Episode 12
990 Words
The following weeks brought no peace to the mansion or the company. The damage David caused was no longer hidden; it began to show in every aspect of their lives. His greed, temper, and recklessness had turned what was once a proud family empire into a fragile house of cards, trembling on the edge of collapse.
David sat in his office late one evening, surrounded by piles of papers he didn’t care to read. The air reeked of alcohol and cigar smoke. Empty bottles littered the desk. Across from him sat a sly-looking man in a gray suit — Mr. Collins, a shady investor who had been circling the company for months.
“So, Mr. David,” Collins said smoothly, lighting a cigar, “you’re ready to move forward with our arrangement?”
David nodded, his eyes bloodshot. “Yes. You’ll have the property rights to the company’s warehouse in exchange for the money we discussed.”
Collins smiled thinly. “Half of your father’s warehouse? That’s prime land, my friend. Are you sure your board won’t object?”
David waved dismissively. “I am the board.”
Collins chuckled. “Excellent. You’ll have your money by tomorrow.”
As Collins left, Jacob entered — tired but determined. His eyes fell on the scattered papers and contracts on the desk. “What was that about?”
David smirked. “Business.”
Jacob frowned. “You’ve been selling assets again, haven’t you?”
David leaned back, smirking lazily. “It’s called keeping the business afloat. Something you apparently don’t understand.”
Jacob’s voice rose slightly. “You’re selling the backbone of this company for quick cash! Father’s legacy is disappearing because of you!”
David’s eyes hardened. “Father’s legacy? He’s gone. It’s my company now, not yours.”
“Father trusted both of us!” Jacob shot back. “But look at what you’ve done — employees leaving, suppliers pulling out, clients doubting us. You’re burning everything he built!”
David stood abruptly, his chair screeching against the marble floor. “Enough! I don’t need another lecture. You think you’re better than me, don’t you?”
Jacob shook his head sadly. “No, David. I just want my brother back — the one who cared, the one who worked hard, the one who didn’t let pride destroy him.”
David’s jaw clenched. “That brother is dead.”
Jacob stared at him for a long moment, realizing that perhaps it was true — the David he once knew had drowned in his own arrogance. Without another word, Jacob turned and walked out.
When the door closed, David slumped into his chair, staring blankly at the wall. The room felt heavier than ever.
That night, Lydia sat alone in the servants’ quarters, praying silently. She had seen too much — the shouting, the slaps, the betrayal. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she whispered softly, “God, please… save this house. Save them before it’s too late.”
Jacob found her there, holding her rosary tightly. “You’re praying again,” he said gently.
She nodded. “It’s the only thing left to do.”
He sighed deeply. “I wish faith alone could fix everything.”
She looked up at him, her eyes calm but filled with strength. “Sometimes, it’s all we have.”
Jacob smiled weakly. “You sound like Mother.”
Lydia blinked. “You miss her?”
“Every day,” Jacob replied quietly. “She was the glue that kept this family together. Since she died, everything’s fallen apart.”
Lydia hesitated. “Do you think Mr. David can change?”
Jacob’s silence was answer enough.
Meanwhile, David went out drinking again with a few reckless friends at a high-end club. Music pounded through the air as he threw cash around like confetti.
A woman in a red dress leaned over him, her voice sweet and poisonous. “You look like a man who doesn’t care about consequences.”
David grinned. “You’re right. I don’t.”
But behind the smile was emptiness — a hollow ache that even alcohol couldn’t drown.
By midnight, he stumbled out of the club and into his car. He sped down the highway recklessly, his vision blurred. He didn’t care where he was going. He just wanted to escape the noise in his head.
When he finally parked outside the mansion, he was trembling. He stood in the driveway for several minutes, staring up at the house that once felt like home but now felt like a cage.
He whispered to himself, “Why does everyone hate me?”
From one of the upstairs windows, Lydia saw him — drunk, lost, broken. Her heart softened despite everything.
She quietly went outside, draping a shawl over his shoulders. “You’ll catch a cold,” she said softly.
David looked up at her, startled. “Why do you care?”
“Because hate can’t heal anything,” she replied.
He stared at her, his expression unreadable, and for a brief moment, his eyes glistened with something like regret. “I don’t deserve kindness,” he murmured.
“Maybe not,” she said, “but sometimes, people need it anyway.”
Then she helped him inside, unaware that Jacob stood at the stairs, watching them both — torn between pity and anger.
Later that night, Jacob sat in his study, flipping through the company’s financial documents. What he saw made his heart sink — enormous losses, hidden sales, and falsified reports.
He whispered under his breath, “Oh no, David… what have you done?”
He knew then that the company couldn’t survive much longer under David’s control. Something drastic had to be done — but confronting him again might destroy what little family bond remained.
Still, Jacob made up his mind.
Tomorrow, he would go to the board and take action — even if it meant going against his own brother.
- Writer
