Trash Count Family Novels & Stories

They stepped inside, holding up their torchlights, only to be met with a room filled with garbage. The stench was unbearable, thick and suffocating. Amidst the filth lay a worn-out, grimy mat—it had been my bed. The only possession I had was a tattered doll I'd brought from home. The doll stood out in the squalor. Its age was apparent; the fabric was faded and patched in several places. Yet, it was clear the doll had once been cherished, lovingly repaired by its owner.

I hastily wiped it from the corner of my eye and decided to throw away everything in the room. Since I was dying anyway, keeping these things would only be an eyesore to them. It was better to throw them all away. There was not much in the room besides daily necessities and a few picture frames. There was a family photo of all four of us and my marriage certificate with Jonathan. I stared at them for a long time, then threw them into the trash without hesitation. After cleaning up, I lay on the bed gasping for breath when suddenly, something metallic and sweet surged up my throat. I coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood that splattered across the white sheets.

A week after we arrived, Vivian signed Nico up for a small after-school class near the clinic. It was nothing like the programs in New York. No family connections. No special access. Just a rented gym, six children, and an instructor who cared more about balance than pedigree. Nico liked it immediately.

Trent flipped through it, tracing his mother’s face. She looked so happy here. Many of the photos were of Trent as a baby, then Thea. One photo was of Edward and Bea on the couch, their arms wrapped around each other. Trent closed the album and kept working. He didn’t know how much time passed. It could’ve been days for all he knew. The pile of trash in the front yard kept getting larger and larger. Trent didn’t know how Edward had managed to accumulate so much junk when he’d been housebound. There was expired food in the pantry and cabinets; packs and packs of cigarettes; ashtrays filled to the brim; old magazines, some older than Trent himself; tools—broken or otherwise—and appliances and

he yelled. Troy had somehow forgotten that the heir of the Fox family was named Dustin. “The chairman of the Ziegler Group used to be the Fox family’s butler.” Shawna had a strange look on her face. She finally understood why Dustin had jeered Troy that way. Dustin’s whole family had been killed. After surviving and returning, he found that his family’s businesses had been taken over. No one would be happy with that. Dustin was someone powerful… “Dustin, what are you doing here?” Hector’s eyes shone. No one could guess what he was planning.

"I mean, I understand if you want him to work for you instead of me. He is family, after all." Rhychard shook his head. "Family is about more than just blood. Kree and Tryna are family. So are you and Buttercup, for that matter. Besides, I'm not sure I would trust Karl around other people's belongings." Trace nodded as he glanced out the side window at where they had already been. "So, what's the plan?" He turned his face back on his friend. "And what was up with you and that box? There wasn't a bug, and your dad didn't buy your story, either."

But before I could finish, Chad objected loudly, "You're so old, so what's the point of dressing nicely? You might as well buy some nice clothes for my girlfriend, Gale Kramer, with that money!" Dad also disapproved. "Don't waste money on useless things. Plus, the family's finances are already tight. Can't you be more sensible?" Grandma snorted coldly. "A woman shouldn't be so vain." "The request is denied," Mom delivered the final verdict. "Next time you dare to make such a request again, you'll be fined." Even though I'd long since given up on them, seeing how blatantly two-faced they were still made me scoff. There were actually the family members I'd trusted in my previous life.

Then, she pointed at me and said, "But Dad, she's so dirty. Look, she's stained this beautiful carpet. The smell of blood is so disgusting. She's ruined my good mood!" Dad tensed up immediately because his daughter was upset. "Don't be mad, sweetheart. If she’s dirty, I’ll make her clean!" He made a phone call. Soon, a huge transparent crystal bathtub was carried to the center of the banquet hall. Then, the servants brought in bucket after bucket of a highly corrosive cleaning agent. They poured all of it into the bathtub without hesitation. Finally, a pet grooming team walked in with hard metal brushes and high-pressure water guns.

Would she have preferred it if her son had married a less dramatic person? I wouldn’t blame her if she had those thoughts because their family already had enough baggage on its own that they had to deal with. Trevor was still on the run and nobody had been able to find him. So far, whenever they would get a lead on him, it would be false. I didn’t need to be close to Lazar to know that he was frustrated. He had come so close to catching Trevor but had lost the opportunity. “As from now on, nobody is touching this family again. They have gotten away with it for too long. I won’t let it happen again,” she shook her head vigorously.

It also signified a little more seriousness and responsibilities in terms of Spears INC. In case I hadn’t made it clear, I run a multibillion-dollar company. My parents had died six years ago, just in time for my eighteenth birthday, and in turn, left the company in my care. No risk was taken because I have been in the family business since I turned 12. I watched him stand up and straighten his crisp white shirt, before turning to him. I watched him with some adoration but my ‘alter ego’ was irritated by him already. Why did he smile so much?