Chapter 10

My oldest brother stood up and walked over to me.

"Elias," he said, his voice hoarse. "Um... can we... talk this over?"

I looked at him. "Talk what over?"

"The mortgage on the house... 2.8 million... I can't come up with that all at once." He rubbed his hands together nervously. "Those two commercial properties of yours... could you spare one for me? Consider it me buying it from you..."

Behind him, my sister-in-law nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, we're family, we can work this out—"

"Family?" I repeated the word, and she immediately shut her mouth.

I looked back at Arthur. "You said I took care of Pops because my salary wasn't high anyway. Your wife said I did it because I wasn't married and had nothing better to do. Today, when you got the house and the savings, you told me to move out within three days, and your wife called it my duty to care for him."

I offered a tight smile. "Now you find out the house has a 2.8 million mortgage, and you want to talk it over with me. Because family can work it out."

I stood up. "You can talk it over with anyone else, but not me. It's too late."

Arthur's face flushed red. "Elias! You—"

"Me what?" I held his gaze. "I took care of Pops for 1,095 days. You visited four times. I quit my job while you bought a 480,000-dollar car. I changed his bed pads over a thousand times, and you didn't change a single one. You transferred 470,000 from Pops's account, and I didn't take a single extra cent. And now you're telling me we're family and can talk it out?"

I enunciated every single word. "Arthur, how do you even have the nerve to say that to me?"

Arthur just stood there, his face turning from red to pale. He opened his mouth a few times, but no sound came out.

My sister-in-law rushed over. "Don't push it just because you're in the right! Arthur is still your older brother—"

"Still my older brother," I said, turning to face her. "Still my older brother, yet Pops was paralyzed for three years and he visited four times. Still my older brother, yet he stole 470,000 of Pops's pension money. Still my older brother." I stared her down. "Do you think those few words are enough to pay back the 2.8 million he owes?"

My sister-in-law froze. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find a single word.

The living room fell completely silent. Out of the dozen people gathered there, no one spoke; even their breathing seemed to quiet down.

Beatrice stood up and walked toward me. "Elias..." Her voice was weak. "Those two commercial properties of yours... could you maybe... give one..."

"Beatrice," I cut her off. "You gave me two thousand."

She stopped in her tracks.

"Two thousand," I repeated. "I lost out on 300,000 in earnings over three years, and you gave me two thousand. Now you want me to spare a property for you? One worth 2.6 million? Do you think I owe you?"

Beatrice's face went pale. She took a step back and said nothing.

I stood in the middle of the living room, looking around at everyone. Arthur was slumped on the sofa, his wife sitting next to him with an ashen face. Beatrice had shrunk into a corner, her head bowed. The rest of the relatives kept their eyes down, silently sipping tea and not daring to look at me.

Ten minutes ago, they had been laughing at my expense.

"Elias gets nothing."

"Makes sense..."

"Stop messing around."

Now, no one was laughing.

I looked at the attorney. "Mr. Vance, is there anything else?"

"The reading of the will is complete." The attorney closed his folder. "The signatures have already taken effect."

"Good." I turned around and walked to the door.

This time, no one asked me to stay.

As I pulled the door open, my sister-in-law's voice drifted from behind me, already choked with sobs. "2.8 million... 2.8 million... Arthur, how could you sign without looking carefully..."

Arthur said nothing.

I stepped out and closed the door.