Bastard Gets the Fortune, I Snap After 20 Years at the Bottom

At the Vanguard Groups victory gala, my father, Graham Vance, stood on the stage, his expression grim as he made a public announcement.

By the decision of the board, he began, his voice flat, as if discussing some trivial matter, I am announcing the termination of Asher Fergusons role as Group Vice President. The position will be filled by Finn Vance.

He spoke without a shred of emotion, completely disregarding the years I had spent clawing my way up from an entry-level position to regional director, and finally to VP of the entire corporation.

I crumpled the prepared victory speech in my hand and tossed it into a nearby trash can. Dad, I just closed a 1.5-billion-dollar contract. I believe Im entitled to a reason for my dismissal.

Grahams gaze swept over me, as hard and cold as steel. On the grounds that I built Vanguard Group with my own two hands. I can give it to whomever I please. If you make a scene, you can get out of my house.

I laughed.

Fine.

If he was so determined to play the usurper, then I had no reason to hold back. It was time the Vance family coughed up what they stole from the Fergusons and crawled back to the gutter they came from.

The banquet hall, filled with a thousand guests, fell silent. All eyes turned to Graham Vance, the chairman of Vanguard Group.

The executives in the front row began to whisper.

Mr. Fergusons performance has always been exceptional. Hes been hands-on with every project for years. Why would the chairman suddenly fire him?

Someone nudged his colleague. Isnt it obvious? A mountain cant have two tigers. The young master and his mother are the favored ones now.

Following their glances, the crowds attention shifted to Finn Vance, my fathers illegitimate son.

Finally, their eyes settled on my fathers secretary, Isabelle Croft.

She was only a few years older than me, but at this moment, standing beside Finn, she surveyed the room with the triumphant air of a queen who had just won her throne.

I stared hard at Graham. Dad, are you really kicking me out? Out of Vanguard and out of your life?

My father remained silent. Isabelle glided to his side, linking her arm with his. Her voice was a soft caress, but every word was a poisoned dart.

Asher, you shouldnt see it that way. Finn carries the Vance name. The chairman cant very well leave the company to someone with a different surname, can he?

She smiled sweetly. If you object, you could always go through the official channels to change your name to Vance. Then, of course, youd have a claim to Vanguard as well.

My fists clenched, fury blazing in my eyes as I glared at my father. A different surname?

Dad, what about the promise you made to my grandfather when you were on your knees before him?

Vanguard Group was originally founded by my grandfather, Arthur Ferguson! What right do you have to hand it over to your bastard son?

Grahams face twisted in a mask of rage. He ripped the microphone from its stand and hurled it at me. It struck my forehead with a sickening thud. You insolent brat! I built this company into what it is today! Ill give it to whoever I want! Even if Arthur Ferguson himself were standing here, hed have no right to question me!

Warm blood trickled down my face, blurring my vision in a sea of red.

Finn stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of our father. Brother, what are you doing?

There are so many people here! Cant we discuss this at home? Do you have to air our dirty laundry in public? He then turned to Graham, his expression earnest. Dad, I dont want the VP position. Please, give it back to my brother.

He looked back at me. Brother, dont fight with Dad over titles and money. Vanguard will be yours one day. I wont fight you for a single penny.

A flicker of pride crossed my fathers face before he turned on me again. See how sensible Finn is? And then look at you, shamelessly fighting your own brother over a job title in front of everyone.

A vicious, selfish person like you you inherited your grandfathers cold blood. How could I ever trust you with this company?

A cold, mirthless laugh escaped my lips. You dont have to. Ill take back what belongs to the Ferguson family myself.

With that, I turned and walked off the stage, leaving the stunned silence behind me.

The year my mother died, I learned the meaning of biding my time, of swallowing humiliation for a future victory.

While studying at business school, I started at the very bottom of the company, working my way up from a salesman. I forced a smile and called Isabelle, a woman barely older than me, my stepmother. At home, I played with the infant Finn, and as he grew, I let him ride on my back like a horse.

I deferred to Isabelle in all matters, seeking her counsel and obeying her wishes. When she claimed her newfound spirituality forbade her from visiting cemeteries, I dutifully stayed away from my mothers grave for ten long years.

I gave them no reason to find fault with me, playing the part of a simple, loyal son.

Thankfully, my father had a wandering eye, and Isabelle was too busy fending off other women to focus her full attention on me. To maintain her image as a gracious and tolerant wife, she never came after me directly. My father, in the prime of his career, was keen to avoid any scandal and treated the son of his late wife with a veneer of kindness.

And so, step by step, I rose through the ranks.

And with every promotion, I uncovered another layer of his corruption, another one of his dirty little secrets.

As I reached the hotel lobby, I saw the grand digital display had already been changed. The words Victory Gala were gone, replaced with: Congratulations to Mr. Finn Vance on his promotion to Vice President of Vanguard Group.

A truck was parked at the entrance, unloading a massive, ten-tiered cake in a clear display case.

The deliverymen shouted, Make way, make way! Special order from Chairman Vance himself! A ten-tiered cake for his son, to celebrate his new position as VP!

I heard his son just graduated and already closed a 1.5-billion-dollar deal! What a prodigy!

I let out a bitter laugh. It all made sense now. The reason Graham had insisted I bring Finn along to every meeting for that project. From the very beginning, the deal was nothing more than a stepping stone for Finns career.

No one cared that I had spent three months on it, working late into the night, revising the proposal seventeen times.

Deep down, a part of me had still hoped for Grahams approval. I hoped he would see that I was the one truly fit to lead the company. I wanted to reclaim my grandfathers legacy peacefully, without a war between father and son. But he had finally, brutally, crushed that hope.

The moment Finn graduated, Graham dropped the pretense. He started reassigning my projects to Finn, stripping me of my authority, and forcing me to hand over my clients.

He expected me, the true Ferguson heir, to step aside for my illegitimate brother.

I drove to my grandfathers old estate, opened the safe, and began to organize the mountain of evidence I had been collecting for twenty years.

After I sent everything to my lawyer, I checked the companys group chat. It was flooded with celebratory messages and applause. Someone had posted a video: Graham and Finn, hand in hand, cutting the enormous cake, with Isabelle standing beside them, her hand resting proudly on Finns arm.

A perfect family portrait.

Graham addressed the camera, announcing his intention to hand the company over to Finn and asking everyone to support the younger generation.

I turned off my phone, unable to stomach another sycophantic message.

I was in the middle of a call with my lawyer, planning our next steps, when my fiance, Sophia Lowell, called.

Asher, you liar! I just heard you were kicked out of the family! Our engagement is off! Im not marrying a penniless nobody!

As her tirade continued, I learned that Graham had publicly disowned me and transferred all my company shares to Finn.

And he had made one other major announcement: he was officially marrying Isabelle Croft.

Sophia sent me a video clip. In it, Graham held Isabelles hand, his voice thick with emotion. Everything I have achieved today, I owe to one woman. She has supported me, encouraged me from the shadows. And tonight, I want to officially ask her to be my wife.

He dropped to one knee, slipping a diamond the size of a pigeons egg onto her finger.

Watching them embrace, a cold smile touched my lips. I wondered if Isabelle would have been so supportive if he were still shoveling manure back in the mountains where he came from.

So be it. After twenty years, they were finally getting their happy ending. As his son, it was only right that I send them a wedding gift they would never forget.

A month later, Graham hosted a lavish wedding at Blackwood Manor, the most opulent venue in Ridgewater.

Every powerful family, every influential figure in the city was there. The media scrambled to cover the story of their epic true love.

It seemed everyone had forgotten Graham Vances history. They had forgotten the woman whose love he had used and whose life he had destroyed.

It didnt matter. I would make them remember.

I would show them all what happens when a parasite forgets its host, and how a man who betrays his benefactors always pays the price.

When I arrived at the wedding, I saw Finn. And on his arm was my fiance, Sophia.

Finn deliberately ran his fingers through Sophias hair, blowing a light, suggestive breath against her ear. Brother, Sophia might be a few years older than me, but damn, she's something else. You of all people should know that, right?

He let out a boisterous laugh, and his sycophantic friends joined in.

Looks like someone will have to watch from the sidelines from now on.

Yeah, who does he think he is, challenging Mr. Vance? If he so much as looks at his future sister-in-law, Finn will have his eyes gouged out.

I looked directly at Sophia. We had shared so many beautiful moments. She had been my rock during my darkest times, always believing I would reclaim what was mine. I couldn't believe she would do this to me. I refused to believe she was just another vapid, greedy socialite. She was my light in the darkness, the one good thing my grandfather had left me.

Her gaze darted away. Before she could speak, Finns fist slammed into my face.

Where the hell do you think youre looking, you bastard? he snarled. Let me make this clear: Sophia is my fiance now. Her father has already formally dissolved your engagement and promised her to me.

The moment he threw the first punch, his friends swarmed me, their fists and feet raining down on me.

Youre a worthless piece of trash! How dare you disrespect our Mr. Vance!

A toad lusting after a swan! Only our Mr. Vance is worthy of a woman like her!

I curled into a ball on the ground as they kicked me. Sophias sharp cries cut through the air as she tried to pull them off me. Stop it! All of you, stop!

Finn grabbed her, holding her back. Sophia, Im doing this for his own good. Can you imagine the scandal if he starts lusting after his brothers wife? Hed be run out of Ridgewater! Dad would probably break his legs!

Sophia stopped struggling. Her eyes grew cold. She nodded. Youre right, Finn. We should make him give up all hope.

She stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek, her gaze on me like chips of ice. Asher, I could pretend to love you, to stay by your side. But in our world, family interests always come first. Finn is young, successful, and hes the future. Of course, Im choosing him as my husband.

A union between the Vance and Lowell families is a win for everyone. If you were in my position, youd make the same choice.

A triumphant grin spread across Finns face as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

I stared at them, my mind reeling. Sophia, I stammered, you said you believed in me

Enough, Asher, she cut me off, her voice sharp. Dont drag this out. Have some dignity. They were just words. Dont take them so seriously.

A sharp pain lanced through my chest. I laughed, a bitter, broken sound. So she was just another social climber after all. My love, my trustall of it wasted.

Slowly, I pushed myself up from the ground, wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth. My voice was numb.

Fine, Sophia Lowell. I hope you dont live to regret this.

The commotion drew my father over. Seeing my bruised and battered state, his face contorted in disgust.

Today is my wedding day. Did you have to come here and cause a scene, to make us a laughingstock in front of our guests?

Is this all because Finn took your VP position? Fine. Were expanding into the African market. You can go there and be the independent executive president. Are you satisfied now?

I spat out a mouthful of blood and sneered at him.

The African market? A transparent excuse to banish me to some chaotic, undeveloped hellhole to rot. With me out of the way, he could enjoy my familys fortune with his mistress and his bastard son without any complications.

Graham Vance, you want to get rid of me so you can take everything? Dream on!

You secretly transferred Vanguards core assets to an offshore shell company, registered under Isabelle and Finns names, embezzling over 1.8 billion in the process.

In February of 2021, you and the CFO of an American supplier colluded to import twenty thousand tons of substandard steel, inflating the price from two hundred dollars a ton to three hundred and sixty. That little scheme cost Vanguard over thirty million dollars in a kickback deal.

And since 2018, youve evaded over a hundred million in taxes. Did you really think I was just keeping my head down and working all these years?

My words dropped into the silent hall like a bomb. The room exploded in a cacophony of gasps and whispers.

Vanguard is evading taxes? Is Asher really going to war with his own father?

This is explosive! He must have been planning this for years! The power structure of Ridgewater is about to change.

Grahams face went white. He trembled violently, leaning on Isabelle for support. He pointed a shaking finger at me. Youre lying!

Youre just bitter that I gave the company to your brother, so youre making up these vicious rumors!

Rumors? I pulled out my phone and displayed the evidence. Offshore transaction records. Falsified tax documents. Collusive contracts.

I started in this company as a teenager, Graham. I spent twenty years working my way up through every departmenttax, sales, product development. I remember every single transaction.

What do you think will happen when I forward all of this to the IRS and the FBI?

Graham froze, staring at me as if seeing his meek, pathetic elder son for the first time. He finally managed a weak, blustering roar. You brat! Ive run this company for years! The entire board is loyal to me! Your accusations are useless! Well simply say you forged the evidence!

I smiled faintly. Is that so? Well, lets find out.

Graham, from the moment you drove my mother to her death and fired me from my own company, you should have remembered that I am Arthur Fergusons grandson. I will protect the Ferguson legacy, and I will personally send you to the underworld to beg for their forgiveness.

His hand lashed out, slapping me hard across the face. His eyes burned with hatred, fear, and a sliver of panic, but his words were still a threat. Asher, if you dare to destroy Vanguard, I will destroy you.

I stood my ground, taking the blow. With that, the small debt I owed him for my birth was paid in full.

Im not going to destroy Vanguard. Im just restoring it to its rightful owner. Its real name is AethelFerguson Corp.

My father stood rooted to the spot. A hush fell over the thousand guests as they remembered my grandfather, Arthur Fergusona man known for his integrity and decisive leadership. They remembered that Vanguard had once been AethelFerguson, a company Graham had seized and renamed after my mothers death, forcing her own son to live under the thumb of his mistress.

Isabelle steadied my furious father, whispering something quickly in his ear. A smug, satisfied smile spread across his face. He patted her arm. Isabelle, you truly are my better half. What more could a man ask for?

He walked over to me, gently touching my swollen cheek. Asher, I was just angry. I didnt mean to hit you. Does it hurt? He leaned in close, his voice a low, menacing whisper. For all these years, Isabelle and I have treated you like our own son. We havent wronged you. Why must you push things to the point of mutual destruction?

Isabelle has an idea. She said we can give you thirty percent of the companys shares. In return, she, who has so diligently cared for your mother and grandfathers ashes all these years, will get thirty percent. Thats not too much to ask, is it?

His voice dropped even lower. You wouldnt want their souls to be disturbed, would you?

Isabelle sidled up, linking her arm with mine, her smile laced with venom. Asher, youve always been a smart boy. Thats why Ive always treated you as my own. You wont disappoint me now, will you?

The abbot of the Azure Mountain Monastery is an old friend of my fathers. A year ago, I entrusted your mother and grandfathers ashes to him for safekeeping. If he were to become displeased and accidentally chant an evil spirit curse instead of a blessing, I wonder if they would suffer for all eternity in the afterlife.