Chapter 4

"You're a monster, Ethan!" my mother screamed from the hallway. "Using a vicious animal against your own family!"

"He's a golden retriever, not a wolf," I called back, walking to the front door. I looked at their suitcases, still sitting in my entryway. I picked up the first one, a large, gaudy Louis Vuitton knock-off, and tossed it into the hallway. It landed with a loud thud.

"And this is my house!" I said, grabbing the second bag and throwing it out too. "You are not welcome here."

They stood there, surrounded by their luggage, faces a mixture of shock and fury.

I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms. I thought about their nature. They were like a parasitic vine, one that had wrapped itself around me since birth. It didn't just take nutrients; it choked the life out of the host tree, convinced it was entitled to do so.

I remembered being fifteen. My father had lost his job after getting caught gambling with company funds. To keep the family afloat, they pulled me out of high school. I got a job working construction, sixteen-hour days of hard labor, just so Kevin could stay in his private school and my mother could keep up appearances with her friends. Every dollar I earned went into their hands.

When my first tech idea took off, I didn't cut them off. I did the opposite. I bought them a new house. I paid off their debts. I gave Kevin the money for his ridiculous "start-ups." I thought that was what a good son did. I thought it would finally earn their love and respect.

Then the bankruptcy hit, and I learned the truth. Their love was conditional. Their respect was a transaction. When I had nothing left to give, they cut the vine themselves and left me to die.

"We will not be treated like this!" my father blustered, trying to regain some dignity. "We will go to the press! We'll tell everyone how you abuse your poor, elderly parents!"

"Go ahead," I said with a shrug. "Tell them. And I'll show the press the newspaper article where you disowned me. And the forged medical records. And the receipts for the million dollars I gave Kevin. Let's see who they believe."

That shut them up. They knew I had them.

My mother's eyes narrowed. The fake victimhood melted away, replaced by cold calculation. "Fine," she hissed. "You want to play hardball? Give us fifty million dollars. A one-time payment. And we will walk away and never bother you again. We'll sign a contract. It's a small price to pay to be free of your family."

"Fifty million?" I laughed out loud. "You called me a monster. You called my dog a beast. But you're the ones putting a price tag on a relationship. You are literally trying to sell me my own freedom."

I remembered Kevin's cynical words again. Money is the only real family. He didn't come up with that on his own. He learned it from them. He was just the final, perfected product of their philosophy.

"It's not a sale," my father chimed in, his greed overriding his fear. "It's a severance package. For our parental duties."

"You abandoned your duties five years ago," I said, my voice dropping. The humor was gone. "The deal is off the table. Forever."

"You'll regret this!" Kevin shouted, finding his voice again. "We'll make you pay!"

"Buddy," I said, looking back into my apartment. "Want to go for a walk?"

The dog let out another excited "WOOF!" and trotted toward the door. My family flinched back as if they'd been shot.

I stepped back inside, attached Buddy's leash, and walked out, closing and locking the door firmly behind me. I didn't even look at them as I walked past them and their pile of luggage to the elevator.

As the elevator doors closed, I pulled out my phone and called the building's property manager.

"Hi, this is Ethan Miller in the penthouse," I said. "I need to permanently revoke access for Martha, Richard, and Kevin Miller. They are not to be allowed on the property for any reason. Yes, I'll send you their photos. Thank you."

I hung up and looked at Buddy, who was wagging his tail, happy to be going out. For the first time in days, I felt a small bit of peace. I had drawn a line. I had built a wall. Now I just had to see if it would hold.