?)
x. I have made no specific bequests or provisions for my grandchildren Henry LEONG Jr. and Peter LEONG, for whom I have great affection, because they were left generous legacies in my late-husband Sir James Young’s Will, and because I know they have been amply provided for by the Leong Family Trusts.
(Henry Leong Jr.: What generous legacy? Gong Gong only left me $1 million, and I was just a little kid!)
4. Legacy of Historical Archives, Photographs, Documents, Personal Letters, and Ephemer
a. I bequeath ownership and all copyrights and intellectual property rights of my personal archive at Tyersall Park, including all family photographs, letters, journals, and documents to my dearest grandson, Nicholas YOUNG, the noted historian of our family.
5. Legacy of Shares. I bequeath my 1,000,000 Ling Holdings Pte Ltd Preference Shares—which Ling Yin Chao lost to me during an epic mah-jongg battle in 1954—to my beloved goddaughter Jacqueline LING. If she does not survive me, I bequeath the shares to her daughter Amanda LING. It is my hope that this will correct the imbalance of power within the Ling clan.
(Jacqueline’s cool, collected visage hid what she was feeling inside: Dear, dear Su Yi, you’ve liberated me! My God, I wish I could hug you right now! Felicity and her sisters frowned a little, not quite understanding what all this meant, but Eleanor, who was on top of the market, immediately started doing the math in her head: One million shares, and Ling Holdings is around $145 per share today. Jesus, Jacqueline is getting a huge windfall!)
6. Residue of My Estate. The residue of my estate consists of: Cash and other financial instruments held at my banks (OCBC in Singapore, HSBC in Hong Kong, Bangkok Bank in Thailand, C. Hoare & Co. in London, Landolt & Cie in Switzerland). I direct all the monies held in these institutions to be used toward payment of the legacies specified in Clause 2. At the fulfillment of all the specific legacies, I ask that any remaining monies be used to fund a new charitable foundation to be named THE YOUNG FOUNDATION, in memory of my husband Sir James Young. I appoint Astrid Leong and Nicholas Young as co-executors of the foundation.
7. Legacies of Real Property.
a. I give and bequeath my property in CAMERON HIGHLANDS, Malaysia, and all the contents within this eighty-acre estate to my dear grandson Alexander LEONG. If he does not survive me, I give the property to his wife Salimah LEONG and my great-grandchildren James, Anwar, and Yasmine LEONG, who I most unfortunately have never been able to meet, in equal shares.
(Harry Leong was stunned. This was such a slap to his face! Felicity didn’t dare look at her husband, but Astrid couldn’t help but smile: I can’t wait to Skype Alex. I want to see the look on his face when he finds out that Ah Ma left the incredible heritage estate in Malaysia to HIM—the son who’s been disowned by his father for marrying a native Malay girl.)
b. I give and bequeath my property in CHIANG MAI, Thailand, and all the contents within this three-hundred-acre estate to my beloved daughter Catherine YOUNG AAKARA. If she does not survive me, I give the property to her children James, Matthew, and Adam AAKARA in equal shares.
(Catherine started to sob, while Felicity, Victoria, and Alix all bolted up in their seats, staring at her in shock. What estate in Chiang Mai?)
Freddie Tan paused for a moment, and without a hint of fanfare, read the final clause of the will.
c. I give and bequeath my house in SINGAPORE to the following family members in the portions indicated below:
My only son, PHILIP YOUNG: 30 percent
My eldest daughter, FELICITY YOUNG: 12.5 percent
My second daughter, CATHERINE YOUNG AAKARA: 12.5 percent
My third daughter, VICTORIA YOUNG: 12.5 percent
My youngest daughter, ALEXANDRA YOUNG CHENG: 12.5 percent
My grandson, NICHOLAS YOUNG: 10 percent
My grandson, ALISTAIR CHENG: 10 percent
SIGNED by SHANG SU YI
—
Freddie put the document down and looked up at everyone. Felicity, Victoria, and Alix were still trying to digest the surprising news that their mother had owned a secret estate in Thailand.
“Go on!” Eddie said impatiently.
“I’m finished,” Freddie answered.
“What do you mean you’re finished? What about Tyersall Park?”
“I just read you that clause.”
“What do you mean? You didn’t mention Tyersall Park at all!” Eddie insisted.
Freddie sighed and began to recite the final clause again. When he was finally done, the room was completely silent for a moment, and then things erupted as everyone started talking at once.
“We all have a share in Tyersall Park?” Felicity asked, utterly confused.
“Yes, you specifically have a 12.5 percent share in the property,” Freddie explained.
“Twelve point five percent…what does this even mean?” Victoria grumbled.
Eleanor smiled triumphantly at Nick, and then she whispered in Philip’s ear, “Your mother can insult me all she wants, but at the end of the day you and Nicky got the majority share and that’s what counts!”
Nick glanced across the table at his cousin Alistair, who shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe Ah Ma actually left me something in her will.”
“More than a little something,” Nick said with a grin.
Witnessing Nick’s exchange with his brother, Eddie grew more livid by the moment. Suddenly he jumped out of his chair, shouting, “THIS IS TOTAL BULLSHIT! Where’s my share in Tyersall Park? Let me see that will! Are you sure this is even the latest version?”
Freddie looked at him calmly. “I can assure you this is your grandmother’s Last Will and Testament. I was present when she signed it.”
Eddie snatched the document from his hands and flipped through to the last page. There, on the bottom of the page, was the notarized seal, accompanied by the following words:
Signed in the presence of FIONA TUNG CHENG and ALFRED SHANG
on this the Ninth day of June 2009
Eddie’s eyes almost bulged out of his head. “Fucky fuck, my wife was a witness?”
“Indeed she was,” Freddie replied.
“That bitch never told me! And the will was signed in 2009? How is this possible?” Eddie said, almost shrieking.
“Stop asking stupid questions, you goblok!*4 She took a pen and signed it!” Alfred scolded him, getting fed up.
Eddie ignored his great-uncle. “But this means she never changed her will? Not even when Nicky married Rachel?”
Nick realized his cousin was right. After all the endless speculation about being disinherited, it turned out his grandmother never once waivered from her original plan. She left a majority stake of Tyersall Park to his father, knowing one day it would be passed down to him. Suddenly he felt an enormous wave of guilt wash over him. Why did he waste so many years being mad at Ah Ma?
But Eddie wasn’t done with his tirade. He stormed over to Freddie Tan’s chair and looked him in the eye accusingly. “The other day when you came to see my grandma, you told me I was going to be the main beneficiary!”
Freddie looked startled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I said no such thing.”
“You told me I was the ‘man of the hour’!”
Freddie almost began to laugh, but seeing the look on Eddie’s face, he tried to soften the blow. “Eddie, I was making a pun about the Patek Philippe you were wearing. You had on the 150th-anniversary Jump Hour Reference 3969 watch. One of my favorite models.”
Eddie glared at him incredulously before crumbling into his chair in embarrassment. Alix gave her son a pitiful look, and then turned to the lawyer. “Freddie, I’m not clear about how my mother’s financial holdings are going to be divvied up. What about her other stocks and her share of Shang Enterprises?”
Freddie looked very uncomfortable and swiveled his chair in Alfred’s direction.
“Your mother had no other stocks, aside from Ling Holdings,” Alfred said.
“But Mummy had a huge stock portfolio—she told me she had every blue-chip counter! Wasn’t she the biggest private shareholder in Keppel Land, Robinson’s, Singapore Press Holdings?” Felicity argued.
Alfred shook his head. “No, I am.”
“But doesn’t she share all that with you? As co-owner of Shang Enterprises?”
Al
fred leaned back in his chair and looked at Felicity. “You need to understand something…Shang Enterprises—the shipping company, the trading firm, all our various business interests around the world—are controlled by the Shang Loong Ma Trust. Your mother was a beneficiary of the Trust, but never a co-owner.”
“So who owns Shang Enterprises?” Alix asked.
“Once again, the Trust owns Shang Enterprises, and I am the chief custodian of the Trust. Your grandfather’s will stipulated that the Trust would be passed down through the male line. Only the Shang men could inherit. He was extremely old-fashioned, as you know.”
“So how did my mummy get all her income?” Alix asked.
“She had no income, but the Trust paid for all her expenses. My father’s wording in his will was very specific. He stipulated that ‘Su Yi’s every need, desire, and whim is to be taken care of in her lifetime by the Trust.’ So we did.”
“The Trust paid for everything?” Felicity was incredulous.
Alfred sighed. “Everything. As you well know, your mother did not have any concept of money. She was born to live like a princess, and she continued to live this way for nine decades. Supporting all of you, maintaining her lifestyle at Tyersall Park, in Cameron Highlands, everywhere she traveled. How much do you think it costs to keep a staff of seventy for so many years? To throw grand parties every Friday night? Believe me, your mother blew through a vast amount.”
“What will the Trust pay for now?” Victoria asked.
Alfred leaned back in his chair. “Well…nothing. The Trust has met all its fiduciary duties to your mother.”
Victoria looked at her uncle, almost afraid to ask the next question. “So are you telling us that we are inheriting nothing from the Shang Trust?”