Chapter 3 - The Awakening of the Household
The sound of my father shouting up the stairs shattered the peaceful morning silence of the Columbus house.
"Ethan! Claire! Get down here right now! Both of you!"
Within moments, heavy footsteps thudded down the steps. Ethan appeared first, still wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt, looking annoyed and irritated at having his sleep interrupted. Claire followed close behind, rubbing her eyes and yawning.
"Dad, what on earth is wrong with you?" Ethan complained, running a hand through his messy hair. "Some of us actually have a future to prepare for. Do you know how much brainpower it takes to get into Harvard? I need my rest."
"Shut up, Ethan. Just shut your mouth," my father snapped, his voice trembling with a mixture of shock and suppressed rage. He shoved the single sheet of paper into Ethan's chest. "Read it. Read what your sister just dropped on this table."
Ethan scoffed, grabbing the paper. "What is this? Another boring lecture about responsibility? Clara loves playing the martyr—"
His voice died in his throat.
As his eyes tracked down the lines of text, the arrogant, smug grin that had permanently plastered itself to his face since the previous afternoon dissolved instantly. The blood rushed out of his cheeks, leaving him looking ghastly white. He dropped his arms to his sides, the paper almost slipping from his fingers.
"This... this is insane," Ethan stammered, looking up at me with sudden panic in his eyes. "You're bluffing. You can't just revoke everything! You're talking about the trust, the property, the—everything!"
"I am not bluffing," I said smoothly, stepping away from the counter and walking over to where Lily's small pink jacket hung by the back door. "Every single asset, every financial backing, and every legal right tied to this family's safety net was legally established under my name and funded through my late husband's estate. And as of six o'clock this morning, your access has been officially terminated."
May you like
Claire snatched the paper from Ethan's hand, her eyes widening in absolute horror as she read the legal text. "You can't do this to Ethan! He's going to Harvard! He's the golden boy of this family! You're destroying his future over a stupid birthday party?!"
"No," I replied, my voice chillingly calm. "I am holding accountable the people who crushed an eight-year-old girl's spirit while celebrating themselves. Party's over, everyone."
