When he was a skilled worker at my father’s company, I respected him immensely. After he married Sophia, he became the older brother I never had. He was my confidant, the one who encouraged me to follow my own path.
“Live your own life, Frank,” he’d said. “Make choices you won’t regret.” It was his words that gave me the courage to switch from business to education. But the man who greeted me upon my return was a stranger.
“Came back in a hurry when you heard he was sick, didn’t you?” he sneered when we were alone. “Don’t bother. You won’t inherit anything.”
His words shocked me.
“That’s not it!” I replied, my voice louder than I intended. “I didn’t come back for the company. I came back to be a better son, to apologize to Dad before it was too late.”
Patrick waved a dismissive hand.
“I don’t need your fancy talk. It sounds like something from a TV drama.” His attitude showed he was more concerned about his own position than our dying father. I began to see the truth: Patrick had likely married my sister not for love, but to get his hands on the company and its wealth.
After my father’s death, the will confirmed my darkest suspicions. Patrick, a son-in-law, inherited the majority of the company shares and a fortune. Sophia and I were left with scraps.
My inheritance was the old mini truck my father had loved. In private, Patrick laughed. “All that caretaking, and this is what you get?
A little truck? The company is mine now. It’s like a comedy.”
He left the room smirking, leaving me feeling empty, clutching the cold metal keys.
The harsh reality settled in. It wasn’t about the money; it was the searing pain of seeing my father’s life’s work fall into the hands of such a man. Determined to find some solace, I decided to clean the truck, the only thing my father had truly left for me.
After washing it carefully, I sat in the driver’s seat he once occupied. That’s when I noticed the navigation system. A single route was programmed, leading to a set of coordinates about an hour away.
With nothing to lose, I put the truck in first gear and began to drive. The route led me to a small, modest house in a quiet, secluded area. Confused, I got out and rang the doorbell.
The door slowly opened, and the person standing there was the last one I expected to see. “I’ve been waiting, Frank. Come in, dear,” my mother said.
“Mom? What is this place? How was it set in Dad’s navigation?”
“I’ll explain everything,” she said, leading me into a simple, cozy interior.
She poured me a cup of tea and began to speak. “This was your father’s secret hideout. Our secret spot.
Whenever we needed peace or had a small argument, our rule was to come here to cool off.”
I was stunned. I had no idea such a place, such a family rule, even existed. “And this,” she continued, handing me a bulging brown envelope, “is something your father wanted you to have.”
Inside was a letter addressed to me.
I opened it, my hands trembling. Frank, it began, I have caused you a lot of trouble and made you endure unbearable hardships. I am truly sorry.
Your mother often told me it was your right to choose your own path. We are both stubborn, but when you came back after I fell ill, it was a wonderful surprise. I am deeply grateful to you.
It was the first time I had ever heard such heartfelt words from my father. Tears welled in my eyes as I continued to read. To tell the truth, my distress towards Patrick grew over time.
He’s good with words, but I could see his true nature. I have no intention of giving the company to a man like him. If something unexpected happens, I have left a significant amount of money with your mother.
This is to ensure that you and Sophia will not be in need. Please accept it. I looked up at my mother.
She said nothing but gestured toward the rest of the envelope’s contents. Inside were bank books detailing an enormous sum of money, all in my mother’s name. “Your father gave this money to me secretly while he was still alive,” she explained firmly.
“This way, it avoids Patrick’s interference. Now, I want to give it to you and Sophia.”
The amount was unlike anything I could have imagined. But it wasn’t the money that moved me; it was the proof that my father had seen me, understood me, and trusted me.
He knew I would value the old mini truck and discover his final message. Tears streamed down my face. I had been so wrong to think he never understood me.
Hearing my mother’s comforting words, I made a firm decision. I would not let the company my father built fall into the hands of a man who had wished for his death. I would fight back, quietly and carefully.
My first step was to contact the corporate executives my father had trusted. They agreed to support my desire to carry on my father’s legacy, confirming that my father had never spoken poorly of me. Meanwhile, my mother and sister played their parts perfectly, keeping Patrick’s attention off me.
His success made him arrogant and careless. “Hey, you abandoned son,” he would taunt me. “Still hanging around this house?
I’m the new president. Admit your defeat and go back to your troubled students.”
As CEO, Patrick’s arrogance created a toxic atmosphere. He ignored his duties, treated staff with contempt, and made reckless decisions.
Skilled, loyal employees began to leave in droves. Patrick, however, remained overconfident. “Those who can’t grasp my superior vision might as well quit,” he’d declare publicly.
He spent lavishly while the company my father had built began to crumble. The day finally came for me to act. I arrived at the office early and waited in the president’s chair.
When Patrick walked in, he was shocked. “What the hell are you doing? Get out of my chair!” he demanded.
“The one who should be leaving,” I replied calmly, “is you.”
“What are you talking about? Have you lost your mind?”
“Using the assets our father left us, I’ve purchased the majority of the company’s shares,” I explained. “An extraordinary general meeting of shareholders was held.
You were officially removed as president. I’m sorry, Patrick, but you are no longer in charge.”
He stammered, confused. “Wait… what?
How?”
“You thought the inheritance was just an old mini truck. But that truck led to something more. The game is over, Patrick.
Leave this place.” I handed him several documents. As he looked through them, his face went white. “What is this?” he whispered.
“The minutes from the meeting and your official dismissal notice.”
He crumpled the papers. “You think this will hold up? I’ll take legal action!”
“Go ahead,” I said calmly.
“We have good reasons. Let me ask you, Patrick: have you been using company assets for personal use? Signing leasing contracts for your own benefit?
The computers and TVs that should be at the office are currently in your house, aren’t they?”
His face turned pale with shock. “How… how did you know about that?”
“You became complacent,” I told him, my gaze fixed on his. “You thought you controlled everything.” The executives, loyal to my father, had been feeding me information for weeks.
Patrick, cornered and furious, tried a different tactic. “You’ve never worked a day in this company! How can someone with no experience become president?
It’s impossible!”
“You’re absolutely right,” I agreed. “I have no intention of becoming president. My sitting in this chair is just a symbolic message.
In fact, a new president, elected by the board, is already carrying out their duties.”
He stood there, mouth agape, utterly defeated. He had been so sure I was after the presidency, he never saw the real plan. “As I’ve said many times, my only goal is to honor my father and protect the company he built.”
Patrick trembled with rage, scoffed, and stormed out of the office.
That night, something unexpected happened. Sophia threw divorce papers at him, ending their marriage. His dismissal from the company was the final straw.
“Why are you turning away from me now?” he asked. “Because I’ve lost the title of president?”
“There’s no point in talking about betrayal,” Sophia replied, her voice firm. “You were the one who betrayed our relationship from the start.
Your love was not for me, but for the title of the president’s daughter. You neglected our home, our son, and my sick father. Now, it’s time for you to face the consequences.”
Patrick was left with nothing.
We later learned he had lost a significant amount of his inheritance to an investment scam. He was not only broke but in debt. Meanwhile, my family found peace.
I continued my work at the tutoring school, enjoying a quiet life with my mother. We took great joy in caring for my nephew, Randy, whose presence filled our home with happiness. One day, Randy declared, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a president like Grandpa!”
His innocent words brought tears of emotion to my mother’s eyes.
“You might say that now,” I teased him gently, “but I wouldn’t be surprised if you want to become a teacher when you’re in college.”
The sound of our laughter filled the room. In that moment, surrounded by family, I realized we were truly living, finally enjoying the legacy my father had truly wanted for us: unity, peace, and love.
