Faking Disability: Two Years of Deceit for Revenge

"Okay, deal," I said, eager to get back my dad's final memento.Then I'd sever all ties with these toxic people."Can you afford that?" Mark guffawed dramatically, doubling over as if I'd told the world's best joke.Then he jabbed a finger at the insulated box still in my grip, the one holding the lavish feast."You'd deliver lifetimes for that sum. Take a gander at this upscale spread. Ever sampled anything like it? Are you worthy of it?"Abruptly, he snatched the box and hurled it down before I could react.The wooden case slammed against the marble, splintering on impact. The lid flew off, unleashing a cascade of meticulously arranged delicacies: fresh sashimi, glistening caviar, premium beef...He surveyed the wreckage with satisfaction, planting his shoe on a slab of rare bluefin tuna and twisting his heel into it."See? I chuck it like yesterday's trash. You are stuck in your dead-end life, never bold enough to indulge like this," he scoffed. "You'll never rake in the cas

The collision sent the cabinet quaking violently.Scores of exquisitely packaged bottles of château reds and elite malts tumbled down, shattering on the floor.The cacophony startled everyone. They stared, slack-jawed, at the devastation.A momentary hush descended, swiftly shattered by amplified mockery."What a klutz! Total catastrophe.""Tally up the damage. This bumpkin is doomed.""Lafite Rothschild, Romanée-Conti, Macallan rarities... Good lord! What's the tab?""Millions easy. Selling himself off wouldn't cover it.""Can't cover it?" Mark sauntered closer, smirking. "No sweat. Get down and lap up the spill. For each lick, I'll foot a drop's worth. Keep going till I'm satisfied."The crowd latched onto his cruel suggestion with glee."Kneel and slurp.""Show us your floor-cleaning skills."They closed in, seizing my arms and forcing me down toward the shattered glass and spilled fortunes."Down on your knees! Lick it up!""Or jail now!"A wave of degradation and agony engulfed me

"And what's your connection to Pauline?" Jessica pressed. "Why does she label you her fiancé? Answer me!"Her accusations dripped with grievance and betrayal, as if she were the innocent victim ensnared and wounded.Only a heartless person like her could conveniently forget her own protracted ruse of feigned paralysis.I was disgusted with Jessica's duplicity.The pain and humiliation I had suffered from evaporated, replaced by stark lucidity."Your thief-crying-thief skill is unmatched," I scoffed. "Who faked poverty? Paralysis? Who liquidated my dad's relic to curry favor with Mark? Who orchestrated a biennial drama solely to avenge him, delighting as I braved tempests to ferry your extravagant feast? You must have savored every moment, right? Who is the real cheater here?"My piercing stare shifted to Mark, noting the vacant finger where the ring once sat.I continued, "You two are the masked puppeteers, plotting, deceiving, and trampling genuine emotions underfoot."My voice wasn't

Several guards rushed up, hauling a limp Mark and his shamed crew out like dogs.Jessica, getting escorted out, gave me a long, deep look.Her face showed a mix of shock, regret, and angry betrayal. But mostly, it was the panic of what she'd lost.Their wretched exit vented my two-year grudge, thanks to Pauline's thunder purging."Janet heard you were here, so she sent me to pick you up," she said, taking my hand. "Let's go."Her voice was soft now, totally different from before.Jessica lingered outside the hotel, her heart heavy. When I came out, she asked bitterly, "Noah, are you really..."Pauline cut her short. "Don't call my fiancé like that. Better prepare for the lashes from us. Offending him comes with a price."Her words were the final verdict.Mark's mother went to jail soon after. The theft charges were solid.The Castros cut ties with her, ousting Mark and freezing all his money.Overnight, he went from a faux heir to a homeless guy.Jessica and her shaky family tasted the