Chapter 3

I stumbled back from the shove, but once I regained my footing, a calm settled over me. "Fine. I'm not eating."

I pulled out my phone, switched on the recorder, and held it up for everyone to see.

"Since you've taken things this far, let me be clear. First, the 500 thousand dollars I entrusted to you is mine. I have the transfer records and even your voice message on WhatsApp admitting you were holding onto it for me. I will take legal action to recover it.

"Second, Mom's death compensation and the demolition payout from the old house are part of the family inheritance and jointly owned family property. I am the first in line to inherit, and I will take what is mine."

The room froze. The relatives stared at me as if I had lost my mind.

Dad's expression darkened in an instant. He lunged forward, trying to snatch my phone. "Luther! You'd really sue me? I'm your father, you ungrateful brat! I raised you with my own hands, and you dare take me to court over money?"

I sidestepped his lunge and said coldly, "So you admit you're my father? When you handed me seven dollars as a gift, did you think about me? When you spent seven million dollars on a villa, did you think about me?

"I'll take care of you when you're old—that's my responsibility—but I'm not raising a giant baby brother, and I sure as hell won't let you bleed me dry!"

When Dad failed to grab the phone, Felix lunged at me. "Damn it! You think you can run wild here? Let's see how brave you are when I hit you!"

I stepped closer, meeting his gaze without flinching. "Go ahead. I'll call the police right now. You just started at a major company—get an assault charge, and let's see if Beckett Group still wants you."

Felix froze when I brought up his job. His hand hung awkwardly in the air, and he hissed, "Fine, Luther. You're ruthless. Over a few dollars, you don't even care about family."

"Family?" I laughed bitterly. "That's your family, not mine. In this house, I'm just an ATM. I'm an outsider."

I swept my gaze over the relatives who had been pointing and whispering. "I want to make this perfectly clear in front of all of you. Within three days, transfer my 500 thousand dollars back, along with my share of Mom's death compensation and the demolition payout.

"If you don't, the court summons will be sent straight to Felix's company. As of today, I'm no longer a member of this family, and I won't provide more than the legally required minimum support."

Without waiting for a reply, I turned and left.

Behind me, Dad's anguished screams rang out. "What a curse! How did I raise such a monster? Over seven dollars, and he wants to sever ties with his own father!"

Shouts from relatives and Felix's curses blended into a chaotic roar.

I headed to the elevator, and as the doors slid shut, I pressed myself against the wall. Tears finally streamed down my face. By now, I had accepted it—Dad had never loved me.

Outside the compound, I called Gwendolyn.

Her calm, clear voice came through the line. "Luther? What's wrong? You sound off."

When I heard her voice, the tension I had been carrying for hours finally eased.

"Gwen…" I choked, "I have no home left."

After a brief pause, she said firmly, "Where are you? I'll come get you. Wherever I am, that's your home."