Chapter 4 Served With a Lawsuit

A crowd had gathered around us, pointing and whispering.

"Are those Lucas' parents?"

"Oh my God. I never imagined he was that kind of person."

"He looked so honest. Who would have thought he could be so heartless?"

The blood rushed straight to my head.

They sold their house and car to put me through school? They skipped medical treatment just to save money for my tuition?

What a load of lies. They were twisting the truth without a second thought.

My director's expression turned grim, his brow deeply furrowed. "Lucas, what's going on here? The company values your abilities, but this is a personal matter. Make sure you get it handled."

I looked at the two of them. They were secretly watching me out of the corners of their eyes.

At that moment, my last bit of hesitation disappeared. If they were willing to throw away all shame, then I had no reason to hold back.

I pulled out my phone and called the police. "Hello, 911? I'd like to report a disturbance. Two people are causing trouble and disrupting public order outside Crestview Tower."

The moment they heard I had called the police, their faces fell. They hurried off with their tails between their legs.

Only then did my coworkers realize the whole thing had been an act.

But it was far from over.

When I got off work that evening and stepped out of the building, I realized someone was following me.

I looked back and saw a small-time livestreamer holding up a phone, sneakily filming me. I did not even have to guess. My parents had definitely sent that person. I shot the camera a sharp look, hailed a cab, and went home.

I thought I would finally be able to catch my breath once I got back to my apartment. Instead, I found red paint splashed across my front door.

Scrawled over it were the words: "Heartless ingrate! Go die!"

My fists clenched until my knuckles cracked. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely get the key into the lock.

After I finally got inside, I collapsed onto the couch, feeling cold all over.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. This time, it was nothing like my parents' impatient pounding. Thinking it was a delivery, I steadied myself and went to answer it.

The moment I opened the door, I froze. Two uniformed officials stood outside, their badges pinned to their chests.

A man and a woman. Both wore solemn expressions.

Behind them stood two reporters with cameras on their shoulders. The flashes went off immediately, forcing me to squint.

"Are you Mr. Lucas Hunter?" the male official asked.

I nodded. "Yes. Who are you?"

The man opened the folder he was carrying, took out a document bearing an official seal, and handed it to me.

"We're from the district court. You've been served. These are the complaints and summons for the lawsuit over parental support that Liam Hunter and Maya Brooks have filed against you."

After the court officials left, Connor called me.

"Lucas, check your social feed right now! Your parents have completely lost their minds!"