Chapter 2

"Take care of me when I'm old?" I let out a chuckle. "You don't even have a job. You're living off us every month. What exactly are you going to support me with?"

Maxwell's face twisted with rage. "Lawrence Zimmerman! Don't push your luck!"

Without missing a beat, he grabbed the wine glass beside him and smashed it against the floor.

"If you don't sign the agreement today, I'll make sure Aunt Evelyn divorces you! You'll walk away with nothing, and you'll be thrown out of this house!"

I looked at Evelyn. But she kept her head down, eating and saying nothing.

My heart sank.

"Evelyn Larson!" I snapped. "You're going to divorce me just because I won't give up Tiffany's wedding fund? She's your daughter! Have you no soul?"

Lucy slammed her hand on the table. "What nonsense are you talking about? Lawrence, my daughter's been married to you for decades. She gave you a child and took good care of you.

"Now, we're just asking you to help out her nephew, and you keep making excuses? You call yourself a man?"

Maxwell seized the moment to pile on. "Exactly! Aunt Evelyn, why keep a man like him? Divorce him! Do it tomorrow, then kick him out!"

Just then, the door to the dining room swung open. My daughter, Tiffany Zimmerman, walked in carrying a plate of fruit.

When she saw the shards of glass scattered across the floor, she froze.

"Dad, Mom, what's going on?"

The moment Maxwell saw Tiffany, he fixed her with a sharp glare.

"Your parents are about to get divorced! From now on, you're just a burden no one wants!" he spat.

Shocked, Tiffany flinched and nearly dropped the plate.

"Maxwell Larson! Watch your mouth!" I bellowed as I pulled Tiffany to my side.

She clutched my arm, saying, "Dad, everything was fine. Why would you get divorced? He's just talking nonsense, right?"

"I'm not," Maxwell shot back with a sneer. "Your dad's planning to give me your wedding fund as well. When you get married, your parents won't fork out a dime. You'll be walking into that marriage with nothing to your name!"

The color drained from Tiffany's face at once. "Dad… Didn't you promise me 300 thousand dollars for my wedding? If I show up with nothing, what will my fiance's family think of me?"

"They can think whatever they want!" Maxwell cut in, his tone dripping with contempt. "You're just marrying into their family to have kids anyway. Why should we pay anything? You're just a burden!"

"Shut up!" I roared.

My body shook with fury as I continued, "Maxwell, I raised you for 12 years. I gave you food, clothes, everything. What more did you want?

"During your four years in university, when you kept failing classes, I was the one who went to your professors and begged them to give you a chance. When you got fired from your first job, I pulled strings to get you another.

"And when you bought your place, I paid every cent of the down payment. Now that you're getting married, you expect me to pay for it. On top of that, you want me to hand over my daughter's wedding fund? On what grounds?"

Maxwell shot back, "Because you're my uncle! Because you married my aunt! Your money belongs to the Larson family!"

"I'm a Zimmerman, and you're a Larson. When did my money become yours?"

"Lawrence Zimmerman! What do you mean by that?" Lucy yelled. "You married my daughter. Doesn't that make your money hers? And if it's hers, what's wrong with her nephew using it?"

What kind of twisted logic was that?

Evelyn, too, furrowed her brow. She shot me a disapproving look and said, "Lawrence, we're family. Why make such a fuss over money?"

"Fine. Family, huh?"

I nodded, then picked up the agreement.

A victorious smile spread across Maxwell's face. But in the next instant, I tore the document in half in front of him.

"I won't pay a single cent for this wedding!"

Maxwell's smile faltered.

"Lawrence Zimmerman! You've got a death wish!" he roared.

Almost immediately, he raised his fist and lunged at me.

"Dad! Watch out!"

Without a second thought, Tiffany threw herself in front of me.