Chapter 8: The Brother Who Came Back for Revenge
Jason drove toward his mother's house with Laura in the passenger seat.
Neither spoke for the first few minutes.
The streets blurred past the windows.
At a red light, Laura finally turned toward him.
“Jason, I need you to understand something.””
“What?””
“Your brother has always believed your father chose you over him.””
Jason tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“He chose neither of us. He established a trust.””
“That's not how Daniel sees it.””
“Daniel was twenty-eight when he borrowed that money. He was an adult.””
“He was also struggling. My mother offered him help.””
Jason glanced at her.
“Why?””
“Because she believed he was family.””
Laura looked down at her hands.
“She never told me everything, but I found another letter. It said Daniel had approached her claiming your father had promised him the commercial building.””
“Did Dad promise him?””
“No. But Daniel insisted he had.””
Jason turned onto his mother's street.
A black SUV was parked outside the house.
Daniel's vehicle.
“Stay in the car,” Jason told Laura.
“No.””
“Laura, please.””
“Your brother has spent twenty years trying to intimidate people into giving him what he wants. I'm not letting him do it again.””
Jason didn't argue.
They entered through the front door.
Daniel stood in the living room holding a glass of water.
He was fifty-two, broad-shouldered, with silver beginning to show at his temples. He wore an expensive navy suit and a gold watch.
He looked almost exactly like their father.
Except their father had never worn an expression quite so cold.
Monica stood beside him.
When Jason entered, she immediately straightened.
“Jason. Good. We need to talk.””
Daniel smiled.
“Little brother.””
Jason ignored the greeting.
“What are you doing here?””
Daniel took a sip of water.
“Visiting my mother.””
“You haven't visited her in eleven years.””
“People change.””
“Apparently.””
Daniel's smile disappeared.
“Watch your tone.””
Jason stepped closer.
“Get out of her house.””
Monica moved between them.
“Jason, stop. Daniel is trying to help us.””
“By stealing two hundred thousand dollars from Sophie's education account?””
Daniel placed the glass on the table.
“That money was invested.””
“Into your company.””
“Which is going to make everyone money.””
“Where is it?””
Daniel shrugged.
“Business takes time.””
Jason laughed without humor.
“You stole it.””
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“Be careful what you accuse me of.””
Laura stepped forward.
“Then perhaps you can explain the settlement agreement.””
Daniel turned.
For the first time, his expression changed.
“Laura.””
“Hello, Daniel.””
He looked at the envelope in her hand.
“Where did you get that?””
“From my mother.””
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“You have no business involving yourself in family affairs.””
Laura gave a small, bitter laugh.
“Your definition of family is remarkably convenient.””
Monica looked between them.
“Can someone explain what's happening?””
Laura placed the original deed on the coffee table.
“This building belongs to my mother’s estate. Not Daniel. Not Jason. Not Monica.””
Daniel stepped toward the document.
Jason moved first and picked it up.
“Don't touch it.””
Daniel's face darkened.
“You have no idea what you're holding.””
“I know enough.””
“No, you don't.””
Daniel pointed at the deed.
“Your father borrowed money from Katherine. He used the property as collateral. That building should have been transferred to the family years ago.””
Laura shook her head.
“That's a lie.””
“Your mother was a very sick woman. She didn't understand what she was signing.””
“Then why did you sign the repayment agreement?””
Daniel went silent.
Jason looked at him.
“You admitted you owed the money.””
“I was young.””
“You were thirty-one.””
“Same difference.””
“No, Daniel. It isn't.””
Monica suddenly interrupted.
“Can we please focus on the house?””
Jason turned toward her.
“What about it?””
“We have an offer. We need to make a decision.””
Evelyn, who had been sitting quietly near the fireplace, slowly stood.
“No,” she said.
Monica sighed.
“Evelyn, please. This is difficult enough.””
“My answer is no.””
Daniel laughed.
“Mother, you need to be realistic. You can't live here forever.””
Evelyn looked directly at him.
“I have lived here longer than you have been interested in it.””
His smile faded.
Jason watched his mother straighten her shoulders.
For years, she'd avoided conflict with her older son. She'd sent birthday cards he never answered. She'd saved newspaper clippings when he appeared in business articles.
She had never stopped loving him.
But she wasn't backing down anymore.
“Daniel,” she said quietly, “your father gave you opportunities. He helped you when you had debts. He gave you money when you couldn't pay your bills.””
Daniel rolled his eyes.
“Here we go.””
“He offered you a place in the family business.””
“I didn't want to work for him.””
“You wanted everything he had without earning any of it.””
Daniel slammed his palm against the table.
“Because he gave everything to Jason!””
Jason stepped forward.
“That's enough.””
Daniel pointed at him.
“You always got the good son treatment. The house. The trust.
The education money. Even Laura gets to walk in here and claim something!””
Laura's expression hardened.
“Because it's mine.””
Daniel laughed.
“Your mother is dead. What are you going to do? Sue a family that has been managing that property for decades?””
Laura lifted her phone.
“I already have.””
The room went silent.
Daniel stared at her.
“You filed a lawsuit?””
“This morning.””
Monica grabbed Daniel's arm.
“You said this was handled!””
Daniel shook her off.
“It is handled.””
“No, it isn't!”” Monica shouted.
“You told me the buyer would pay enough to cover everything!””
Jason slowly turned toward his wife.
“Everything?””
Monica covered her mouth.
Daniel looked at her furiously.
“Shut up.””
But it was too late.
Jason had heard enough.
“What exactly are you trying to cover?””
Monica began shaking her head.
“Jason, please.””
He stepped closer.
“Is it the debt? Or is there something else?””
Daniel grabbed his jacket.
“This conversation is over.””
He walked toward the front door.
But before leaving, he turned toward Evelyn.
“You should have kept your mouth shut, Mother.””
Evelyn didn't move.
Daniel pointed at the desk in the study.
“You think that letter protects you? It doesn't. There are things in that house your husband never told you.””
Then he left.
Monica followed him without looking at Jason.
The front door slammed.
Jason turned toward Laura.
“What did he mean?””
Laura looked at the photograph she'd brought.
“Your father left more than one letter.””
She pulled another document from the envelope.
“This one was addressed to Daniel.””
Jason read the first line.
*Daniel, if you ever try to claim Katherine's property again, remember what happened the night of the accident.*
Jason looked up.
“What accident?””
Laura swallowed.
“My mother died in a car accident twenty years ago.””
Evelyn suddenly sat down.
Her face had gone completely pale.
Jason turned toward her.
“Mom?””
She pressed both hands against her mouth.
May you like
Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said:
“Your father never told you the truth about that night.””
