Chapter 6 - The UltimatumThe reality of what had just been unveiled crashed over the room like a physical wave. My mother let out a low moan, sliding off the sofa onto her knees on the rug. Richard stared at his son with an expression of sheer, unadulterated horror.
"You... you traded our family name for a cut of Marcus’s bailout scheme?" Richard hissed, grabbing Ethan by the shoulders and shaking him. "You sold us out?"
"He offered me half a million in liquid cash the moment the estate cleared!" Ethan screamed back, shoving his father away. "What was I supposed to do? Work a 9-to-5 until I'm eighty like you? Look around! This house is worth millions! We deserved our share!"
"You deserve nothing," Arthur said coldly.
The old man walked back to his desk, unlocked a small mahogany drawer with a brass key he wore on a chain around his neck, and pulled out a thick, legal envelope sealed with red wax.
"Earlier today, before I left St. Vincent Medical Center, my attorney, Harrison Vance, visited me in my room," Arthur said, holding up the envelope. "We executed a final, irrevocable codicil to my will."
My father’s eyes locked onto the envelope, his breathing shallow and rapid. "Dad... please. Let’s talk about this. We’re family. Blood is thicker than—"
"Blood is thicker than water, yes," Arthur finished for him, his voice steady and unforgiving. "Which is why it hurts so much more when it’s poisoned by greed."
Arthur tossed the envelope onto the center of the coffee table. It landed with a heavy, ominous thud.
"Inside that envelope," Arthur continued, "is the final disposition of the Bennett estate. As of five o'clock this afternoon, Richard, your trust fund has been permanently revoked. Your corporate allowance has been terminated. You have thirty days to clear your personal belongings out of the suburban house I bought for you, because that house is owned by the Bennett Trust—and the trust is evicting you."
Linda screamed—a high, piercing sound of absolute ruin. "No! You can’t do that! We’ll be homeless! We have debts, Arthur!"
"Then I suggest you start budgeting," Arthur replied without a shred of sympathy.
He then turned his gaze toward my trembling brother. "And Ethan. The digital copies of my corporate files you sent to Marcus? My cybersecurity team intercepted them the moment they left your phone. Copies have already been forwarded to the District Attorney's office, along with the security footage of you breaking into my safe."
May you like
Ethan turned the color of ash. His knees buckled, and he dropped heavily into an armchair, staring blankly at the floor. "You... you’re sending me to prison?"
"I am letting the law take its natural course," Arthur said firmly. "Just as you planned to let me pass away without a second glance."
